Top 5 Reasons To Get A Silicone Roof Coating On Your Flat Roof Right Now

Silicone Roof Coatings do have their pros and cons but the pros outweigh the cons by a large margin. In fact, we’re so confident in Silicone Roof Coatings on flat roofs, that we’ll give you the top 5 reasons why you should apply this cool roof coating on your flat roof right now!

Reason #1 Energy Savings:

Cool Roofs save money. How? By reflecting the Sun’s U.V rays back into the atmosphere.  It’s true! By doing so, the heat no longer gets trapped inside the building and instead is reflected away, keeping the indoor temperature COOL. According to coolroofs.org homeowners and building owners can expect to save an average of 7 to 15%.

But in Los Angeles and Orange County, there is a plentiful amount of sunshine and heat. so in these areas, the savings percentage actually increases. In fact, getcoolroof.com says in Orange County commercial flat roofs with cool roofs can save up to 30% of energy costs. That’s based on the quantity of heat and sunshine that Los Angeles and Orange County get per year.

Cool Roofs don’t necessarily have to use Silicone for its roof coatings. So why do we recommend Silicone Roof Coatings specifically? Because, unlike acrylic roof coatings, silicone roof coatings do not pond or are more resistant to it.  And if you have a flat roof on your building you know the kind of havoc roof ponding can bring. 

Reason #2 Silicone Roof Coating is a Fluid-Applied Roofing System 

Silicone Roof Coatings are a fluid-applied roofing system, because of this, it allows this system to be applied seamlessly onto an existing roof structure. Thus saving you money from having to tear-off and replace your entire roof which could be quite costly.

Also, that’s not to mention that the silicone coating can be used to fill in cracks and seams in the flat roof. 

Reason #3 Environmentally Friendly

Silicone roof coating is solvent-free and contains a high solid content and low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). These compounds are known to be not inflammable and also, they are unstable; thus, these substances cannot harm the environment.

Reason #4 Extends the life of your roof.

Silicone Roof Coatings as is, are not considered a roofing system. That is because it’s applied to an existing system such as modified bitumen, PVC, and TPO Commercial roofing systems. But once it is installed on a fairly conditioned existing roofing system it can add up to 10-15 years of additional life to your current roof.  

That is because as the cool roof reflects the U.V rays that can lower your energy costs, it also reflects them to protect the condition of your roof.  Let me explain, most people think that rain is what causes damage to a roof but that’s necessarily true! That pounding relentless Sun is what wears down the roofing materials the most. It’s when it rains that these damages get exposed. 

Reason #5 Costs

I already mentioned its energy cost savings but now I’m talking about the actual cost of labor and application of a silicone roof coating.  I also already mentioned how you don’t have to tear off your existing roof to apply the coating. That in itself is tons of savings, but that’s also not what I’m talking about here. No instead I’m talking about labor and material costs.  Silicone roof coatings are relatively easy to apply and are also fast. That is because silicone coatings cure faster.  They can fully cure in hot and cold temperatures, and there is no risk of wash-off thanks to the careful formulation behind silicone coating. 

In 2022 the current volatile market affects the material costs and changes the cost significantly daily. However, if you want to get a better idea of how much a silicone roof coating will cost you without calling a commercial roofer if you’re not quite ready for that). Use our Cool Roof Calculator tool. It’s free and easy to use. Simply plug in some numbers and get an idea of how much a silicone roof coating cost you today.

Conclusion

Although Silicone Roof Coatings do come with their cons, silicone Coatings are hands down the best cool roofing system on the market today! The versatility, ease of installation, energy cost savings, and mitigation of the Urban Heat Island make it the go-to cool roof coating. Especially in warm climate sunny areas such as Los Angeles and Orange County. 

With that said it is important to do your due diligence when looking for a commercial roofing contractor. Flat roofs come with their own set of unique circumstances and silicone coatings can be applied incorrectly if you hire the wrong roofer. So take your time, don’t feel obligated to go with the first commercial roofer you contact, and don’t get too focused on pricing. Yes, you want a good price but you also want the job done correctly. As I said before, roofs aren’t cheap, but you can spend a lot of money on a cheap roof!

Andres Lopez

Andres is the Marketing Director at Central Roofing Company. He writes about commercial roofing, cool roofs, and everything else roofing related.