Single Ply Membrane Coatings

RooferJim

You guys must be painters . We do a lot of repair on old roofs . I was on one last week that was installed in 1978 and still good, just needed to strip in the seams and repair some flashing and it should go 20 more years. My seam tape is a hell of a lot better and proper than some glorified paint job.

RooferJim
www.jbennetteroofing.com

Grumpy

Ebear, that's ER systems.

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-Grumpy
Chicago Gutters Chicago Roofing

Grumpy

The way I look at it, elastomeric seam restoration like a triple course "dope and midi" on an asphalt based roof.


The reason I prefer the elastomeric seam restoration vs the SA cover tape seam restoration is simple... I am only certified by one single ply manufacturer. Therefore if a manufacturer warranty on the seam restoration is a requirement, I can't bid. However some of the elastomeric manufacturers I work with will warrant my work on anyone's membrane.

And for the record, I can also install a butyl tape restoration using various fabric faced butyl tapes. Infact the steps are the same as if you were using some kind of self adhering cover tape by Firestone of Carlisle, except I then saturate the tape with a coating of elastomeric... in my book that's extra coverage.

Neither way is wrong. I have done both with good result. Every situation is different. Also for the record, I seldom use acrylics, even when the slope allows.

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-Grumpy
Chicago Gutters Chicago Roofing

RooferJim

if there is nothing wrong with the membrane isnt it ridiculous to paint it ?
When a roofer has to patch a painted membrane the right way it makes it hard to clean and prime it properly to make a good seal or damn near impossible to heat weld. You end up killing the roof.

PTROOFING

There is nothing wrong with coating (not painting) an existing EPDM roof at all. White elastomerics will handle the expansion and contraction of an EPDM roof and also help cool the building and prolong the original roof. If on a heat welded system, the new contractor doing the repairs must notice that it is now an elastomeic system and repair accordingly. Seam tape on EPDM may be "the industry standard", but we do what works for us and our customers are satisfied. A cool elastomeric cement, seeping into rotten seams, covered with fabric and an additional coating of cement works wonders. We have coated fully over 20 EPDM roofs within the last 2 years and building owners always tell us how happy they are. We Use:
http://nationwidecoatings.com/

or Mule-Hide Products

Grumpy

2 things about your comment. 1, you are right if there is nothign wrong with the membrane there is no reason to apply an elastomeric roofing system. Notice I did not say paint it because the two are not the same. I seldom do full elastomeric on EPDM, just seam and penetration restorations, unless the customer wants reflectivity.

2, Once the roof does receive a properly installed elastomeric roofing system, it is no longer EPDM, PVC or what ever the original roof was. The original roof is now the substrate and the elastomeric roofing system is the roof. In other words if a repair is needed on the elastomeric roofing system, one should look to use elastomeric compatible products, not products necessarily compatible with the original roof.

In other words if someone put EPDM membrane over a modified bitumen roof and 10 years later needed to patch it, you wouldn't show up with a roll of modified, bucket of roof cement, and your torch and be complaining that some dummy covered the modified with EPDM, would you? No, you would use materials compatible with EPDM and solve the problem.
The same point holds true with elastomeric. Once it has been applied it becomes an elastomeric roof and should a repair be needed, use elastomeric to make the repair.


The point being, it's not a paint job; but when installed properly becomes a true roofing system, curing anywhere from 24-38 mills thick (depending on application). The good thing about an elastomeric roofing system is that in theory it can be renwed indefinetly. In other words repairs should not be needed when the membrane is properly installed and the elastomeric renewed in pre-determined intervals.

I know why elastomerics get a bad name. There are a number of reasons. 1) It's easier to install, thus kills labor. This is a big argument of the unions who are all about more labor, more man hours, etc... The same arguments were happening when single ply hit the market and was faster and easier to install then BUR. The old hot heads were cursing the rubber heads telling them they are killing the market. 2) I see alot of failures in elastomeric, but to be honest seldom is it a failure of the product... although I have seen that too on one particular SEBS, it was a bad product. However most failures of elastomeric are pure installation errors.

These elastomeric installation errors include using acrylic where there may be ponds. Treating the roof system like paint instead of like a roof, and by far the number one failure I see in elastomeric roofs is that the person applyign the product does not properly prepapre the original roof to recieve the new.

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-Grumpy
Chicago Gutters Chicago Roofing

gograiley

A few images of a recent single ply coating that we did that totaled about 150,000 sq ft. Many good reasons to coat single ply. We have single ply roofs that have coated 15 years ago still going strong. Depending on the system proper seam prep is a important steep.

Attached Images

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PTROOFING

PERFECTO!!!!!!!!!! VERY NICE!

RooferJim

Everybody loves instant roof in a can right . take the roofer out of roofing.
It makes it easier for the illegal aliens to use.
RooferJim
www.jbennetteroofing.com

gograiley

I don’t think you understand. Part of it is about extending the useful and reliable life of an existing system to reduce the overall lifecycle cost. Depending on the type of lease the owner has with the tenant coating will likely fall in to the CAM category rather than a capital expense making things a win-win. It’s very, very easy and takes very little experience to say it needs a new roof and install a single ply. I see it done all the time. It takes a lot more knowledge to say it doesn’t need a new roof but doing X can get you ten more (or more) years at half the price. The savings for the customer really adds up when you do it to 10s of millions of sq ft for them.