Roof coatings have improved greatly in the last five years. Maintenance and engineering managers now can specify a host of new products and formulations, including new reinforcement techniques for fluid-applied membranes, fluid-applied systems, for roofing, waterproofing, and even building envelopes, in addition to more traditional roof-coating options.
Many organizations are installing fluid-applied roofing products — with topcoats that resist ultraviolet (UV) light — as standalone roofing systems on commercial and institutional facilities.
Traditional roof coatings that protect existing surfaces are still available, and the marketplace boasts more high-performance, fluid-applied roofing products than ever. As building science has evolved in recent years, managers looking to improve roof-system performance have paid greater attention to roof-coatings characteristics, such as permeability.
Fluid-applied weather-resistant barriers provide weatherproofing for liquid-water ingress and permeability for water-vapor egress. These highly permeable fluid-applied barriers replace sheet goods and act as air barriers to reduce air leaks and improve energy efficiency.
Managers who integrate fluid-applied, weather-resistant barriers and fluid-applied roofing systems must ensure the materials are compatible to create a continuous weather barrier. To aid in this effort, building codes are evolving in response to this new research and product availability.
New formulations of fluid-applied systems, as well as existing products facilities use in new ways, provide more options for managers looking to rehab their roofs. The additional choices and increased performance criteria have made it even more challenging for managers to evaluate and choose the most appropriate roof coating or fluid-applied roofing membrane for their buildings.
Product Advances Offer Managers Better Roof Protection Options
