There are several types of commercial coatings used in construction and for the maintenance of buildings. Coatings prolong the lives of roofs, transform commercial flooring, and protect basement walls from water. Coatings are similar to paint, but they differ when it comes to their ingredients and the amount of solids.

Coatings are thicker and applied for a specific purpose, such as to seal a roof or waterproof a wall. Here's a look at using a commercial coating to give the roof on your building a longer life.

Commercial Coatings Might Put Off The Need For A New Roof

If your current roof is worn down due to age, but it's still in fairly good shape, your contractor might use a coating on it so you can postpone getting a new roof for several more years. Silicone is a popular commercial roof coating, but you can choose another type based on your needs.

However, for a coating to be appropriate, the roof can't have much water damage because the coating will seal the damage in place and cause the deck to rot. Your roofer can use a meter or a thermal camera to test the deck for water damage and verify that a coating is appropriate.

Commercial Coatings Can Be Used On Nearly Any Roof

Commercial buildings often have flat or low slope roofs, but if your building has a sloped roof with asphalt shingles, you can still have a coating applied. However, the roofer has to match the coating to the type of roof since not every coating is compatible with every type of roofing. Common roofs used on commercial buildings are metal and membrane roofing. These can be covered with a coating to make repairs and prolong the life of your roof.

Commercial Coatings Make Your Roof Waterproof

One of the main reasons to have a commercial coating applied to your roof is to make it waterproof. A coating covers up small nicks, tears, and holes in roofing and seals them to keep the rain out. Plus, the coating itself is waterproof once it's applied and cured. In this way, a coating can make repairs as well as improve the appearance of your roof.

However, a roofer needs to inspect your roof and determine the amount of damage first. If your roof is too far gone, then replacing it might be the only option. That's why you shouldn't wait too long to see if a coating is right for your roof. Have it applied before it's necessary to tear off and replace your old roof due to excessive damage or moisture.

For more information on commercial coatings, contact a company near you.