National Coatings Blog

“Global Model Confirms: Cool Roofs Can Offset Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Mitigate Global Warming” was the News Release from the Berkeley Laboratories in July 19, 2010. There were more studies written up proving the same effect of cool roofs not only for the building owners and occupants but GLOBALLY.

What it was referring to is the “white” reflective roof membranes that are widely replacing the dark colored roofings of the past.  What could possibly be the importance and effect of “white and reflective” coatings on roofs nowadays?

A dark colored roof absorbs so much heat that flows not only into the space below it but also back into the atmosphere thereby causing an urban warming or heat island effect. On the other hand, a white roof reflects sun’s rays and thereby absorbs much less heat, requires less energy from air conditioning thereby getting its name “COOL” roof.  A cool roof is “a gift that keeps on giving for many, many years, for the life of the roof” as expressed by the researcher Hashem Akbari of The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory whose work was also supported by the California Energy Commission (CEC). 

National Coatings Corporation’s AcryShield Roof Maintenance (ARM), AcryPly Roof Restoration and AcryShield SPF Roofing Systems are excellent reflective roofing systems in that they have superior watertight capabilities and they are renewable indefinitely. Choosing any of those systems would allow you to avoid a costly and time consuming roof tear-off forever.

Lowered Air Conditioning and Cooling Costs

AcryShield coatings can save you as much as 20% or more in cooling costs. A reflective roof membrane has the capability to reflect the sun’s UV and infrared rays away from the building, allowing the roof temperature to increase only by 12^oF which is much lower than the 78^oF increase from the traditional black roof. With a lower temperature increase of the cooler roof is a reduced heat transferred to the insides of the building. This relates to a significant reduction in electrical energy demand for air conditioning. It also relates to the increased comfort of anyone in the building. "After the National Coatings' Cool Roof was installed, we definitely noticed a difference in building temperature. It's not a marginal difference, either. It is between 15-20 degrees cooler inside the warehouse and store.” This is the testimonial of Jerry Moore, Facilities Director at Harbor Freight Tools. Harbor Freight Tools had an AcryPly Roof Restoration System installed on their aging and severely leaking roof at their corporate headquarters. He was very impressed and pleased with the new system.

Reduced Roof Maintenance

A high performance reflective roof membrane has high quality UV blocking ingredients in order to protect your roof from the leading causes of roof degradation - sun damage from UV and Infrared rays. Not only does the high reflectivity lower air temperature inside the building but also by reflecting a majority of the damaging UV rays away from the surface of the roof, the roof is protected from cracking, splitting, weathering and ultimately from leaking. National Coatings has several highly reflective roof coatings that can be applied over almost any roofing substrate. Click here to learn more about the AcryShield product line, which was engineered to lower air conditioning energy costs, and reduce roof degradation while prolonging the life of the roof it is applied to.

Prolong the Lifespan of your Roof

AcrySheild reflective roof membranes not only lower the roof life cycle costs by making the roof last longer but also extend the tear-off date indefinitely. Our AcryPly Roof Restoration System is unlike a traditional roof in that it is a spray applied, monolithic, coating system that can be applied directly over your leaking and aging roof. This system costs up to 50-70% less money than replacing your roof. With it is an added value of being able to re-coat your roof every 10 or so years, giving you a new, watertight, reflective roof membrane with half the cost and time a tear-off would take.

Most people do not realize their roof is salvageable. 9 times out of 10, you can restore your existing roof. Call National Coatings for a roof inspection and find out how you can benefit from a reflective roof membrane – 800-423-9557 

Benefits of Roof Coating Membranes vs 
Single-Plies/Installing a Second Roof to Your Existing Roof

Building codes usually allow you to add a second roof to your building if the first roof is failing. Anything after the second roof, you typically need to choose between a roof tear-off/new installation or a roof coating membrane system. A roof coating membrane system is the superior choice for several reasons over a tear-off/new roof but what if your building currently has only one roof, what is the better option, apply a new single-ply membrane to the existing roof or apply a roof coating membrane system to the existing roof? The answer once again is apply a roof coating membrane system. Let us explain.

Roof coating membranes are typically spray applied. This allows them to create a monolithic and seamless membrane which is custom tailored to fit your roofs exact needs. If your roof needs additional slope to eliminate drainage issues, roof coating membrane systems (particularly the AcryShield SPF Roofing System) allow you to build in that slope to redirect the water towards a drain. If your roof experiences a lot of ponded water issues, AcryShield coatings are ideal because they are formulated for resistance to ponded water and protection against biological attach, such as algae and mold. If your roof has skylights, pipes, or equipment on the roof (as most do), roof coatings are sprayed directly on the areas where those items meet the roof, creating a seamless, watertight seal in those areas. 

Single-Plies are not spray applied; therefore, they cannot be custom installed and tailored to meet the particular issues each individual roof has. Single-plies are prefabricated sheets of material that are brought up on the roof and cut and trimmed to fit the size and shape of the roof. It cannot bend, mold and form fit like a liquid coating is able to. A single-ply can not wrap itself around items on a roof like the coating can - it needs to be cut, shaped and placed on the pipe or foot of equipment and then seam-welded, nailed or drilled. Then it needs to be filled/puttied with a sealer so leaks do not occur. The sealant does not have the same adhesion capabilities to the single-ply as a coating has to itself. This makes the single-ply more likely to tear away from the sealant and leak in the future. 

A coating is similar to a paint in that when it is sprayed, it fills small cracks and voids in the roof to create a solid, smooth surface. The coating then dries and hardens together to become a monolithic membrane. Our coatings contain high solids and premium ingredients making them high performing and flexible so they can move with the expansion and contraction of the roof. 

Single-Plies may be installed to the roof deck or substrate using mechanical fasteners, seam welding, adhesives and nailing. They are not 100% adhered to the existing roof membrane like a coating is because they are basically placed on top of the roof membrane or deck and fastened to it. They do not have the ability to be as watertight as a coating system does because they do not fill all the cracks and voids. Single-Plies have the ability to stretch a little but often times become brittle and crack over time due to plasticizer migration. This causes the single-ply to become less flexible leading to potential leaks when the roof experiences movement.  

The important differences of a liquid applied system (roof coating membrane) versus a prefabricated system (single-plies) lead us to believe there is no better choice when faced with restoring your roof other than a roof coating membrane system. The ability to custom install your roof to fit your buildings' exact needs are unparalleled. If you are looking for a watertight solution with excellent adhesion to your existing roof membrane, choose from one our AcryShield Roof Managment Systems (ARM), AcryShield SPF Roofing Systems, or AcryPly Roofing Systems. 

The answer is: more than likely. Many building owners and maintenance managers are taught to believe that when their roof is of a certain age and has several issues, they need to replace the roof entirely. This is not always the case. Roof restoration systems, such as the AcryPly System, can solve many issues with your current roof while restoring it to a new, fully reinforced, seamless, watertight roof membrane that can be renewed every ten to fifteen years – allowing you to avoid a roof tear-off indefinitely.  

The most important things a roof inspector looks for when inspecting a roof to see if it qualifies as an ideal roof restoration project are the following:

• How well is the current substrate weathering?
• Identify any damage caused by third parties(HVAC,Termite,Etc)
• How old is the substrate?
• Is the roof too brittle or worn to coat?

National Coatings AcryPly Roof Restoration Systems can effectively restore a leaking, aged substrate that has some mechanical damage and brittleness. Asphalt and Single-Ply substrates are generally restorable up to 15 years of age, with Metal and Polyurethane Foam substrates even longer. The AcryPly Systemprovides a permanent solution and is custom tailored to fit your buildings specific needs. 

Your roof may suffer from the four questions above, but that does not necessarily eliminate roof restoration as an option for you. It's always a great idea to contact a roof coating professional to discuss restoration options before being told a tear-off is your only choice. You can schedule a FREE roof inspection with one of National Coatings technical representatives to find out if your roof can be restored.

We always recommend you practice good maintenance and care for your roof at least twice a year/every six months for any low-slope roof. The fall and the spring are usually the best times for these inspections. That way you are able to make any corrections before and after storm seasons. The roof is an item on a building that is easily ignored until leaks occur and issues arise. Don’t wait for something bad to happen and be forced to respond - be proactive. Roof restoration is an inexpensive solution to fully restoring and reinforcing your existing roof.