National Coatings Blog

A reflective roof coating is a coating that has the ability to reflect the sun’s rays away from the building. These coatings absorb a minimal amount of the sun’s heat, allowing the building to remain a cooler temperature and the roof membrane to perform longer.

Reflective roof coatings protect the roof membrane from premature degradation caused by the sun. They are able to extend the life of the roof and lower roof maintenance costs as they safeguard the roof membrane from early embrittlement, cracking and leaking. The more heat and UV rays a roof membrane absorbs, the quicker it dries out and begins failing. AcryShield high performance reflective roof coatings absorb only a small percentage of the heat, the membrane is able to remain flexible, moving with the expansion and contraction of the building without leaking, tearing, cracking, or ripping. 

Reduced energy costs are also associated with reflective roof coatings. Since the roof reflects the heat away from the building, the inside ambient air temperature rises at a much slower rate than if the roof had absorbed that heat, this allows the inside of the building to remain cooler throughout the day. Building owners and tenants are able to save money on energy cooling costs without compromising a comfortable indoor air temperature. 

For more information on roof coatings and reflectivity, download our Cool Roof Buyer’s Guide for FREE.

Reflective roof paint is actually not paint. The proper terminology is “reflective roof coating”. While roof coatings resemble paint, they are much more durable and the thickness and strength is unmatched to what paint is capable of.

At first look, paint can be mistaken for a roof coating because it has the same viscosity and the application is similar – both can be brushed, sprayed, or rolled on. However, reflective roof paint would not provide the following benefits a reflective roof coating delivers:

• Resistance to Ponded Water
• Reflectivity Properties
• Flexible at Low Temperatures
• Ability to Expand and Contract with the Buildings Movement
• Resistance to Foot Traffic

Reflective roof coatings are designed to be installed on a horizontal surface, such as a low-sloped roof, tolerating many external stresses and having contact with water for extended periods of time. Reflective roof paint would not possess the ability to be a protectant to your roof or be used as a waterproofing mechanism to your building. Roof coatings protect the building from water penetration during wet weather, dew, fog, and ponded water situations. The coating is able to repel the water, absorbing none of it into the roof substrate below. These coatings are tough enough to be walked on when roof maintenance and equipment on the roof top needs to be serviced. Roof coating systems have a required mil thickness that provides strength and durability, offering adequate protection to the roof’s surface. The thickness also allows for the membrane to expand and contract sufficiently, without cracking or splitting. This flexibility allows the roof to move with the building during different temperature fluctuations.

The next biggest difference between a paint and a roof coating is a roof coating has the ability and ingredients to reflect the sun’s heat away from the building, blocking UV rays from being absorbed into the structure. This allows the building and roof to remain at a cooler temperature, reducing air conditioning usage and cost and reducing roof degradation and deterioration, enabling it to last longer. 

There are many different roof coatings available, some are tougher and more durable and others are better at reflecting the harmful heat from the sun. We have a list of different organizations on our website that offer unbiased tests and ratings for you to research, to determine and guarantee you are getting the best roof coating product that meets your needs.

Contact National Coatings and speak to one of our roofing professionals for any questions you may have. We are here to help!

A reflective roof coating system is intended to reflect a majority of the sun’s heat away from the building, while only absorbing a very small percentage. In some cases, these coatings can reflect as much as 92% of the heat and absorb as little as 8% (both the AcryShield Ultra High Reflectance A590 and A179 can do just that!).  Reflecting the bulk of the sun’s heat allows the roof temperature and the inside of the building to remain much cooler throughout a hot sunny day.  When we installed our AcryPly Roof Restoration System on Harbor Freight’s 266,200 square foot building, Facilities Director, Jerry Moore noted, "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." (To read more about this case study, click here.)

A reflective roof coating system or “cool roof system” is beneficial to building occupants because they reduce energy costs by decreasing air conditioning usage, these systems improve employee comfort, especially in warehousing and other area’s that are not usually air conditioned, and the reflective capabilities deliver additional protection to your roof top, extending the lifespan of your roof. Building owners and tenants know how expensive energy costs can be, with a roofing system that can lower your indoor ambient air temperature by 15-20 degrees, you can reduce your energy cooling cost by 20% or more. Another long-term cost savings benefit is the ability to protecting your roof from premature aging. These reflective coatings protect your roof from the leading cause of roof failures – the sun’s heat. The sun’s heat causes a rooftop to lose its ability to remain flexible during temperature fluctuations, this causes the surface to dry out, split, crack and eventually leak.

These cool roof systems do not cost more than other traditional roofing options, in fact, they are generally less expensive to install, maintain and renew. A reflective roof coating system can be installed directly over your existing roof, avoiding any costly roof tear-off or replacement. Tear-off projects can cost you up to 50-70% more money than a reflective roof coating system would cost. These roof coating systems are also renewable, allowing you to maintain and restore your roof every 10 or so years, avoiding a tear-off indefinitely. (Read: Life Cycle Cost Analysis for further information on life cycle cost savings)

Cool roofing systems may also provide saving through rebates and incentives. You can check out DSIREUSA.ORG, a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Lastly, National Coatings has a Roof Energy Savings Tool called R.E.S.T. which is an innovative modeling tool developed by us to help building owners and facility professionals evaluate various roofing systems in terms of their impact on building energy use. Energy use and cost results from R.E.S.T. can be coupled with other cost data in a comprehensive and financially rigorous Roof Life-Cycle Cost Model. This R.E.A.P. (Roof Energy & Asset Performance) Analysis provides building professionals with today's dollars cost comparisons between roof options being evaluated.

If you are interested in receiving a comprehensive R.E.S.T. analysis, contact us today! For more information on Cool Roofing, download our Cool Roof Buyer’s Guide!