National Coatings Blog

Roofs expand and contract as outside temperatures increase and decrease throughout the course of any given day. This makes it necessary to select a roofing product such as an elastomeric roof coating that performs with high elongation – the ability to stretch an extensive distance while being able to return to its original length after the stress of stretching the product has been removed.

Elastomeric roof coatings are coatings that contain a polymer called elastomer. The elastomer has the ability to be elastic when stretched, allowing the polymer to withstand the strain of expanding and contracting with a building or rooftop. Elastomers are very similar to rubber or gum making them an ideal ingredient for roof coatings as they provide excellent flexibility for long-term durability and use, and superior waterproofing and sealing of your rooftop. 

Elastomeric roof coatings are generally spray applied creating a monolithic membrane that seals and coats around all roof penetrations such as pipes, drains, rooftop equipment, etc… This provides excellent resistance to water infiltration into the building. The high elongation of the coating allows the entire monolithic membrane to stretch and return to its original state without ripping, tearing or failing. Since these roofing systems contain no seams, the stress is evenly distributed across the roof field, instead of building up at seams and joints, which is where most roofs with seams experience water penetration and failures.

National Coatings has a full line of elastomeric base and top coats for asphalt, single-ply, metal, concrete and SPF roofing. These top coats also contain excellent UV resistant ingredients, protecting the roof membrane from premature aging and embrittlement. This added protection allows the roof coating to remain flexible for a longer amount of time compared to traditional roofing products.

For more information on roof coatings, download our FREE Guide: Considering Coatings? A Cool Roof Buyer’s Guide or for more information on National Coatings Elastomeric Roof Coatings and Systems, download our Full Line Roof Brochure.

Everyone wants his or her roof to last as long as possible, using a white roof coating system allows you to prolong your roofs life beyond a traditional roof. When these coating systems are maintained properly and renewed periodically, your roof can be a sustainable roofing system than never needs to be replaced or torn-off. (For more information on avoiding a roof tear-off indefinitely, call 800-423-9557, our roofing professionals are here to help answer your questions.)

AcryShield white roof coating can extend your roofs life by the following ways:

1. Ultra-Violet (UV) blocking pigments protect roof from degradation and premature aging. The white coatings act as a protectant against the sun’s heat, reflecting the harmful UV rays away from the building similarly to how sunscreen protects our skin from the sun. The sun is the leading cause of roof degradation due to the UV rays ability to break down the ingredients in a roof causing it to lose its flexibility, becoming brittle and dried out, leading to cracking, splitting, ripping, tearing and leaking.
   
   
2. Excellent flexibility. Elastomeric white roof coatings have the ability to expand twice its original length and contract back to its original state without ripping or tearing. This allows your roof to move with the building as it expands and contracts during different temperature changes throughout the day.
   
   
3. Advanced ponded water protection. The AcryShield elastomeric coatings are specialized in advanced ponded water protection. Protecting your roof from delamination, degradation, blistering and eventually leaking. (Download our AcryShield SPF Roofing Brochure for information on custom tailoring your roof coating system to provide slopes where necessary to eliminate ponded water.)
   
   
4. Tenacious adhesion. For similar reasons as to how these coatings stay adhered to the roofing substrate when exposed to extended periods of ponded water, the AcryShield white roof coatings tenaciously adhere to almost all roofing substrates. The AcryShield A502 base coat adheres directly to TPO and EPDM without the need for additional primers or etching rinses. Find out more - download our Single-Ply Substrate Brochure today, it’s FREE!
   
   
5. Cool Roofs lower roof temperature. Cool roofs offer protection and lengthen roof life by reflecting the sun’s heat away from the roof, allowing the roof to only absorb a minimal amount of heat. This allows the roof surface temperature (as well as the inside of the building) to remain cooler, slowing down the aging process and further protecting the roof from becoming brittle and dry.

For more information on our roof coating products  - Download our Full Line Brochure or Call 800-423-9557. We are here to help you!

Preparation:

• Clear roof of debris – dirt, gravel, leaves, branches, etc… may need to need to use a power broom, vacuum, or scraping method to remove debris
  
  
• Clean roof with a pressure washer to remove any remaining dirt. An Industrial Cleaner may be necessary to make sure the surface is sound and free of any materials that would inhibit proper adhesion.
  
  
• Repair all cracks, holes, and other surface imperfections with AcryFlex or an AcryShield base coat depending on the roof substrate
  
  
• Cut out and remove all blisters
  
  
• Reinforce localized problem areas (such as areas where blisters stood) by embedding T272 polyester reinforcing fabric in an AcryShield base coat
  
  
• For PVC membranes only: Apply PVC Primer A130 to entire roof field at the rate of ½ gallon/100 square feet

Application of an Elastomeric Roof Coating:

• Apply a base coat of AcryShield by spray or roller across the roof field (see below for rate/gallon per 100 square feet based on roofing substrate)
  
  
• Allow 8-24 hours for coating to thoroughly dry
  
  
• Apply a top coat of AcryShield coating in a crosshatch technique (see below for rate/gallon per 100 square feet based on roofing substrate)
  
  
• Allow coating to dry before exposing to foot traffic 

Rate per Gallon per 100 Square Feet

Asphalt / BUR / Mod Bit

• The entire roof shall receive the ACRYSHIELD Roof Management System (ARM) consisting of 3 gallons per 100 square feet of ACRYSHIELD, applied evenly in two separate coats.
• AcryShield A503 base coat - 1.5 gallons per 100 square feet
• AcryShield A400 top coat - 1.5 gallons per 100 square feet

EPDM / PVC / TPO

• The entire roof shall receive the ARM System consisting of a minimum of 24 dry mils of ACRYSHIELD coating or approximately 3 gallons per 100 square feet.
• AcryShield A502 base coat - 1.5 gallons per 100 square feet
• AcryShield A500 top coat - 1.5 gallons per 100 square feet

Hypalon

• The entire roof shall receive the ARM System consisting of a minimum of 20 dry mils of ACRYSHIELD coating or approximately 3 gallons per 100 square feet.
• AcryShield A502 base coat - 1.5 gallons per 100 square feet
• AcryShield A500 top coat - 1.5 gallons per 100 square feet

Metal

• The entire roof shall receive the ARM System consisting of a minimum of 24 dry mils of ACRYSHIELD coating or approximately 3 gallons per 100 square feet.
• AcryShield A510 base coat - 1.5 gallons per 100 square feet
• AcryShield A400/A510 top coat - 1.5 gallons per 100 square feet

For more in-depth details regarding application for an Elastomeric Roof Coating System, view our Installation Guide Specifications

CONTACT A ROOF COATING PROFESSIONAL TODAY WITH ZERO OBLIGATION – WE ARE HERE TO HELP!