Century-Old Roof Coatings

The roof is probably one of the most important areas of your home, and the area that bears most of the burden from the elements. That is why the quality of the initial roof, along with continual maintenance, is so important. One type of roofing material that has been used for hundreds of years is roof coatings. Over the centuries, the materials and methods associated with coating roofs has changed drastically. Today, one of the most common forms are cold-applied coatings.

Cold applied roofing systems refer to the practice of literally building the roofing material on the roof. The process entails layering solvent-borne bituminous adhesives with several layers of membranes. This process of roofing is popular because of its ease of application and its economical price. It can be used for repairs or for new roofs. The roof is constructed by using asphalt coating fiberglass base sheets and adhering them with asphalt adhesives. Normally there are three to four layers on the typical roof.

There are different materials that can be used in these roofs. There are a number of coatings used.

Modified Bitumen. This material is applied in a hot mop method and uses the bitumen as a reinforcement material.
Liquid-Applied Monolithic Membrane Systems. This is a combination of roof coatings and roof membranes. This is a polymeric resin product that is applied as a liquid and allowed to cure on a rubber membrane. They don't have seams, thus the name monolithic.
Cold-applied coatings and Cements. These are coatings that require very little heating for application.

Applying roof coatings can be a bit of a messy project, not to mention the danger of working at exposed heights. If you want to leave it up to a professional, then request free estimates from prescreened roofing contractors in your area today.

Sources:

http://www.henry.com/

http://www.roofcoatings.org/product.html#roofcoatings