Aluminum is often a preferred roofing material for its lightweight, anti-corrosive, and thermal conductivity properties.  (Galvanized steel is also commonly used in roofing, however, it’s heavier and more expensive.)

You can easily find several aluminum roof coating products on the market that promise an easy, low-cost fix to roof problems. They’re likely sitting on the shelves of your local home improvement store ready for do-it-yourselfers to purchase and use.

When it comes to the integrity of your commercial roof, we want to warn building owners to keep a few things in mind before deciding to go that route.

Is Your Roof Coating Going to Adhere?

Unfortunately, in many situations, aluminum coatings can cause a false adhesion. The aluminum flakes in the paint interfere with bonding, causing delamination. This can result in increased weak spots in your building’s roof.

If your aluminum roof starts to show its age or needs even minor repairs, you will be limited to roofing solutions, such as a long-lasting acrylic elastomeric. Such metal roof restoration systems are less expensive than metal roof replacements and offer leak-proofing for years.

We can coat aluminum metal roofs but not any metal roof that has a field-applied coating that’s not acrylic.

Is Your Metal Roof Coating Leak-Proof?

Aluminum coatings do not perform well on commercial roofs where water ponding is an issue. They could be more susceptible to leaks since any sitting water can make its way under the coating. The lack of adhesion will only exacerbate any leaking. Unfortunately, leaks in metal roofs are common issues since failed fasteners and rust create vulnerabilities.

Conversely, our commercial metal roof restoration will provide an adhered, water-proof membrane that’s properly installed.

The Best Option for Metal Roof Repair

We never coat over aluminized coatings. As a preferred contractor for Conklin, we make sure our roofing professionals provide unmatched workmanship to revitalize roofs and never just “cover-up.”  Our unique metal roof coatings can extend your commercial roof’s life with warrantied water protection and no need for costly downtime during its installation.

We perform a pull test before coating to ensure good adhesion. An adhesion test and proper preparation of an existing metal roof will always occur before a new coating is applied.

Also, our manufacturer requires us to take core samples on the roofs we restore. We use this core sample to examine existing materials, layers, roof slope, substrate/decking, and to see if water is trapped within layers. It’s an important part of our bidding process and it ensures you get honest feedback regarding roofing solutions that meet your needs.

Before you apply an aluminum coating to your metal roof, get a free commercial roof inspection and learn of better options.