TeryT wrote:
Gjac wrote:
How old is your roof now? How bad is it? If your roof is not cracked or split and you just want to maintain it a coating maybe the right thing to do. EPDM roofs are made in layers, the top layer is white and will slough off with time and show the black layer underneath. Any acrylic coating will slow this process down. I coated my roof in 2006 with a gallon of Koolseal that a friend gave me when he bought a new MH with a FG roof. It really could have used 2 coats but I only had enough for one coat. It looked good for about 5 years and it began to slough off. The roof is now 22 years old and still has some of the coating left,so it has extended my roof for another 10 years. Another friend has a 22 year old EPDM roof that was never coated and is completely black because the top white layer has worn away. Based on my experience I would buy the 5 gallon bucket put 2 coats on then as it begins to slough off maybe every 5 years or so clean well and add another coat. $99 is a good price for 5 gals. Do they recommend a primer? Some of the cheaper acrylic or latex coatings warn about applying it where standing water can be a problem. I have looked into several products like this (Black Jack, Henry's) and have always been referred to a technical person to answer these type's of questions.
The roof is 13 years old and is TPO vinyl, not EPDM (therefore, there is no black backing to eventually show through like EPDM rubber sheeting). There are no leaks on it as I religiously have kept after edges and perforations with the recommended Dicor self leveling caulk (great stuff!). The vinyl sheet actually appears like it's in real good shape still, but I know eventually the constant Phoenix sun will cook it - I'm pretty impressed it's held up this well this long!
What I'm looking to do is be proactive and coat it with something that will extend the life. The typical latex acrylics don't have great longevity, so I'm looking for something that will keep it going more than the 4-5 years one can expect from most water-based elastomerics (that is, before having to recoat it again).
What in the world makes you "think" that any liquid "miracle" product in a bottle slathered on the roof is going to "extend" the life of your roof?
You have as much as a snow balls chance of that happening.
Your roof material has one expansion/contraction coefficient, your miracle in a bottle most likely will have a DIFFERENT expansion/contraction coefficient!
The two different expansion/contraction coefficients WILL eventually pull the two materials apart in any place that did not get a good enough adhesion. The potential exists that the stuff slathered on may even PULL back the roofing material.
I actually had that happen with a 1970s car that had a "vinyl" roof, the roof was starting to lose its water resistance and I slathered on some highly recommended vinyl roof conditioner.. Several months later the vinyl roof had SHRUNK a 1/2" pulling it from under all the chrome trim strips!
When it is done, it is done and time to pony up for a new roof, anything else put on that roof is taking a huge gamble and damaging it.
The ONLY way you might have a slight chance of extending the life is if by a slight chance that the miracle product in the bottle would just happen to be the exact same "formula" mix as the ORIGINAL material it is being applied to.
Then you mention "reapplying" perhaps in 4-5yrs when that coat wears out..
You do it ONCE and you WILL NEVER, EVER, EVER want to bother messing around with a miracle product in a bottle, trust me on this.
I HAVE BEEN DOWN THIS ROAD.
It IS hard work prepping the roof and prep is key to proper adhesion, you WILL want to REMOVE EVERYTHING OFF THE ROOF INCLUDING THE A/C UNIT in order to do the job right!!!
You are borrowing trouble, wasting your time and money, your roof is OK condition right now, leave it that way instead of attempting to putting it on life support before it needs it..
Go camping instead of fretting about the future.
