It is important for building owners to maintain their building’s energy efficiency. There are many things a building owner can explore to help keep utility bills down, a benefit to their budget as well as the environment. This can include high-performance insulation and energy-efficient windows and lighting.
Reflective Roof Coating Choices
But what about the roof? The roof often gets forgotten as a result of being out of sight and out of mind. But, there are ways to make a roofing system better for the buildings’ overall energy efficiency. Innovative roofing materials not only reduce the energy load on your building and help to extend the overall lifespan of your roof system.
What Are Reflective Roof Coatings?
Reflective roof coatings, specifically aluminum reflective roof coatings, are a great option for building owners that want to improve their building’s energy efficiency at a lower price point than the longer-lasting and higher performing acrylic coatings.
Benefits of Reflective Roof Coatings
Along with cost savings from reduced energy usage, reflective roof coatings offer a number of other benefits to contractors and building owners.
- Durability – Reflective coatings have liquid emulsion coatings applied between layers of reinforced polyester fabric, which creates a waterproof and long-lasting commercial roof coating.
- Ease of installation – Reflective coatings is designed to be applied over the top of existing roof systems, including metal and BUR roofs. This saves contractors significant time since you don’t need to remove the existing roof.
- Affordability – Reflective coatings are a cost-effective way to extend the life of your roof. Materials are significantly less expensive than traditional roof systems, and installation is typically faster, which reduces overall installation and labor costs.
Should You Choose Acrylic or Aluminum?
Top-rated reflective roofing includes both cost-saving and revolutionary aluminum-based coatings as well as longer-lasting acrylic coatings that are even more energy-efficient. Both types of coatings are designed to be compatible with multiple roof systems, including metal, smooth BUR, and granulated surface roof systems.
Aluminum reflective coatings are a great solution for commercial roofs in colder climates. These coatings are less reflective than acrylic, but they are designed to reflect up to 76% of the sun’s rays. This feature makes them a very effective and cost-saving solution for areas that don’t experience extreme heat in the summer.
The aluminum coating is also a great option for buildings that have no A/C cooling load such as warehouses. It also provides an excellent UV and weather barrier for the roof membrane, which adds extra years to the life and performance of the membrane. It is also easy to re-coat, adding even more life to the membrane.
Installation of Aluminum Reflective Roof Coating
Aluminum reflective roof coatings are designed to be installed over a number of different roof systems, including BUR. However, before the coating is applied, make sure your contractor properly repairs the roof surface. Steps should include:
- Removing all loose debris
- Cleaning any oil or grease stains
- Repairing cracks and updating curbs and flashings
- Making sure the roof is fully dry
Conclusion
Depending on the area to be coated, contractors can apply aluminum coatings with either a spray or a broom. Although it’s formulated to work best in cooler climates, aluminum roof coatings should not be applied if the temperature is below 55 degrees. It may not dry properly in these conditions. Contractors should also not apply it if there is a chance of rain or in the evening where it can accumulate dew before it has sufficiently dried. For any questions you may have for reflective coating for your property, please reach out to us today.
