To restore or replace, that is the question

By Emma Peterson. 

Before you can make your bid, it’s important to get on the roof and see what you’re working with. 

In this CoatingsTalk, Heidi J. Ellsworth spoke to Chris Kuykendall from Mule-Hide Products about not only the power of fluid-applied roofing systems but knowing when to apply one. Chris started his journey with roof coatings back when Styrene-Ethylene-Butylene-Styrene (SEBS) was the big thing. Today, he is working for Mule-Hide, helping to train contractors in Texas on fluid-applied roofing systems. One of the things he teaches is how to evaluate when to use a coating, “Not every commercial roof is a good candidate for coating.” 

Some roofs are easy to determine whether the best option is restoration or replacement. Chris explained, “Generally speaking, if we've got a lot of trapped moisture, if we've got really old tons of granular loss, open seams, gashes, things like that, we need to be thinking about either re-cover or replacing that.” But some roofs are harder to determine quickly, which is when Chris recommend performing some inspections and tests. 

First, he suggested doing an exterior walk, “Ask yourself: What's the condition? What do the seams look like? Are we dealing with rust? Are we dealing with TPO, PVC? We have to get a really good picture here of what we're dealing with.” This type of overview examination also helps you further down the line, Chris described, “It will tell you what kind of equipment you're going to need on that project, what kind of aerial lift equipment is going to be necessary on the job.”  

Next, he recommended doing a moisture survey. Chris explained the easiest way to do this, “The cheapest way to do a moisture survey is a core test. Some people use moisture meters. Generally speaking, the bigger the building, the bigger the contract, the more you want to invest in moisture surveys.” Not only does this allow you to check for trapped moisture, but it gives you information about the roof’s history. He elaborated, “We're also looking for how many layers are on the roof. If I've got two roofs on there, a coating becomes a great option.” At this stage, he also advised that you should perform an adhesion test with the product you are planning to use.  

Chris did acknowledge that there are some scenarios where there is not a clear “better” solution, “Sometimes the answer is yes to both. And what you want to do is offer a replacement and a restoration bid and double your chances of getting that project.” 

Read the transcript, Listen to the podcast or Watch the whole episode to learn more about choosing the right products and installation practices for liquid-applied roof systems.