Common Acrylic and Silicone Roof Coatings Questions – Answered!
Roof coatings are gaining traction as a cost-effective alternative to roof replacements. At Marlin Coatings, we often field a variety of questions about our top coat products. We've created this blog post to clarify these common roof coating queries, focusing on our two main products: acrylic and silicone roof coatings. If you're uncertain about the right coating for your project, we recommend our detailed guides here and here.
How Much Roof Coating Do I Need?
The quantity of roof coating you'll need varies based on the type of coating and the thickness of the new membrane you're planning.
Silicone Roof Coating:
Our silicone coatings will yield a dry film thickness of 13.75 dry mils per gallon for a square area. If you aim for a new coating membrane of 30 mils, then divide 30 by 13.75 to calculate the gallons per square area needed. For a 28’x8’ area (approximately 2.24 squares), you'll require 4.88 gallons of silicone roof coating.
Acrylic Roof Coating:
Our acrylic coatings will yield a dry film thickness of 8.5 dry mils per gallon for a square area. Following the same calculation as above, a 28’x8’ area would need about 7.91 gallons of acrylic roof coating.
For a more comprehensive explanation of why mil yield differs between these two chemistries, visit our blog post here.
Can I Re-coat After the Product Cures?
Yes! Both our silicone and acrylic roof coatings can be re-coated, whether shortly after application or years later. However, remember that silicone adheres only to other silicone membranes. So, if you're re-coating a silicone membrane, you must use another silicone membrane. On the other hand, acrylic membranes can be re-coated with either acrylic or silicone.
Can I Spray Apply the Roof Coating?
Yes, both silicone and acrylic roof coatings can be spray applied. Do note that silicone coatings need a high PSI for proper atomization. Although several pumps on the market can spray silicone, we recommend the Graco GH675 and the Graco GH933. If you can't access these, the best application method for silicone is to roll it using a 3/8" nap roller. Acrylic coatings, being less viscous, can be sprayed with most sprayers.
Applying roof coatings isn't complex, but understanding application specifics based on the coating type can be invaluable. If you're planning a future coating project and have more queries, don't hesitate to contact us! As industry experts, we're eager to share our extensive knowledge. You can reach us here or call us at (812) 725-3542. We appreciate your time in reading this, and we hope you'll continue following our blog for more insights on all things roof coating!