Silicone roof coatings offer various benefits and should be taken seriously when making any decision to waterproof a sloped, low pitched or flat roof. Some of the main benefits of silicone roof coatings include a reduced need for running air conditioning, fast installation, reflection of the sun’s heat rays, low to no disruption of a buildings day to day running during installation, and comes with a 20 Year Warranty, as well as being environmentally friendly.
The following are some silicone roof coating benefits, when used as a waterproofing material in low pitched and flat roofing projects, for new flat roofs or flat roof refurbishment:
- Silicone roof coatings do not degrade, as silicone is an inert material. Therefore in most cases a 100% silicone coating will most likely last as long as the substrate it is adhered to itself. This ultimately brings longevity and a low life cycle cost.
- Protect against building movement and structural damage, caused by expansion and contraction on the building. This is achieved when the roof coating is available in white, which most are. This is because the white coating can reflect up to 85% of the sun’s damaging heat rays, which would otherwise cause the building to expand and contract. Silicone is also very flexible and so is able to accommodate most building movement anyway.
- Reduce disruption to your business and building. Silicone coatings installed by a competent roofing contractor offer a low invasive and minimal noise flat roof waterproofing installation. These roof coatings in most cases can be used to overlay an existing roofing material, rather than having to rip it up, which would expose the building to the elements and cause sections of the building to become unsafe, or noise polluted.
- Reduce the need for air conditioning, especially during the hotter summer months, when a white silicone coating is used as the top coat. Many studies have been performed on the effectiveness of using white coloured waterproofing to reflect a sun’s heat rays, and silicone roof coatings can reflect up to 85% of these rays. Ultimately this means a more comfortable temperature for building occupants and significantly reduced need to use air conditioning. Huge reductions in temperature can be seen when applying a white silicone coating to metal roofs, felts and asphalts, increasing efficiency and lowering running costs.
- 20 Year Warranties are offered on quality roof coatings, showing confidence in the waterproofing material, as well as providing peace of mind that you are covered for 20 years direct by the manufacturers.
- Fast installation allows silicone coatings to be able to get your roof watertight in less time, and be able to reduce any potential damage which could occur while the roof and internals of the building are exposed to the elements. This can be especially important if your property houses stock, or other expensive equipment.
- Cost savings (£££) can be made in many ways through using a quality 100% silicone roof coating in conjunction with a competent and reliable roofing contractor. In particular, this product saves time during installation (reducing associated man hour costs), doesn’t degrade so isn’t likely to need replacing (saving on later re-roofing replacement costs), saves on the building’s running costs by being white in colour, (reflecting away the sun’s heat and reducing the need to run air conditioning), by not wasting materials through having to throw away excess waterproofing materials (saving on skips and other waste disposal costs), through being able to overlay in most cases (rather than having to rip off the existing roof composition), and through being able to be applied directly (without requiring any fleece, patch compound, primer or sealer to be purchased and applied prior to installation).
- Overlay an existing roof structure, without the need to lift the previous waterproofing layer or substrate. In most cases a clean, dry surface is all that is required. Silicone systems are capable of being applied directly to most single ply and flat roof waterproofing. Ultimately this saves time, money and avoids exposing the buildings internals to the elements.
- No need for reflective silver paints, as most roof coatings are already white in colour. When applying a white silicone coating, the roof will receive all the associated benefits, and will not need to be repainted, as this is the waterproofing systems base colour, so will not fade.
- An ideal solution for plant heavy roofs, as the product remains easy to install. There are no pre-made sections or pieces of waterproofing material required in order to accommodate roof penetrations, drains and other obstacles on the roof. This means no time is wasted shaping, constructing material, or ordering special pieces required to do the job.
- Reduced waste and associated disposal costs during flat roof installation and renovation works. This is due to silicone roof coating systems not producing any wastage themselves, while the product is also capable of overlaying most existing flat roof structures, thus providing the opportunity to avoid ripping up the existing roof, which would need to be disposed of.
- Remain watertight even under permanent ponding of water. A quality roof coating installed by competent flat roofing contractors is capable of dealing with extreme weather conditions from arctic to tropical climates, which are far more excessive than we can receive in the UK. Even in freezing, hot and humid conditions, or while under permanent ponding of water, a silicone roof coating can remain flexible, and able to deal with building movement without cracking or splitting.
- Increased safety during installation for the building, it’s contents, occupants and the public. Silicone roof coatings are applied cold, are moisture cured and liquid applied. This means there is no requirement for any heat or naked flames to install the product, reducing the possibility of property damage through fire and other related accidents.