Your 2 Common Roof Restoration Concerns Addressed

Posted on: 21 April 2017

Share

Roof restoration does not involve removing the existing roof, which is usually very costly and detrimental to the environment (more debris to go to the landfills). It is carried out on an old-looking yet structurally-sound roof to make it look good as new. Small portions may be replaced if they are too old/worn.

During restoration, specialized coating products are applied onto the roof deck so it looks new. This can be done on most types of roofs. Roof restoration is sometimes misunderstood and equated to buying a used car in a consumer's mind. In this article, some of your common concerns will be addressed so that you have a better understanding of the value of this process.

1. Durability and quality

While properly-done roof restoration can last for years, there have been cases where consumers got less than their money's worth with restorative coatings. If you delve further into this, you may find that the coating chosen was of poor quality to begin with or the homeowner went on the roof themselves to apply a hardware-bought coating.

The first step for proper restoration is to select a high-quality roof coating, and it most likely won't be at every hardware store you walk into. Such products will come with comprehensive, long-term warranties from manufacturers that have a long-standing reputation in the industry. An inspection should be done before the coat is bought so that you get the right coating for your own roof.

Next, roof coatings should only be installed by qualified contractors who have proven client references backing them. Ask the contractor to perform an adhesion test first, which checks compatibility of the coating with the existent roof. In fact, not performing an adhesion test will void warranties for most manufacturers. Bear in mind that while some restorative coats failed in the past, technological advancements have ensured that most manufacturer's products today don't have the same problems as before. Try to buy newer coatings instead of older versions.

2. Accumulation of dirt

Some roof coatings can accumulate dirt, which reduces the solar reflectance capability. Bear in mind, however, that dirt accumulation in no way interferes with product quality or performance. In fact, all roofing systems eventually accumulate dirt, because they are outside = there's dirt and rain. Dirt accumulation does cause the solar reflectance rate of a restoration system to drop a few points in the initial months after installation. You can reduce the effect of dirt accumulation with annual cleanings. In addition, technological advancements have seen introduction of dirt-repellent products which accumulate lesser dirt than their predecessors. Ask your contractor about such products.

If you're after solar reflectivity with your restoration, a restorative coat may not be the right solution for you. Instead, you can opt for energy-efficient, single-ply roofing systems which lose little in solar reflectance even after years of use. This is, however, a more expensive option. For more information, contact a business such as Blue West Roof Restorations.