Tag: commercialroofcoatings

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This Piece of Equipment is taking the Coatings Industry by Storm

Every once in a while something comes along to an industry that looks so simple, seems so simple, is so simple, yet has never been introduced to the public. Typically these topics, equipment or processes are slow to gain traction and meet resistance from those who have always done it their way. But just like the car changed transportation & then the plane changed it even more, change is inevitable in our world.

When it comes to roof coatings, you look at them and the process and think “what exactly can someone do that can make such a change in an industry like roofing?”

Except for types of materials being used, it’s been pretty much the same for decades. Even less monumental things have came into the smaller niche market of Fluid Applied Systems using Roof coatings. Until now that has been true, but is now rapidly changing.

The Patent Pending Roof Rabbit has caught the Fluid Applied industry by Storm and continues to gain traction daily.

The ability to hand a laborer this piece of equipment and know that with simple “mil plate” checks they can consistently and accurately apply coatings and do it in a quicker time period than with a wand. Andy L from PA says “Thank you for making a wonderful product in the Roof Rabbit. We love ours now that we got it tuned in. We did 19,000 sq ft today in under 6 hrs over foam.”

“Thank you for making a wonderful product in the Roof Rabbit. We love ours now that we got it tuned in. We did 19,000 sq ft today in under 6 hrs over foam.”

-Andy L from PA

With the spray heads always positioned at 12-14” from the target surface you know you’re getting full coverage and not having light spots from back fatigue, not maintaining consistent passes. First time user laying down some primer, Ben V from Iowa says “Why in the heck wouldn’t every coating guy have one of these in their trailer?!!!”

“Why in the heck wouldn’t every coating guy have one of these in their trailer?!!!”

-Ben V from Iowa
Visit The Roof Rabbit Website

Secondly, the ability to stay in an upright position substantially minimizes back cramps and keeps production up even later into the day. With that added production (lower labor) you also gain cure times. If you know after 3 pm in your area is when pop up storms are common, you can have more roof done by noon and keep on schedule, versus using a wand and possibly having cure out issues. Billy P from CO says “My back hurt worse after 20-30 minutes of detailing with a wand than 4+ hours of using The Roof Rabbit.”

“My back hurt worse after 20-30 minutes of detailing with a wand than 4+ hours of using The Roof Rabbit.”

-Billy P from CO

Safety is another key topic these days & should be. With The Roof Rabbit & it’s forward cambered spray pattern, you have the ability to coat right up to the gutter edge of the roof and not have the wheels fall off the roof. This also allows the user to never cross the 6’ warning line from OSHA.

Change is inevitable…

…and more often than not it’s a change for the better of an industry. Stay open minded and attempt to be on the front end of things and it can be a game changer for you & your business. When you see something take off that you were using from the early days you can say that you were part of that movement and use that to your advantage. Spray on!!!!

Chad Hedrick, Roof Coating Life
“We Bleed White”

Interesting in owning a Roof Rabbit?
Chad Hedrick, owner of Roof Coating Life commits to helping 10 new Contractors succeed in the Fluid Applied Industry each year. He’s selective in this process because realistically, his time is limited. He offers his valuable time and best mentor ship to the guys who are serious about making 30%-50% profits with Roof Coatings. Check out the Requirements for working with Chad to see if you might qualify.
Get the FREE eBook “7 Unique Ways To Market Your Fluid Applied Roofing Business.” It’s packed with outside the box Marketing Strategies (Strategy #6 landed us 5 commercial projects last Summer!) that will help you best serve your clients and live the Roof Coating Life like a boss.
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Grow your Market Share and Not Become a Commodity Roofer

Fluid Applied Growth

Let’s all face it… we would love to have a higher percentage of our market, but doing so by lowering your pricing is not the way to do it. If you can’t find ways to keep your pricing the same and make the same or more profit, it’s not worth the effort required. Let’s discuss a few ways that you can accomplish this:

1: Talk to your past clientele.

Ask them why they chose you, what would they have like changed about you and your experience with them and what areas they were okay with but maybe thought you could still use some improvments on.

2: DON’T try to imitate Nike, Walmart, Lowes etc.

These large companies have millions upon millions at their disposal to literally test marketing each year and see which Branding ads work and which don’t. They also have the money to accrue the data and analyze it down to the penny. Most roofing companies do not fit this mold and are not trying to reach the same audience, hence will never have the capital to spend to accomplish anything like that. Your thoughts should be focused on a consumer who needs a roof and how to make that person want you to do that roof, without knowing you or meeting you.

3: Be definitive in your company’s elevator speech.

If you can’t tell your potential client why they should use you instead of company X, you’re losing sales.  Get it down pat in a way that differentiates you so well that they would feel wrong to choose your competitor over you know matter the price. Don’t say “we have been in business this long” or “our crews are trained and experienced.” Those are generic, simple statements that don’t set you apart.

4: Make sure your marketing game is on point and that it’s doing the pre-selling for you.

If your marketing is hitting the Why of the client, it’s building a relationship with them and they will see your price as a Value because of the impression they already have of you, all from your marketing efforts. Your sales will be easier to close, as the price won’t be the deciding factor.

5: Don’t give discounts, PERIOD.

All a discount says is “I don’t think the customer sees my Value and I am overpriced.” Once you make that statement, it is with you for eternity, every roof you do for that client they will expect the discount or a lower price that equates the same thing. If you are not sold that the value you bring them is worth the price your asking, then you are not sold on your product or service.

If you will drive these points home with everyone on your team, it will help every sales process close and flow much smoother and easier, without price haggling.

Chad Hedrick, Roof Coating Life
“We Bleed White”

Chad Hedrick, owner of Roof Coating Life commits to helping 10 new Contractors succeed in the Fluid Applied Industry each year. He’s selective in this process because realistically, his time is limited. He offers his valuable time and best mentor ship to the guys who are serious about making 30%-50% profits with Roof Coatings. Check out the Requirements for working with Chad to see if you might qualify.
Get the FREE eBook “7 Unique Ways To Market Your Fluid Applied Roofing Business.” It’s packed with outside the box Marketing Strategies (Strategy #6 landed us 5 commercial projects last Summer!) that will help you best serve your clients and live the Roof Coating Life like a boss.
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Why is the Fluid Applied Industry Continuing to Grow????

That’s a great question. Let’s dig deeper…

Eco-Friendliness and Sustainability

First, the thought of not taking a roof off and putting it into a landfill for it to be there for the rest of our life, plus our kids’ lives is reason enough on it’s own. Fluid Applied Restoration allows a roofing system to be salvaged or restored prior to that condition. That does mean that property managers & building owners need to pay attention and do progressive roof maintenance. Better yet, they could get their buildings involved in a roof maintenance program which allows them to stay ahead of the ball, savings them lots of money in the lifecycle of that roof. We need to educate building owners to pursue that level of thinking.

If a building owner or facilities manager stays on the progressive front, and they use a quality fluid applied roofing system, they can easily extend an additional 10, 15, 20, 30+ years to that building’s roof without having to do a costly tear off and expose themselves to a high liability.

Energy Efficiency

Additionally, when highly populated areas start turning more of their dark heat absorbing roofs into white reflective cool roofs, there is a heat reduction in what is known as the “urban heat island effect”. This will actually benefit an entire community when there is buy in from everyone.

Economics

Another reason the Fluid Applied Industry is growing, is economics. Fluid applied coating systems not only add to that cool roof concept but they are less cost because the building owner is not paying the labor that’s involved with all of the other traditional roofing systems, not to mention not paying for the tear off, labor and disposal.

So they are economically and environmentally good choices for maintaining a building and have traditionally always been a tax advantage because of the opportunity for a complete year one write off in most instances.

Spray Polyurethane Foam = Added R-Value

If you are to toss spray polyurethane foam into the restoration or fluid applied industry as an option you also get the additional R-value and return on investment from cooling and heating savings that come along with that.

We have to face the fact that energy cost are no longer going to be cheap and they are going to continue to increase in the future, unless grave measures are taken to find alternative methods to reduce energy costs. If building owners as a whole can reduce the amount of energy used for the cooling load of their buildings by using highly reflective cool white roofs it’s a benefit to everyone.

Technology

Another reason why the Fluid applied industry is growing is because of technology. The technology advancements that have happened in the traditional roofing systems have also advanced in the coatings industry & have substantially reduced some of the issues that plagued the industry & led to those early coating failures we have all heard of.

Custom, Tailored Roofing Solutions

Next reason is because of the options available to suit a building’s existing substrate. The big three acrylic’s, silicone and urethane’s give roofing contractors an opportunity to make a selection that can be custom tailored to their clients needs. 

Let’s say you have a industrial client that has a low sloped 1/2:12 pitch to 3:12+ pitch metal roof: acrylic systems have proven themselves for decades to do great on these existing substrates. Silicones and urethanes will also serve these roofing substrate but can come with some unwanted additional baggage as in they are typically higher cost then a quality acrylic and they are harder to apply & have more chances of overspray concerns. When it comes to silicone it can be extremely slick when any moisture is present so rooftop foot traffic can become more of a liability.

Turn the tables and low slope or flat roofs under 1/2:12 or less (that have a chance of ponding water or slow dry times) lean more towards the silicone and urethane chemistries. Acrylics will take on water so they are more likely to loose adhesion in ponding water areas. Their counterparts silicone & Urethane are hydrophobic and actually repel water so they hold up better long-term in standing water.

Smaller Install Crews/Lower Labor Costs

A reason that is often overlooked in the industry is something that is plaguing all of the trades and that is a shortage of qualified labor. Your traditional single ply roofing companies, employee 8-10 to upwards of 15 employees to do jobs of any size whereas a fluid applied roofing system can easily be installed with half the labor or less, where a common crew size is 3 to 5 man crews.

Fluid applied roofing is going to continue to grow for the foreseeable future. 2017-2018 growth was great, but 2019 & on it will be exponential. The companies that react first will be the dominant ones in the industry as it begins to explode.

Chad Hedrick, Roof Coating Life
“We Bleed White”

Chad Hedrick, owner of Roof Coating Life commits to helping 10 new Contractors succeed in the Fluid Applied Industry each year. He’s selective in this process because realistically, his time is limited. He offers his valuable time and best mentor ship to the guys who are serious about making 30%-50% profits with Roof Coatings. Check out the Requirements for working with Chad to see if you might qualify.
Get the FREE eBook “7 Unique Ways To Market Your Fluid Applied Roofing Business.” It’s packed with outside the box Marketing Strategies (Strategy #6 landed us 5 commercial projects last Summer!) that will help you best serve your clients and live the Roof Coating Life like a boss.
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Setting Up Your Pump For Maximum Performance

Roof-Coatings-Pump

You’ve landed a roof that justifies purchasing an airless sprayer. “Which one, why and what all is involved” are the next questions to go through your head.

What to Consider when Purchasing a New Pump:

Consider the size of your roof project, as well as the average size that future roof projects may be. Is the average roof that you think you will be doing in the 10 to 12,000 square-foot range or larger?

Sizing your pump is an easy way to save money up front and still get the job done. There is actually no need for a pump the size of an 833 if your average roof is 5 to 10,000 ft.²
Roofs that size can be done with a 7900 all day long. If you get an occasional large roof a 7900 will still perform well, it will just take a little longer when you start top coating.

If your average job is going to be 10,000 square-foot & up, then you’re better off to start with something like a Graco 833. Another question to ask is, are you going to be doing acrylics or silicone. If silicone is in your future and spraying is the method you want to do, then a Graco 933 is your number one option. The 933 will allow you to spray silicone and if you desire to, you can use a second set of hoses and gun to spray acrylics, although it’s not recommended due to labor required to insure pump is spotless of each chemistry before using the other chemistry. Most contractors who spray both acrylics and silicone have dedicated pumps for each system.

Hose Configuration is Equally Important

Once you have decided what size pump you’re going to need, you’ll then need to look at your hose configuration. Make sure that the dealer you’re purchasing from is not trying to make a sale by selling you the wrong size and length hoses just to get the price down. To maximize efficiency and performance you’ll want to run as much of the largest size hose recommended for your pump as you can. For instance on roofs, most contractors run 150 to 200 feet of half-inch hose with a 50 foot section of 3/8 hose connected to their gun or a Roof Rabbit.

Silicon contractors on the other hand, if going over 150 feet of total hose, will typically start out with 1 inch hose for 100 to 150 feet before necking down to 3/4 and half inch, not to exceed half inch or smaller house. This is simply due to the physical characteristics of silicon and it not liking to be sprayed.

Doing these things, as well as using hose reels will set you up for success when you’re ready to tackle the roof that you’ve landed.

Chad Hedrick, Roof Coating Life

Chad Hedrick, owner of Roof Coating Life commits to helping 10 new Contractors succeed in the Fluid Applied Industry each year. He’s selective in this process because realistically, his time is limited. He offers his valuable time and best mentor ship to the guys who are serious about making 30%-50% profits with Roof Coatings. Check out the Requirements for working with Chad to see if you might qualify.
Get the FREE eBook “7 Unique Ways To Market Your Fluid Applied Roofing Business.” It’s packed with outside the box Marketing Strategies (Strategy #6 landed us 5 commercial projects last Summer!) that will help you best serve your clients and live the Roof Coating Life like a boss.
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Why Restore Instead of Re-Roof?

It’s no secret that a quality Fluid Applied Restoration System saves money upfront and money down the road on energy savings. Not only do fluid applied restoration systems extend the service life of your low slope metal or flat roof, but they also extend the life of your cooling system.

Depending on the type of roof you have, whether it’s an acrylic, silicone or urethane restoration, it will extend the life of your entire building by minimizing thermal shock. When you factor in the 25% to 40% reduction in costs compared to a complete reroof, along with the high rising costs to dispose of roofing materials into landfills, fluid applied restoration systems just make sense.

Benefits of Fluid Applied Systems

Here is a list of benefits that fluid applied roofing systems can give you:

  • Commercial roofs typically last roughly 20 years and restoration systems can add another 10 to 20 years to that life. By using a fluid applied system you can differ that costly complete replacement and allow your budgets and capital expenditures to match your time frame.
  • As stated previously, restoring with a Fluid applied system makes your building’s roof sustainable. You are using your existing roofing substrate to create a monolithic, seamless roof that has even more durability than the existing substrate.
  • If a high-quality coating is combined with a spun woven fabric reinforcement it allows the new fluid applied roofing membrane to increase the durability and Elastomeric properties of the roof it’s restoring, so in essence it’s an upgrade.
  • Since fluid applied roofing systems are less cost, it allows a building owner or a facility manager to be progressive in their management. Ignoring a roof and the fact that it is aging and deteriorating does not make that roof’s problems disappear, it only gets worse. Neglect of a roof only means total replacement will be eminent and will come sooner than expected & costs multiply. If a progressive roof maintenance program is enacted early enough, those roofs typically can be repaired and/or then restored with a complete Fluid applied restoration system.

Chad Hedrick, Roof Coating Life
“We Bleed White”

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Coatings Need to Put You in a Sticky Situation

pull-test

You are a professional coating contractor but you are only as good as two things: 1) The product you’re installing and 2) The surface you’re trying to be stuck to, & if you don’t have one of those it could be a bad deal.

I can take the best product made and put it on an unclean or unsuitable surface and it isn’t worth anything, but I can also take a drastically inferior coating and put it on a properly prepped and suitable substrate and more than likely make it last for quite some time as a repair.

In the coatings industry prep is everything.

Whether it is power washing and acid etching a metal roof or using a specified cleaner for an aged EPDM, TPO, mod-bit or aged coating, whatever you do to prep the surface is key.

Metal & flat roofs are commonly plagued with oxidation, rooftop oil’s, and other contaminants that can cause a quality Fluid Applied system from adhering properly. On the single ply restoration front, key components to good adhesion are using enough pressure washer force (psi) & gala of blasting media (aka water) to clear the dirt, grime & oxidization from the surface, whether it be the carbon buildup on an EPDM or the oxidized factory applied surface coating used on TPO or PVC membranes.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not expecting you to power wash entire roof just to do a couple pull test, but care does need to be taken for the areas that you are doing a pull test to be treated as if you were doing a full on restoration project.

Once the specified cleaner has been used at least in a 1 x 1‘ area and allowed to dry, then you would use your specified primer for whatever system you are entertaining. We will use a factory finish metal roof for an example. Once we have cleaned our specified area and installed our primer we will allow the primer to cure out the allotted time needed prior to doing the actual pull test.

Once the primer has cured, typically primers at the low milk thickness will cure out in a matter of an hour or 2, we will apply our coatings at the specified gal/sq rates from the manufacturer. Once you have installed the initial layer of coatings you would take a piece of fabric 1 inch wide and embed that into the coatings leaving a 3-4 inch tag end not installed into the coatings.

We would then apply additional coatings over the fabric, fully encapsulating it into coatings. Giving this test or multiple tests on a given roof an ample dry time, typically 3 to 4 days in the summer season, we will then come back and perform the actual pull test.

To perform the pull test you will take a razor blade and make an incision down the side of your fabric on both sides, leaving you with two incisions 1 inch apart the length of the fabric.

Now cut a small incision into your fabric’s loose tag end, and approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches from the end. This will be the hole that you will hook your digital scale to test the amount of pounds per square inch it takes to remove the fabric. Care must be taken when pulling the fabric off of the substrate. You want to pull in a perpendicular manner to the substrate, so in this case we would apply vertical pressure, keeping the tag end at a 90° angle to the roofing substrate.

While pulling with a constant tension against the fabric, we will record the pounds of pull that it takes for failure. Typically any number above 3 pounds per square inch is considered adequate adhesion for a substrate. The reasoning by using a 1 inch wide piece of fabric is for easy calculating of pounds per square inch. If the fabric you are using is say 2 1/2 inches wide then you would have to multiply the pounds per square inch of pull times 2.5 to make sure it’s adequate (2.5×3).

Doing this allows you to know that you are applying your fluid applied system to a substrate that you will be adhered to long term as well as it buys you protection from possible warranty claims. If a manufacture tries to push off a potential warranty claim issue onto you claiming of you not doing your due diligence, you can potentially save yourself by showing that you did pull test prior to install & they passed.

Another key thing to do when performing your adhesion test is to take them from random areas and do at least two areas on the existing substrate that would be considered the poorest quality adhesion areas, typically in low lying or ponded water areas.

This is one of those times in life that to get out of a potential sticky situation later, you want to make sure you’re stuck first.

Chad Hedrick, Roof Coating Life
“We Bleed White”

Chad Hedrick, owner of Roof Coating Life commits to helping 10 new Contractors succeed in the Fluid Applied Industry each year. He’s selective in this process because realistically, his time is limited. He offers his valuable time and best mentor ship to the guys who are serious about making 30%-50% profits with Roof Coatings. Check out the Requirements for working with Chad to see if you might qualify.
Get the FREE eBook “7 Unique Ways To Market Your Fluid Applied Roofing Business.” It’s packed with outside the box Marketing Strategies (Strategy #6 landed us 5 commercial projects last Summer!) that will help you best serve your clients and live the Roof Coating Life like a boss.