is an
important facet of all building maintenance, due in large part
to escalating economic circumstances, fuel costs and
environmental concerns. These things are causing more people to
look to a low-cost effective alternative to replacing an
existing roof system.
Waterproof coatings have proven to be an
economical and an environmentally friendly option for expensive
roof repairs.
These new advances in technology have just made
roofing and waterproofing a DIY market. No longer is roofing
just
done by roofers. Now almost anyone can do it.
Building code administrators have fallen behind,
too. They’re still thinking inside the box that everything has
to be done by skilled labor. Not true. The simplicity and
advancements in technology are now exponential, and have moved
so fast that many old complicated types of waterproofing are now
already obsolete. Simplicity and ease of use are taking over
slowly, but
make no
mistake, they are taking over.
Some past advances in roof coatings have failed
on flat roofs and were penetrable. Quality was lacking in many
of the products causing failures. But that has changed.
Customers do not mind paying for quality, but they cannot stand
failure. That dependable technology is now here.
Cheaper waterproof coatings that are often sold
in box stores do not work effectively. Even retail buyers are
behind
the times. The big-box stores and established hardware chains
often operate on whom they know, not what’s best for the
consumer. All too often, a brand name means it’s an old
technology.
Technology can be slow to get to the customer
who needs it, but new technology developed by Ames Research
Laboratories sets out to change things. Inventor of the popular
Snow Roof Systems products back in 1981, Ames felt it was time
to move up. We needed coatings that were impervious, not just
resistant to water. New research and development made that
possible.
Technology has moved forward and past that. We
felt it was time to develop products with 2010 technology that
moves roofing and waterproofing into the 21st Century. We have
now achieved the impossible.
This has made our waterproofing innovative,
impervious, elastic, energy saving, green and profitable. Roofs
that lend themselves to alternative methods of repair such as
waterproof coatings are metal, tar, EPDM/vinyl and rolled
roofing. Each style of roofing has its own unique
characteristics and challenges depending on geographic location.
Roofs located in the southern latitudes receive
more potentially harmful solar radiation. Northern latitudes
receive more rain, ice and snow. A professional analysis will
determine the proper combination of materials required to
effectively waterproof each style of roof in your area.
Subsequently, roofs in the South must be top
coated with Bright white Maximum Stretch or Iron coat or Snow
Seal.
All products are 98 percent reflective. Flat
roofs in the north will need a rubber undercoat (Elastobarrier).
Rainy seasons are generally when leaks are first noticed and
focused upon. At that point, a good waterproofing solution is
hard to find. No one thinks of doing roof repair when they’re
not leaking, so proactive roof maintenance cannot be stressed
enough.
The best time to perform roof maintenance is in
the late spring, summer and early fall. These seasonal windows
have the least amount of rain with longer dry periods to allow
for proper product application. Roof surfaces should be as dry
as possible with low atmospheric humidity for best
results.
Metal roofing systems are a popular construction
component in today’s residential and commercial buildings. At
some point, the roof will require repair due to leaking from
weather.
Neoprene seals deteriorate. Atmospheric pressure
differences from outside and inside can draw water into the
building by capillary action. The expense of replacing or
repairing a metal roof conventionally can be costly. A quality
waterproof coating like Ames’ Maximum Stretch can extend the
existing roofs useful life for many years.
One such system utilizes an elasticized seam
tape, and Ames’ Maximum Stretch, a white reflective rubber and
acrylic coating. Seam taping stops leaks fast, and coating with
two gallon per hundred square feet makes for a long life up to
20 years. A coat every five to ten years helps preserve your
investment.
The roof is cool, too. Ninety-eight percent
reflectivity makes it cool. The first step to any waterproof
coating application is to thoroughly pressure wash the roof
removing all loose or flaking debris. The self-adhesive peel and
stick seam tape is essential in covering seems. The maximum
stretch acrylic coating will cover all screw holes, gaps wider
than 1/8 inch. The coating glues the building together so storm
damage can be kept at a minimal. These very thick coatings can
be poured out and spread.
During the course of the day, the temperature of
a roof’s surface can vary greatly. This temperature variation
can wreak havoc on the integrity of the roof due to expansion
and contraction with any coating that is not elastomeric. Tar
roofs in a few years lose their elasticity and crack and split.
Bright white cools roofs and extends life. New
green rubber technology we have developed expands and contracts
and gives strength and new life to old roofs.
A large metal roof can change dimensionally by
several inches during the period of a hot day. Cooling of the
building with Ames’ Bright White substantially reduces expansion
contraction.
Ames’ reflective coatings translate directly
into lower energy costs due to less need for air conditioning.
Energy costs on a black roof can be reduced as much as 50
percent.
Tar or asphalt roofs are
low-tech, ancient waterproofing solutions for flat roofs, and
are very common in many parts of the country. They crack, they
alligator and then leak. The most common repair of a tar roof is
by slathering on more tar and then the cycle starts over.
The use of the quality
elastomeric roof coating system can be far more effective and
much easier to apply when refurbishing an old tar roof. The
first step to any waterproof coating application is to
thoroughly pressure wash the roof removing all loose or flaking
debris that may fail after the application resulting in coating
delaminating.
The tape is applied to
flashing, gaps larger than 1/8 inch and along parapet walls. The
application of this system with the reflective white surface
coating cools the buildings interior and cleans up easily with
water.
A more high-tech approach to
flat roofing is known as EPDM (ethylene propylene
dieneterpolymer) or vinyl. EPDM is a black vinyl membrane that
is applied to the surface of a new or existing roof creating a
very fine waterproofing system.
The problem with an EPDM roof
is that they are black in color and susceptible to damage from
UV (ultra-violet) radiation after a few years. The seams in the
roofing material separate, the EPDM breaks down, and water then
works its way under the EPDM membrane and causes leaks.
Another problem with EPDM is
that it floats over the base surface. When a roof leak does
occur, it is difficult to find it. The water often travels under
the whole system, damaging the underpayment in the process. EPDM
must be primed with Ames Primer. Very few things really stick to
EPDM. Thus the specially formulated acrylic Ames super-primer is
designed not to harm the EPDM, but to enhance and stick to it.
Asphalt emulsions and tar
patch harm EPDM and can virtually destroy a roof.
The alternative to
conventional EPDM repair is to use a quality elastomeric roof
coating system specifically designed for this application.
As with all roof waterproofing
applications, proper preparation is very important. First
pressure wash the EPDM surface carefully removing all loose or
flaking debris. Then apply the seam tape to all flashing, vent
pipes, gaps wider than 1/8 inch and along parapet walls.
Next apply two coats of the
acrylic primer. After the primer, apply three coats of the duel
rubber, elastobarrier making sure that all roof surfaces have
been covered. The final coat is the white reflective surface
coating of Ames’ Maximum Stretch. The reflective surface coat
not only waterproofs but reflects as much as 98 percent of the
sun’s rays while cooling the building’s interior. Allow plenty
of curing time between coats, usually 24 hours under normal
temperature conditions.
With proper planning and
adequate budget, repairs with liquid waterproofing coatings can
provide a cost effective and virtually maintenance free roof for
many years. ❑
William Ames Curtright, Ph.D.
