(Before you send me a scathing email, be sure to read this article in it’s entirety.)
Have you ever heard someone say that roof coatings aren’t a real roof and that they are just a temporary fix, disposable roof or a Band-Aid?
Sadly in some cases that’s true. Our industry has a plague and that is typically surrounded by a Big Box. Yes I said it, the Big Box store mentality of our society is a plague to our sector of the roofing industry worse than almost any other. If you can carry a bucket from the store you can be a repair man, or even worse a commercial roofing contractor.
It’s all about the sale, volume, commodity pricing & the almighty $$$$. Consumer outlets are a huge reason you see buckets of certain manufacturers sitting on the roof with rollers still stuck in them dried hard.On the flip side, if you really look at the life cycle of traditional single ply roofing it is the epitome of temporary roofing. Without fluid applied systems single ply roofing would have no option of remaining on a building without a complete tear-off every 10-20 yrs.
Why Fluid Applied Roofing Systems ARE the answer:
With the advancements of fluid applied systems, existing roofs can now be restored and extended life of service can be indefinitely, if maintained well. Since a fluid applied system weighs literally ounces per sq ft, weight is not an issue ever again.
This sustainability aspect of fluid applied systems is one of the key components to its future growth. When you can go to an aged metal roof and extend the viable life cycle of it all while costing the owner 30-40% less than a reroof and still have the option of a reroof down the road if ever needed, that’s powerful.
The next time someone says fluid applieds are a bandaid option, ask them which one is more like a bandaid, pointing out that a single ply is a loose covering randomly attached until removed by force. And much like a bandaid, it can hurt to take it off and replace with anything else. Fluid applied’s are here to stay and will be a dominate sector in the years to come.
Chad Hedrick, Roof Coating Life
“We Bleed White”