Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s been a tight supply market that has many roofing contractors and facility owners considering the application of coatings and other fluid-applied materials on existing roofs in efforts to extend their service life until things get back to ‘normal.’ This provides an opportunity for coating manufacturers to introduce their products to a wider segment of the market and to gain market share. This also provides an opportunity for roofing contractors that are interested in expanding services into the coatings market to become familiar with the latest generation of coatings.
Recent advancements in coating material technology have increased the uses for roof coatings in the commercial market. Today, coatings are manufactured as monolithic, fully adhered, flexible materials. Coatings are now used to restore existing roof systems by acting as a surfacing that shields the membrane from erosion caused by rain, snow, sleet, and hail and to reflect ultra-violet radiation. When properly applied, coatings can provide significant advantages to a roof system. Coatings have been documented to expand the service life of existing roofs, improve a building’s energy efficiency, resist degradation from chemical attack and ultra-violet radiation and eliminate the formation of small cracks associated with these degenerative conditions.