Your roof stands as a stalwart defender against anything the elements can throw at it. However, as weather changes and fluctuates, even the hardiest of roofs can suffer and face degradation, resulting in less efficient protection. This increased exposure can result in energy loss leading to a higher bill, water damage, or even a total collapse!

Fortunately, a little preparation can extend the life of your roof while ensuring that your business or residence has effective protection without having to pay the expense of a roof replacement.

That solution comes in the form of roof coatings.

However, there are many different types of roof coatings available. How can you determine which is best for your needs? After all, not all coatings are suitable for every type of roofing. Plus, there are different types of rules regarding proper application that you must take into account as well as other factors regarding storage and coating formulation that need to be considered for proper administration.

Here are ways that providing an extra layer of protection can prove a benefit, as well as a variety of different roof coatings to help you make the best choice for your roof.

The Many Benefits of Roof Coating

There are many reasons to consider a layer of roof coating, especially when considering the complication and expense of a total roof replacement. This significantly less complicated process can provide a host of benefits and extend the life of your roof considerably.

Here is a quick glance at how choosing the proper coating can serve you well:

Time-Saving

The application of a protective layer of roof coating will save you a considerable amount of time, especially considering how difficult it can be to repair damage or even perform a complete roof replacement. Laying a coat is a quick and easy process in which the greatest amount of time is often spent waiting for it to dry, which often only takes up to 24 hours in difficult weather conditions. 

Cost-Effective

When it comes to replacing a roof, you are looking at roughly an $8,000 dollar investment for the national average, which means that it can potentially be far more expensive. On the other hand, coating your roof often ranges from $450 to $2000 depending on the size of your roof, and some residential sizes can be even less.

Improved Endurance

Considering the previous savings, layering your roof is a good prevention technique to ensure you do not have to face the costly re-roofing process. Furthermore, the increased sustainability will extend the life of your roof and offer it added protection against the elements. For best results, you can even provide a new layer every decade or so to extend its life even further, ensuring that you have continual protection throughout the life of your home.

Energy Efficiency

An added property of a proper roof coating is that it provides enhanced UV protection that serves as powerful protection against the sun’s rays. That means that you are able to reflect a significant amount of heat, ensuring that your home remains cooler and more comfortable while reducing your energy bill by preventing your air unit from having to work hard to maintain your preferred temperature.

6 Types of Roof Coatings

Now that you understand how it is in your best interest to consider protection in the form of an effective roof coating, here are some options to help you decide which is appropriate for your business or residence.

1.)  Roof Coatings for Shingles

While shingles are inexpensive and sturdy, it can be difficult to find a proper protective coating due to the asphalt component and granules within its composition. Explore your options carefully and look for coats that are specially designed for protecting asphalt. A few common options are white polymeric coatings and asphalt-specific resins.

2.)  Elastomeric Roof Coating

This type of coating is generally less expensive, but comes at the cost of reduced UV stability. Nonetheless, it proves a powerful resistance against inclement weather conditions and its effectiveness can be doubled down by pairing it with another type of coating. It makes a decent base protective layer and is most often used with positively pitched roofing systems.

3.)  Waterproof Roof Shingles

If the ultimate in waterproofing is your desire, your best bet is liquid-applied roofing membrane coatings. These fluid-based coatings specialize in ensuring that your roof shingles are fully protected, especially when it comes to roof damaging moisture. The asphaltic rubber creates a seamless coat that prevents water from finding its way through the protective barrier.

4.)  White Roof Coating

If you are looking for the ultimate in heat absorption and reflectability, you will be hard-pressed to find a coating better than that of White Roof. Particularly useful on black roofs, this protectant ensures that your residence is energy efficient as it has the best rating against heat absorption, meaning that your home remains cool. In fact, it is considered a “cool roof” as it reflects approximately 75% (or more) of the sun’s rays.

5.)  Silicone Coating

Silicone roof coatings are well known for their effectiveness against water ponding, which is when water collects and remains for a long period of time on a roof, which can cause considerable damage! This type of coating also has an effective UV protection rating while also resisting oxidation. They are also considered environmentally friendly. While silicone coating has become increasingly popular in recent years, it can also prove more expensive than some other coating methods.

6.)  Urethane Coating

The most attractive feature of urethane coating is its ability to provide extreme lifespan enhancements to your roofing, approximately 30 years! This coating is great for resisting physical impact (such as hail damage) and thermal shifting, which means that it will remain intact and resistant even during significant heat and cold diversity. However, they are not as effective at UV protection as other types and the incredible longevity of urethane coating can mean that it is more expensive as well.