In the last 15 years the Fluid Applied industry as a whole has been gaining traction in all facets. In the last 5-7 years, the curve has been virtually straight up. This is also a growth trend that doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. The list of FA products and systems available are long & extensive. Today we are going to talk specifically about waterproofing/air barrier, insulating & roofing systems.
On the waterproofing & Air Barrier front, Fluid Applied systems are proving themselves to be front runners in the industry, solving age old building envelope waterproofing issues. A couple companies that have really took a front running position are PolyWall and Prosoco. These 2 companies have amazing products for basement/wall fluid applied membranes and sealants that eliminate the typical failures we see with sheet systems failing at the seams. Remember the primer behind the sheet product typically is not serving as a quality waterproofing system.
The Prosoco line of products focus mainly on above ground & include air and water barriers, liquid flashings, & joint/seam fillers. They have proven products that even have a Cat 5 (155 mph+ wind rating). Using these 2 companies line of products allow you the contractor to apply proven products/systems to buildings. This lets you be confident and know that they are going to perform and do the job that you were hired to do.
“On the Insulating side it is pretty well dominated by spray foam. “
Spray foam’s ability to be applied by a trained professional allows it to go on in a liquid state and then expand 30-100x its volume to fill any voids and stop airflow all while providing a stable R value. When you combine spray foam with your exterior water/vapor/air barriers you create a building that is ideal for energy efficiency and healthy air quality. As long as you work with a quality HVAC that understands air exchanges and air tightness in construction then your on your way to a quality building envelope.
Now lets move to the roof of the building. The line of Fluid Applied products and systems for roofing has literally exploded exponentially in the last decade. They have taken a larger piece of the pie in commercial roofing, & its one that continues to grow annually. Some major players in this field are Progressive Materials (Mainly silicon), Tropical (Mainly Silicon), Aldo (multiple chemistries), Henry (acrylic & silicon), 838 Coatings (multiple chemistries), Gaco Western ( Mainly silicon), & the Conklin Roofing Systems which produces multiple chemistries.
I have personally used almost if not all of the manufacturers listed above. Most if not all the products have all served the purpose that we used them for. But our go to systems have predominately been the Conklin Roofing Systems for a handful of reasons. Firstly the products are some of the highest quality products that we have used. Secondly the training and knowledge base that is available from other existing veteran Conklin contractors is available to new contractors. Thirdly is the companies proven longevity (42+ yrs) and systems approach to roofing. They are not called Conklin Coatings, it is Conklin Roofing Systems for a reason.
“They provide in house almost every product required for their systems.”
Those products include cleaners, caulks, fabrics, primers, coatings and specialty products in certain circumstances. Their 40+ years of successful manufacturing is an added bonus and peace of mind to have in your corner as well. If you have any interests in learning more about the fluid applied roofing industry then shoot us an email at RoofCoatingLife@gmail.com. We would gladly help you position yourself for success.
No matter how you slice or spray it the Fluid Applied Industry is growing and does not look to be slowing down. It is a huge opportunity for you as a Coatings contractor to capitalize on an industries growth. This allows you to provide services and solutions that will solve your clients problems.