Improving Your Business

How To Assess A Roof For A Fresh Coating

18 November 2020 by Leslie Turner

The life of a flat commercial roof can often be extended with the application of a coating. A silicone roof coating will help repair minor damage while preventing future damage. These coatings are waterproof, which protects the aging roof beneath. Not all flat roofs are good candidates for a coating application, though. Trying to fix extensive roof damage with a coating won't work and can actually result in more damage. Assessing the following three things can help you determine whether your roof is a good candidate for a silicone coating.

1. Seam Condition

Most flat room systems consist of a membrane applied over the sub-roofing. This membrane will have at least one system and often many seams, depending on the size and shape of the roof. The seams typically adhere to the sub-roof material and are waterproof.

Before a silicone coating can be applied, the seams must be carefully inspected for damage. If the seams are pulling up, separating, or losing adhesion with the sub-roofing, a coating may not be an option. The damages must be assessed to determine if they are repairable. Lost adhesion, for example, can sometimes be fixed if the issue isn't extensive. Shrinkage and pulling apart, on the other hand, indicates that the membrane is failing and a coating won't solve the issue.

2. Water Damage Assessment

It's not uncommon for there to be some water damage on a flat roof, particularly one that is old enough to qualify for a fresh silicone coating. Your commercial roofer will perform an infrared inspection to determine the extent of water infiltration beneath the membrane.

If the water infiltration is minimal and affects less than 25 percent of the roof, a coating application may be an option. Depending on the cause of the infiltration, minor repairs may be necessary for the membrane before the coating can be applied.

3. Maintenance Records

Your roofer will likely request a copy of the maintenance records for the roof before they agree to apply the coating. A roof with a history of annual maintenance and timely repairs is less likely to have any hidden problems that will compromise the efficacy of the newly applied coating.

If you do not have records, such as for a roof on a newly purchased building, you may still qualify for a coating if very little damage is found. You may need to have a more in-depth inspection prior to going ahead with the coating application.

Contact a commercial roofing company for more help.

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