Commercial roof coating is a great value for many reasons.

Don’t replace your commercial roof when an acrylic or silicone roof coating will do a better job, for a fraction of the price.

Both systems have many benefits. Each:

  • costs significantly less than a roof replacement,
  • protects your roof from harmful UV rays,
  • is quickly and easily installed,
  • is highly durable,
  • is environmentally friendly, and
  • will limit the expansion and contraction cycles that lead to roof degradation.
 

A Comparison of Acrylic and Silicone Roof Coating

Acrylic coatings offer an excellent balance of cost and performance.

This water-based solution is a cost-effective alternative to roof replacement.

Strengths

Acrylic roof coating has many upsides including:
  • exceptional durability,
  • more forgiving of roof substrate,
  • relatively easy to install,
  • cost-effective,
  • withstands heavier foot traffic,
  • and dirt doesn’t accumulate on them so they maintain their reflectivity.

Weaknesses

Acrylic roof coatings have some downsides including:
  • They lose mil thickness due to weathering, as evidenced by the chalky residue that builds up over time.
  • They can take significantly longer to install than silicone.
  • They usually don’t perform well in ponding water, which is why we use Astec coatings. Astec coatings actually provide a warranty against ponding water when applied at a sufficient thickness.
 
Request a free acrylic roof coating estimate » Workers install acrylic roof coating over an existing single-ply roof.
This is a photo of an 60,000 sq ft silicone restoration system we did in the Richmond Marina.

Silicone coatings have a reputation as the “Cadillac” of roof coating systems.

Strengths

These coatings are stable, flexible, and can come with a twenty-year warranty. Silicone coating has numerous strengthens including:
  • they are exceptionally durable,
  • they don’t degrade from weather, and lose mils,
  • they don’t get hard or brittle,
  • rapid installation,
  • they work well in ponding water if the water stays for less than 48 hours,
  • they conduct heat poorly,
  • they are easy to apply. Just power wash, prime if needed(rarely), and apply coating.
  • they are moisture-cured, so humidity can even promote their cure.

Weaknesses

Silicone roof coatings have some downsides.
  • They need a stable substrate to bond too.
  • They require a bleed block if applied to an asphalt roof.
  • They are significantly more expensive than acrylic coating. This is offset by the need for fewer coats.
  • They may pull away from edges and curl.
  • They are very slippery when wet so shouldn’t be applied if maintenance people are going to access the roof.
  • They don’t hold up well against foot traffic.
  • They hold dirt, so they lose reflectivity over time.
  • They are harder to re-coat because they are almost as slippery as Teflon.
  • Removal can be difficult, because they are very stubborn.
  • They can be easily torn so they are installed with a fabric that compensates for their mechanical weakness.
 
 Request a free silicone roof coating estimate »