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Tips for a Better Roof

Exterior house paint was used on top of roofs to make them more appealing to the eye. The house paint would do nothing for the roof besides supply quick beautification and then chip soon after the paint was applied due to the constant weather changes and debris buildup roofs endure. This is how and why elastomeric roof coatings were made.

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With the ever-changing climate and options for combatting the heat, water-based acrylic elastomeric roof coatings came to dominate the waterproof roof coatings industry. Elastomeric roof coatings are 5-10 times thicker than house paint. The elastomeric roof coatings stretch and move with the expansion and contraction on warm or cool days, making it the optimal solution for a weather resistant roof.

Elastomeric roof coatings can extend the life of the roofs of industrial and residential buildings up to 25 years and solar reflective coatings are formulated for top performance and sunlight reflectivity on various roof substrates. On the hottest of summer days an elastomeric roof coating’s reflective qualities creates a reflection therefore eliminating aging properties on the roof itself. It also allows for lower energy costs like air conditioning.

Anvil Paints and Coatings elastomeric roof coatings are manufactured incorporating siliconized and/or Micro-Cell technology. They’re formulated into a 100% Elastomeric Resin as part of the pigment structure.

The core of an elastomeric coating recipe starts with the acrylic emulsion polymer itself. The acrylic polymer is the key determinant of crucial coating properties like water resistance, impact and tear strength, flexibility, adhesion to a given substrate, and overall durability. Properly engineered acrylic polymers provide the right balance between expansion and contraction. The acrylic polymer is not paint: it is specifically designed for roof coverage and can cover any type of roof.

To address issues such as oxidation and keeping caulk build up to a minimum, look for a product with fortified elastomeric resins with silicon. This process adds to the tightness and lowers surface tension of the coating to reduce dirt pick-up and then adding a fungicide to resists mildew growth on the product film. A clean, algae and mildew-free white elastomeric roof coating will increase the solar reflectance index of your roof resulting in energy costs savings and the promotion of a beautiful white roof. Here are some of the various roof substrates that roof products are formulated for top performance and high reflectivity on: Aluminum, CRS, Modified Bitumen, Asphaltic, PVC, EPDM, SBS granulated cap.

This is an excellent starting point for asking questions of what you want used for your project.

Tips for having a successful project:

1. What are you working with? Know what type of substrate you are dealing with. Is it flat or pitched roof? (There are different types of elastomeric roof coatings for different roofs: butyl is ideal for flat roof repair, acrylic works well with sloping roofs and is more of a friend to the environment, polyurethane can be used for single ply and rubber roofs, lastly silicone is the best for repairing weathering and polyurethane foam roofs.)

2. Start with a blank canvas. Make sure the surface is clean and dry as well as free of mold, mildew, dirt, oils and rust etc.


3. When dry, address all areas that need to be caulked and or seam patched. Some low areas may need to be built up using the same material used on the roof.


4. Prep & prime: Using the right primer is always important on a roof substrate like metal roofing you should use a rust-inhibitive primer (like our 1606 Rust Inhibitive Universal Primer) to prevent the rust stain from bleeding through. It is best to always ask your supplier which primer is best for your customer’s project.


5. Make sure to apply a great high quality roof coating that will offer a high Solar Reflective Index (SRI) of at least 90% and is performance tested using the standard specifications for Liquid Applied Acrylic Roof Coating. Try to find a coating that is also reinforced with interlocking fibers that provide superior bridging of the coating over seams and small separations. This is important because the coating then contains interlocking fibers that increase the coatings durability to withstand weathering. Then apply with a roller or airless sprayer.

There are only things to gain in the investment of an elastomeric roof. Businesses, institutions and homeowners alike will reap the benefits like providing ageless protection, possible energy savings, all the while looking clean and new! Investing in Anvil’s elastomeric roof coatings are not only a quality solution to improving your roof’s purpose and lifespan, but also a cost effective way to save money and time in the long run.