Asphalt Shingles

Asphalt shingles are the most popular housing roofing material in America, and for good reason. They are the least expensive and are relatively easy to install. An asphalt shingle roof can last anywhere from 15 to 50 years. The compositional factors that affect life expectancy of asphalt shingles include:

Shingle weight: The heavier the shingle is, the longer the life expectancy

Shingle composition: Shingle styles that mimic more expensive roofing styles, such as natural slate or wood shake, also add durability because of the higher-quality materials used. Premium shingles may also offer improved impact resistance or solar reflectivity, increasing longevity.

How to protect your roof from sun damage?

Reflective coatings for roofs act as a “sunscreen” to your roof membrane. These coatings act as the barrier in between your roof and the sun that shields the sun’s harmful UV rays away from the roof membrane. The sun is the most harmful element to your roof because the UV rays constantly shine down on top of the roof surface and cause embrittlement, cracking, leaking and premature aging. Reflective roof coating systems are excellent because they preserve the roof and lengthen its life span. These systems can be applied on top of almost any roofing substrate - allowing you to convert your black coloured asphalt roof into a highly reflective white roof or your leaking and aging TPO/single-ply roof into a new, bright white roof membrane.

Different Types of Concrete Coatings

Several different types of concrete coatings are available to protect a surface from contamination and weakening. Penetrating sealers provide an invisible layer of protection against temperature extremes and harsh chemicals. Acrylic sealers produce a thin film that protects the concrete apparent. Polyurethane concrete coatings are usually thicker and more long-lasting than ordinary sealers. Epoxy coatings are scratch-resistant and provide a colourful appearance. A concrete overlay may also be applied to restore a smooth finish to a surface.

Penetrating sealers are usually applied as an exterior concrete coating. This coating penetrates the surface to create a barrier against moisture chemicals. These sealers are transparent when applied and do not alter the natural appearance of the material. They also provide protection from freezing temperatures and sunlight. A penetrating sealer is easily applied and is one of the least expensive coatings for concrete.

 An acrylic sealer works at the surface to protect the material from damage. Acrylic concrete coatings can be applied to both interior and exterior surfaces and are available in an oil or water base. This sealer variant dries quickly and can be purchased in finishes ranging from glossy to matte. Acrylic sealers used on interior surfaces typically require frequent maintenance, however. This type of coating is relatively inexpensive and easy to apply.

Elastomeric Coatings for Concrete

In terms of field applied,  they are now available in water-based, acrylics and thermoplastics with ultra-bonding, cross-linking chemistry and acrylic elastomerics  Bottom line is that the same solar reflective IR pigment technology is used and high levels of reflectivity are available, color-for-color as in the factory applied paints. These field-applied coatings clean up with water, are very low toxic and have a higher overall thickness once they are fully dried. However, in order to bond to failing, older Kynar coated metal roofs, some manufacturers are now making specialized “hot” primers,  that meet the VOC requirements and adhere very well to the older coated metal.  The acrylic colored IR coatings can be applied over this bonding primer and stick very well.  It is common with some manufacturers to also to have a clear sealer put on over the finished coloured reflective coating in order to protect the colour coat further, just like the similar purpose clear sealers commonly used on automotive finishes.  This clear coat or “glaze coat” further adds to the dirt shedding quality of the steep-slope, metal roofs.

When full water-proofing is also required for the metal roof, a class of flexible, waterproofing coatings called “elastomerics” is required to seal the metal roof as a whole system. 

How Do Thermal Roof Coatings Work?

One should also remember that roof tiles are laid in a certain way – to allow airflow under the tile.  Applying a coating to the exterior of the tile won’t stop that airflow, neither will it stop warm air from escaping through roof vents, soffit vents, through gaps between tile overlaps, around lead work etc. Even a roof without visible vents can be cold and breezy, that’s perfectly normal.

This is why the government and energy companies refuse to offer grants for thermal roof coatings - they simply don’t work.

It is much cheaper to increase the amount of loft insulation you have above the ceiling or to have cavity wall installation installed. 

So next time you see a website or leaflet boasting about how this thermal coating can reduce tile heat loss by 10-20%  etc just remember, very little heat goes directly through the tiles, most goes around it! And for good reason – to prevent condensation.

That is why your loft is always cold in winter, even if the house below is warm.

The purpose of protection is to keep the habitable part of the house warm that is why on most homes the insulation is placed above the ceiling, not on the exterior of the tiles.

Ensure that you have good quality insulation above the ceiling and you won’t have to worry about heat going through the ceiling, let alone through the roof tiles.

Ceramic Paint Protects From Heat

Ceramic-filled or so-called ceramic insulating paint additive technologies promoted by several companies claim to be an”insulating” paint which are used to make exterior house walls cool have been a nonsensical concept from their outset based upon just one law of physics. Since insulation and it associated mandatory “R- value” measurement in the building industries have been long established as the measure of effectiveness for insulation. This is based on thermal mass (thickness & density) and in some varieties, effectiveness in trapping air inside the thick barrier or dense product.  Average paint thickness is a single sheet of paper. Now comes the two sheets of paper thick ceramic-filled paint (up to ten  pieces of paper for some manufacturers), and the claims of insulation value when used to paint any type of exterior wall.  Buildings coated in this way are claimed to be so cool so as to be compared to the space shuttle in how it is protected by ceramic tiles in re-entry to our atmosphere.  This is all smoke and mirrors since the very basis for the R-values claimed cannot possibly be achieved for any substantial length of time by thousandths of an inch of any paint film with insulation elements (ceramic or hollow glass) mixed inside of it.

Weatherproof Acrylic Coatings

Acrylic coatings bring a wealth of defensive individuality & artistic alternative to construction design, make bigger the lifetime of a structure’s manifestation & defensive it from the elements. Whether new building or re-coating, Coatings companies protect the value of construction by allocation as a durable, breathable, good-looking layer of fortification. Coatings characteristic:

• High CO2 dispersal confrontation – defends entrenched steel in tangible arrangement from decay

• Near to the ground VOC – safe to apply, environmentally pleasant

• Vapor Permeability – permits arrangement to respire obviously so coatings are fewer likely to blister owing to water vapor movement

• High bond strength – bond solidly to the substrate, concrete, cement, whether brick or EIFS

• Aesthetics – obtainable in a variety of colors & textures to provide the most design alternative

• Self-cleaning property – Lotus-Effect® knowledge coatings offer a tough surface that beads water & sheds dirt, observance walls clean & dry

 • Weatherproof – defy wind-driven rain & amalgamation of water in direct get in touch with vertical facade.

"Previously water based acrylic alkyds had troubles with poor package constancy, & the goods tended to dried out too rapidly and yellow," says Steve Revnew, associate leader of manufactured goods growth at Sherwin-Williams. ‘Investigate & progress over the yrs has delivered new expertise that at the present offers a product with high-quality open time, flow & leveling & confrontation to yellowing."