Acrylic Roof Repairs and Roof Restorations

Waterborne acrylic coatings are commonly used to refresh flat built-up roofing systems on the West Coast and have been making their way around the world for more than 50 years.

Do you remember when solvents were taken out of standard house paints and the industry struggled with the difficulty of adhesion and performance in their newly formulated acrylic paints?  This waterborne acrylic chemistry was the result of Ethenyl ethanoate and an acrylic ester that is co-polymerized resulting in a linear chain of molecules.  This chain of molecules has a very high permeation rate. This is why you will see house paint and acrylic roof coatings peel off in sheets or a horizontal line across the wall when permeated by moisture. Standard acrylic coatings are not waterproof and so moisture vapor will cause failures in acrylic and emulsion roof-over systems.

In addition to a high perm rating, acrylic roof coatings are often not applied at the correct mil thickness. When applied too thin, there is little to no protection from heat or UV radiation which is the main purpose of an acrylic roof coating.  The ratings listed on acrylic roof coatings for reflectivity and thermal emittance are based on test results done on the material at a thickness of 30 dry mils. This can be up to 5 gallons per 100 s.f., depending on solid content (SBV) of the roof coating material.

Most acrylic roof coatings cost less than basic interior or exterior wall paint!

SureCoat Systems uses a different type of chemistry utilizing Nanoparticles, proprietary resin formulations and compounds that result in a cross-linked molecular make-up.  This cross-linked chemistry results in an impermeable membrane, making SureCoat roof coating a superior restoration option for the UV protection and waterproofing of existing flat and low-slope roof systems. SureCoat is a resin heavy, waterproof, elastomeric roof coating that was made to last through the harsh elements a roof endures without chipping, peeling, flaking or blistering like an emulsion and acrylic roof system.

SureCoat Systems’ roof coatings are the only roof coatings that are white and waterproof from surface to substrate and come standard with a manufacturer’s warranty that covers ponding on a flat roof when installed by an Approved Contractor.

We are seeing many of these types of failures within 3 years of installation. This video is an asphalt bentonite clay enhanced emulsion roof with an acrylic coating topcoat. This is what happens when water ponds on these types of roofing systems. The acrylic top coat is not waterproof so water and moisture penetrated the acrylic roof coating causing it to fail, exposing the emulsion. After time, the UV rays and heat breaks down the bentonite clay in the emulsion which is the “waterproofing” in an emulsion acrylic roof system. These oils are baked out in a short period of time and the emulsion deteriorates. Once the emulsion has begun to deteriorate, leaks begin. Left unprotected, the emulsion roof will lose all of its waterproofing ability in a short period of time, leaving behind a dirt roof.