You insulate your windows and doors to conserve energy and keep the heating and cooling costs down. But, what most homeowners don’t realize is that 25% of heat is lost through the roof and attic. Besides keeping you protected from the elements, a properly maintained roof can help lower your energy bills and prevent mold growth. While a new roof will definitely insulate your home, there are some things you can do to improve energy efficiency on your current flat roofing system too.
Repairing and coating your flat roof is one of the best ways to save money and energy, especially if you are a Tucson homeowner. The Arizona sun can raise roof temperatures as high as 140 degrees, and the excessive heat will inevitably make its mark. UV radiation from the sun has been shown to accelerate the degradation process of flat roofing (Tucson homeowners should know this all too well.)
Not only that coating will help you reduce your energy costs and keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter, but it will also extend the life of your flat roof. But, there’s a twist: you need to do it right. Buying a five-gallon bucket of coating and a paint roller and climbing to the roof for a few hours of work won’t do the trick. The coating works as long as the flat roofing system is in good shape – meaning that there are no cracks where rainwater can leak through.
Flat Roofing Repair
What most homeowners don’t know is that a flat roof is composed of two separate parts. Felt paper and tar protect your roof from water and humidity, while the elastomeric layer represents your sun barrier. This layer protects the felt paper and tar from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation. Unfortunately, most homeowners (and even some flat roofing Tucson professionals) focus only on repairing the elastomeric layer. They completely ignore the water barrier.
Make sure you work with someone who can coat the elastomeric layer, but can also fully repair any cracks in the water barrier.
Flat Roofing Coating: Tuscan Expert Tips
The right type of coating can reduce the temperature of a flat roof to around 100 degrees. But, for this you need to consider a few things:
- Good Quality Flat Roof Coating: choose a roof coating that has at least one pound of titanium dioxide (which has sun-blocking properties) per gallon. The extreme heat in Tucson and overnight cooling can take a toll on your roof, so you need a stellar coating product.
- Repair and Maintenance: even if you use the best coating on the market, it’s not going to prevent leaks if there are any cracks in your roof. Clean and repair your flat roof before coating.
- Apply two coats: if you are using the highest quality material or you’ve coated your roof in the last years, then you can resume to just one coat.
If all this sounds like too much work, then it’s better to contact a flat roofing Tucson specialist to inspect, repair and coat your roof. That way you know you’ll make an investment that has one of the greatest paybacks.
Call us today 800-334-7663 to schedule a free estimate on Foam or Flat Roofing and Roof Repair in Tucson, AZ
