Larry Young, Vice President / PME

We’ve all seen those neoprene rubber wetsuits worn by divers, surfers and others.  The suit provides a watertight protective barrier preventing the water from touching the skin.  What if you could take that same wetsuit material and put it on your roof?   WELL YOU CAN!

We hear about fluid-applied roof systems i.e. “coatings” quite often.  It’s often the most economical way to keep your roof, gutters, decks and walls water-tight.  But how do you decide what is the best option for your building for the long haul?  Here’s a look at one of the newer products on the market that might work for your building.

Fluid-applied, rubber roof systems are quickly picking up traction in Hawaii.  While newer to Hawaii’s market, they have been installed on the mainland US market for quite awhile.  These innovative systems are rapidly growing in popularity due to its instant-setting and extreme strength.  The product builds to any millage quickly and easily adheres to a majority of surfaces.  The product is a 2-part material and typically spray applied.   The product is black when applied and UV stable.   However, a white reflective coating is usually applied for reflectivity.

Before

The membrane coating is 80% cured in 3 seconds.  It skins over providing a protective barrier from water quickly.   Great for areas where rain is unpredictable or constant.   It is not affected by ponding making it a perfect product to waterproof gutters and below grade waterproofing.   It has a 1200% elongation & recovery making it great for applications that would have a high degree of expansion and contraction.   Other benefits include Class A fire-rated, high wind uplift rating, environmentally friendly, highly resistant to puncture, hail, impact, water-based, zero VOC’s and odor-free.

Applications include new and retrofit roofing, roof replacement, below-grade waterproofing, plaza decks, balconies, and planter boxes.   All the penetrations and walls are coated thus providing a seamless membrane covering.  The system comes with a 10-20 year Manufacturer labor and material warranty depending on the millage applied.   It can be repaired easily and recoated with the acrylic to extend the life of the roof system beyond the warranty period.   

 Current Manufacturers include Neptune Coatings, Wetsuit and Triton Inc., TritoFlex 2K.  Come see us at the Hawaii Buildings, Facilities & Property Management Expo (March 11-12), where we will be doing a live demonstration.  Email us (info@commercialroofinginc.com ) or visit our website at www.commercialroofinginc.com .

 Larry Young is Vice President and Project Managing Estimator at Commercial Roofing & Waterproofing Hawaii Inc.  He brings over 26 years of industry experience to the company having worked on a variety of projects spanning commercial, industrial, education, government and military sectors.  Commercial Roofing & Waterproofing is one of the largest commercial roofing contractors in Hawaii having installed nearly every type of roofing system across the islands.  Services include roofing, waterproofing, roof maintenance programs, repairs, gutter installation and solar PV.