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TOPIC: Leaking

Elastomeric roof coating?

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Our 18-year old house outside Austin, Texas has an exposed fastner metal roof that's beginning to show signs of leaking. Additionally, we have a steel frame house and there is no decking between the beams and the roof. We also have vaulted ceilings in many part of the house, so the sheet rock on the ceiling is very close to the roof. I've talked with a couple of people about rescrewing the roof and one person has recommended putting an elastomeric coating on the roof. His assertion is that this will make the roof water-tight and help reduce heat build up (we are considering a white coating). He also asserts the coating should last 10-20 years and he would recommend annual inspections after 10 years to determine when a new coat would need to be applied. What is your take on the effectiveness of elastomeric coatings in terms of wear and how much they help in reducing heat build up in the hot, Texas summers. Thanks, Dan Martillotti
Guest User

3/26/2002
Wow! I guess I am the only one to take on your question however I must say that we are missing some valuable information. There are a number of metal roofing products that are exposed fasteners in horizontal and vertical sheets/panels. The first question that I have is "what constitutes signs of leaking"? If this 1)marks around the fasteners, 2)water stains on the ceiling or 3)buckets to catch the water when it rains? My first inclination would be to investigate the effectiveness of the ventilation in the roof assembly. It vsounds like you could be dealing with a condensation issue vs a roof leak. The current building coade calls for a minimum air space of 1 1/2" on vaulted ceiling assemblies. Regardless of the type of roofing material, insufficient ventilation will cause the roof material to overheat especially in dark colors. Todd Miller and myself having grown up in the northern hot/cold, humid/dry climates have accumulated a reasonable amount of experience with problems associated with improper ventilation that is commonly associated with roof leaks. If you wouyld care to describe your roof products and assembly in more detail including rafter lengths, roof pitch, etc, I would be glad to profide you with a more accurate assessment. You could contact me directly at [email protected], good luck, Al.
Allan Reid
Dura-Loc Roofing Systems, Inc.

3/27/2002
Dan I cannot address you specific situation, but I have a flat roof that has an elastomeric roof coating on it, and i swear by it. If you decide on an elastomeric coating make sure that it has "ceramics". These ceramics allow better reflectivity. It could take pages to go into all the details, if you are interested post a reply. Dave D
Guest User

3/29/2002
Dave, I'd love to hear your experiences with your roof and the coating. Thanks, Dan Martillotti
Guest User

4/2/2002