All part of a house have certain purposes, but the roof is one of the most important. A roof protects homeowners from the elements, but also plays a key role in a home’s overall aesthetics.
While a roof does protect homeowners from outside elements, it’s important to keep the roof in good shape. Moisture can be a roof’s No. 1 enemy when it comes to longevity. Whether you’re talking about rainwater, leaks and slow drips or seepage from the ground, moisture can do a lot of damage in a short amount of time. Just one inch of rainfall can mean an average roof will collect 600 gallons of water.
Using some kind of roof coating or waterproof sealant paint is important if you want to extend the life of your roof. Waterproof sealant paint and waterproof coating usually consists of silicone, acrylic and urethane. When it is used, it comes together to form a layer of protection, whether you’re talking about a home or a commercial building. With that in mind, here are five reasons to waterproof your roof:
- Longer life: Whether you use a flat roof coating, waterproof sealant paint or some other kind of material, by using it you are helping to extend the life of your roof. A material like waterproof sealant paint doesn’t just protect against everyday leaks, it also protects against other kinds of weather and elements such as heat, wind and storms. As an added bonus, it can also keep your roof’s color from fading too.
- Keeping costs down: if you’re trying to avoid major roof repairs or even a total replacement, waterproof coating can be just what you need. A good waterproof sealant paint or waterproof covering can last as many as 10 years, which means your roof will stay in top condition and it will be one less thing to worry about. Another benefit of waterproof coating is that it helps keep heating costs down. Many waterproof coatings and commercial roof coatings are made with ingredients that reflect sunlight. That means your house or office building will stay cooler on hotter days.
- Versatility: A big benefit of roof coating in general is that different coatings can be used depending on what kind of roof you have. Whether you’ve got an asphalt roof, a wood roof or a metal roof, there are many roof coatings available such as urethanes, polyureas, acrylic elastomers, SPF and asphalt coatings. Before you apply anything, waterproof or otherwise, check your manufacturers warranty to see whether or not any products you’re wanting to use may void it.
- Easy installation: More than likely, you’re all too familiar with how traditional roofing work is done: loud thumps, big bumps, construction sounds and workers running all over your roof. Rather than having to deal with all of that, waterproof coating is super easy to install and you won’t bother anyone when you’re spraying it or painting with waterproof sealant paint.
- More productivity: When it comes to working in office buildings, there are any number of ways that employees can get distracted. During the dog days of summer, one of the biggest culprits is the heat. With waterproof coating, you can help keep the heat down, which will make you, employees and customers happier.
Waterproof coating can be very beneficial, but with this type of coating and many other types of coating, there are some issues you want to be mindful of:
- Expectations with leaks: Some believe that coating equals sealant when it comes to stopping leaks. But companies that sell different coatings explicitly state that their products don’t prevent leaks and if you have them, roof repairs should be done first.
- Delamination: A buildup of moisture, dirt and other debris can cause a roof to split into layers, or delaminize.
- No reapplication: Most coatings have a service life of five years and must be reapplied to work correctly.
- Not following instructions: Manufacturers have application requirements for different coatings and you want to make sure that you follow instructions properly.
There are plenty of benefits to using waterproof products to coat your roof, not the least of which is extended the life of your roof. Before you apply anything, consider your roof’s material and manufacturers instructions to make sure you apply coating correctly.