Roof coatings are great solutions for enhancing roofing performance, reflectivity and lifespan, preferred by many owners to roof replacement due to easy installation and affordability. Though the complete process of roof coating application involves more than just spraying or rolling the coating product onto the roof surface, the process is quick, not very difficult and completely straightforward – here are the phases.
The First Step: Inspection
The roof that is about to be coated needs to be inspected for faults first by the commercial roofing San Antonio TX inspector. Coating products cannot be applied on roofs that are not in perfectly good health, therefore each roofing component, including not only the roof surface, but the flashing around the roof openings and the gutters, needs to be carefully inspected to detect cracks, buckling, curling, signs of corrosion or rust, damaged fasteners, loose or broken components, sagging elements or any other signs of damage.
Repair for All the Issues Detected
The problems that have been identified during the previous, inspection phase need to be remedied. The damaged components need to be replaced, the loose components need to be fastened, in short, all issues need to be eliminated.
Cleaning
Roof repair usually leaves behind lots of debris and not only on the ground around the building, but on the roof as well. Remove any debris from the roof as well as from the adjacent components, such as the gutter pipes and the downspouts. Use a garden hose to apply water in abundance or, if the roofing material allows it, use your power washer to make sure the roof is perfectly clean (but consult an expert first to find out whether the type of roof that you have can handle the stress of being hit by a strong jet of water).
The Installation of the Coating Material
Wait until the roofing surface and the adjacent parts are completely dry and then apply the coating product of choice as described in the product’s instructions. If your product needs a primer, too, do not neglect that phase – skipping the priming process might hinder the coating’s adherence. The time necessary for completing the process depends on the size and the complexity of the roof and on how complicated it is to make your way around openings, but it usually takes up to a couple of days to coat an entire roof.
To make sure that the roof coating that you have applied maintains its protective properties, you will need to maintain the coated surface regularly, mainly following the regular roof maintenance schedule. The maintenance process is straightforward and it involves inspection, cleaning and adding coating in damaged areas until there is no hole or gap in the surface.
Depending on the product that you use, you will also need to reapply the coating on the entire surface of the roof every few years. The first application should ideally take place 5-10 years after the roof was installed and the recoating should take place at the intervals indicated in the product instructions, usually every 5-8 years.