Roof coating products are designed to provide protection to your flat or low-sloping roof from a wide range of harmful effects, including not only the effects of solar radiation and rain, but also from extreme cold and snow. Here is how the right type of coating will protect your roof in winter and will also help you stay warmer and pay less on energy during the cold months.
Roofs that Need Coating for Protection in Winter
If your roof is brand-new, installed on your building less than 5 years ago, if it is optimally insulated and fitted with an efficient draining system, you probably don’t need any special coating to provide you extra protection from winter weather. However, if your roof is not that young anymore, if it tends to develop ponds of water, if you have already had leaks caused by melting snow and if you suspect that your winter energy bills are excessively high because the air heated by your system escapes through the roof, applying a layer of suitable roof coating might be exactly what you need.
An Efficient Water Barrier
Moisture, whether it comes in the form of moist air, rain or snow, is very harmful for roofs. The droplets of water carried by the air in liquid or frozen form can settle on the surface of the roof, causing harm not only to the surface itself, but to the fasteners and the flashing stripes as well. The right type of water-resistant coating on the roof forms an efficient barrier between the moisture and the roof itself. Coating materials are spread in a uniform, seamless, monolithic layer on the roof surface and the layer formed this way will prevent any direct contact between the roof and the moisture, being the best protection solution for roofs that are prone to water ponding or are exposed to extensive snowy periods. Your roof coating from a metal roofing Chicago technician will protect you from winter leaks as well.
An Efficient Energy Barrier
Roof coatings can also be used to enhance the building’s energy efficiency. Many coating products come with insulating properties as well, helping building owners or residents reduce their heating-related costs in winter by preventing the exchange of energy through the roof.
A Few Tips for Choosing the Right Coating Product
When you pick the coating for your roof, take into consideration not only the special challenges that your roof needs to face in winter, but all the issues that your roof needs help with. If the climate in your area is generally wet, with snowy winters, rainy springs and hot, but humid summers, choose a coating material that offers superior protection from moisture as well as superior reflectivity, such as silicone. If your roof needs to face wide temperature variations, but the weather is relatively dry all year, you can choose a product offers medium-level protection against moisture, but enhanced UV-stability, one that has superior reflective features and is available in white or in other light colors to further enhance its ability to reflect solar heat.