National Coatings Blog

Many low sloped, commercial and industrial buildings in America have an EPDM roof membrane on their building. EPDM is a roofing material made out of a very durable synthetic rubber consisting primarily of propylene and ethylene. EPDM is often applied in large sheets that are rolled out onto the rooftop and mechanically fastened to the roof. Over time, the seams on these roofs begin to fail causing leaks and other issues to occur. Luckily, you can apply an acrylic roof coating system to restore your roof to new, while gaining benefits that will provide you with cost savings.

1. Seamless Waterproofing

Acrylic roof coatings are sprayed directly onto the EPDM roof membrane, creating a monolithic covering with no seams or joints - even around pipes, roof top equipment and drains. Roof coatings significantly improve the waterproofing of EPDM roofs by eliminating T-joints, a right angle joint or seam between two membranes in the form of the letter “T”. These joints create water channels which overtime negativity impact the waterproofing capabilities of the EPDM as the sun’s heat cause these seams to fail and allow water to infiltrate into the building, forming leaks.

2. Energy Savings

Traditional EPDM is black in color and not energy efficient. Black roof surfaces retain heat, which then transfers into the building, causing you to use more energy to cool the inside. Acrylic roof coatings are known for being excellent at reflecting a bulk of the sun’s heat away from the building back into the atmosphere, providing the following benefits:

• Cooler indoor ambient air temperature
• Greater comfort for employees and customers
• Large reduction in energy usage equals significantly lower utility bills
• HVAC equipment lasts longer as it is not used as often or for as long

Interested in restoring your aged and failing EPDM roof? National Coatings has several different acrylic roof coating systems and products that are extremely reflective and do not require a costly and timely roof tear-off or replacement to occur. Our AcryShield roof coatings are tested and rated by several third party organizations such as the Cool Roof Rating Council, Energy Star Certified Roofing Products, Title 24 Compliant and more. Click here to download our FREE Product and System Brochure for more information.

A502 was introduced by National Coatings Corporation in 2006 after three years of intensive research and successful installation, including both laboratory and actual in-service field testing. This coating was designed with self-priming characteristics that eliminate the need for additional primers or etching rinses while exhibiting a tenacious adhesion for thermoplastic and thermoset single-ply membranes, such as Hypalon, TPO and EPDM.  Previously, the only primers used for coating these membranes were solvent borne, which required warning labels, had very high VOC (volatile organic content) and required extreme care when applying to prevent fumes from entering the building.  The only other option for coating EPDM was a "prewash" or "rinseable primer" that had a very high, corrosive pH, so high that it would react with human skin oils, causing chemical burns. 

The AcryShield A502 has three inherent advantages over the previously used primers:

• It is water borne, so there is no concern about flammable solvents, VOC or fumes entering buildings.
• It replaces both specialty primers for the thermoplastic membranes and the corrosive rinseable primer for EPDM.  Thus there is no need for separate primer/basecoats for different types of roofing membranes.
• Its VOC is only 0.5 grams per liter. (According to the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) the mandated maximum allowed is 50 VOC’s grams per liter.)

AcryShield A502 has allowed National Coatings to be the only roof coating manufacturer with industry leading capabilities that successfully adhere directly to aged and failing single-ply membranes with a proven and verifiable 10-year track record. The next time a project calls for coating single-ply roofing membranes, the roofing contractor, consultant or specifier should request the AcryShield A502. 

Restoring your aged and failing EPDM roof allows you to save a substantial amount of money and time on avoiding a roof tear-off while gaining a seamless roofing system with high reflectivity.

When initially installed, an EPDM roof is ballasted, mechanically attached or fully adhered to the roof. Shrinkage occurs to the EPDM as the oils of the substrate slowly evaporate, causing the EPDM to become brittle, losing its flexibility and capability to expand and contract with different temperature fluctuations. The shrinkage results in seam failure as the membrane tears away from the adhered substrate, eventually leading to roof failures. 

We have an excellent solution for restoring your EPDM roof into a brand new roof without business disruptions or closures. The AcryShield EPDM roof coating systems are ideal for proving excellent waterproofing, superior durability and protection, and reduced maintenance costs while extending the life span of the roof. Our AcryShield A502 base coat can be adhered DIRECTLY to the EPDM without the need for additional primers or etching rinses. (For more, download our FREE guide on Restoring EPDM Roofs.) This coating saves installation cost and time as the labor intensive and time consuming priming stage is removed from the process altogether.

The AcryShield EPDM roof coatings deliver the benefit of a seamless roofing system. Seamless membranes provide waterproofing advantages because they are spray applied across your entire roof surface, including difficult areas such as HVAC equipment, pipes, drains and other hard to reach areas. The seamless membrane eliminates joints and patches, creating a very durable, monolithic surface with excellent strength and flexibility.

Another advantage to coating your existing EPDM roof is gained reflectivity. These days, many jurisdictions require a “cool roof” and many building owners desire one; however, EPDM’s surface is black providing no reflective capabilities. Reflective roofing systems are beneficial because they provide a cooler ambient air temperature inside the building with less air-conditioning usage. This saves a tremendous amount of energy usage and cost throughout the year. The reflectivity capabilities also provide UV protection against premature aging and damaging to your roof. (See the Harbor Freight Case History for a testimonial on their experience with an AcryShield Cool Roof System.)  

For more information on fully restoring your EPDM roof into a bright white, highly reflective, seamless roof without worrying about a costly tear-off or any disruptions to your work environment during installation, click here to download our FREE guide Restoring Your EPDM Roof!