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A worn commercial roof can often be restored instead of torn off, if the insulation under it is dry. The roof coating makers' association says a properly applied coating can add up to 10 years or more of life. WeatherShield checks the roof first and puts restore, repair or replace in writing.
Water coming through the ceiling right now?
That is a repair first, not a coating. Call us, and see what to do in the first hours on our commercial roofing page.
Commercial roof repair in Myrtle BeachThe short answer
Restoration is the middle path. It costs the building less disruption than a tear-off and covers far more than a patch. But it only works on a roof that is still a sound base. Here is how the three options compare.
Up to 10 years or more
How much a properly applied roof coating can extend a roof's life, based on long-term histories, according to the coating makers' association. Coating type, conditions and film thickness change the result.
50°F and rising
The air temperature the association gives for water-borne coatings, with no rain for the next 24 hours. Solvent-borne coatings can go on in colder weather.
June 1 to November 30
The official Atlantic hurricane season. A coating is a surface layer; it does not fix loose edges or fasteners, so those get checked before the season.
600 million tons
Construction and demolition debris generated in the US in 2018, with just under 145 million tons sent to landfills. A restored roof stays on the building instead of going into that pile.
Is your roof a candidate?
The question is not how old the roof is. It is whether what sits under the surface is still dry and sound.
Moisture first, coating second
Water that got under the membrane soaks the insulation. From the surface, a wet roof and a dry roof can look the same. A coating over wet insulation seals the water in, and the roof keeps rotting under a surface that looks new.
Our free on-site assessment looks at the roof's condition, leak points and drainage. If it cannot rule out wet insulation, we tell you a moisture survey is needed before anyone recommends a coating.
Roof by roof
The coating is the last step. Most of the work is the repair before it, and that work is different on every roof type.
Single-ply membranes are common on retail, office and hospitality buildings. Restoration starts with the seams, flashings and penetrations. Then the surface is cleaned, any primer the coating maker requires goes on, and the coating goes over it.
Seams, edges and flashings are checked and repaired first. The coating maker decides whether EPDM needs a primer. A white reflective coating also changes how much of the sun's heat the black membrane takes in.
Blisters are cut out and patched, laps re-sealed and wall flashings rebuilt. Built-up roofs with loose gravel or ballast need the gravel removed or the surface specially prepared before any coating, per the coating makers' association.
Loose or rusted fasteners are treated or replaced, laps and ridge caps sealed, and rust dealt with first. The association says red rust must be removed or treated with a corrosion-inhibiting primer before coating; white rust can be coated after cleaning.
On a foam roof, the coating over the foam is the part that wears. The ASTM specifications for silicone and polyurethane roof coatings (D6694 and D6947) are written for coatings used on spray foam roofs.
Commercial roof coatings, in plain words
The coating makers' association lists acrylics, urethanes, silicones and other types among the white reflective coatings, and aluminum coatings for asphalt roofs. It also says not every coating can sit in ponding water. So the right question is not "which is best" but "what does the maker rate it for, in writing?"
The association also says a primer is no substitute for thorough cleaning, and that how much coating goes on depends on the maker and the project specification. Coating a home or a smaller roof?
Roof coating for all roof typesHotels, condos and HOA boards
Many hotels, condo towers and HOA buildings have to stay open while the roof is worked on. Restoration keeps the existing roof in place, so there is no open deck and no tear-off debris to haul through a building full of guests or residents.
Coastal weather
Grand Strand roofs face salt air, summer heat and a hurricane season every year. Hurricane Ian made its final landfall near Georgetown, South Carolina, on September 30, 2022, at 70 knots (about 80 mph), according to the National Hurricane Center.
A coating is a surface layer. Loose edges, flashings and fasteners are repaired or re-secured before it goes on. Ask the maker what wind testing the coated system has.
The coating makers' association recommends inspecting a coated roof twice a year and after a major storm or high-wind event.
For water-borne coatings, the association gives 50°F and rising with no rain for the next 24 hours. Drying time also depends on wind, roof temperature and humidity.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. A roof restored and checked before it starts has its edges and seams secured going in.
Warranty and money
The coating makers' association says coating makers offer different types of warranties for different needs. It also warns that a coating can conflict with a warranty still in force on a newer roof. Get the terms in writing.
On taxes, the association says roof coatings are typically classified as maintenance. IRS Publication 946 says that, if you elect it, section 179 property can include roofs added to nonresidential property after the building was first placed in service. Ask your tax adviser which applies to your building.
The process
Roof type if you know it, rough size, how old it is, where it leaks, and whether the building stays open during work. Photos of the roof and any ceiling stains help.
We look at the roof's condition, leak points, drainage and the existing system. If a visual check cannot rule out wet insulation, we tell you a moisture survey is needed before anyone talks coating.
You get what we found and the option we recommend, with the reasons the other options were ruled out. If replacement is the honest answer, we say so.
Work is planned around occupants, rooftop equipment and the weather window the coating needs to cure.
The coating makers' association recommends inspecting a coated roof twice a year and after a major storm or high-wind event. We tell you what to look at.
Each number on this page links to where it came from. None of them is a WeatherShield price, guarantee or warranty term.
Grand Strand service area
WeatherShield looks at commercial roofs in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Garden City, Murrells Inlet, Conway, Carolina Forest, Socastee and Little River. The request form accepts the Horry County and nearby Grand Strand ZIP codes we serve, and our office is at 215 Ronnie Ct. Unit F, Myrtle Beach.
Owner and manager questions
They work on the right roof. The Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association says a properly applied coating can extend a roof's life by up to 10 years or more, based on long-term histories, with type, conditions and thickness changing the result. They fail when a coating goes over wet insulation, failing seams or a surface the coating cannot bond to. That is why the roof is checked before anyone recommends a coating.
It is cleaning the whole roof, repairing every defect (seams, flashings, drains, fasteners, small wet areas), and then applying a fluid-applied coating over the entire surface. The existing roof stays on the building and becomes the base for the coating. It sits between a spot repair and a full tear-off replacement.
No. Coating over wet insulation seals the water in, and the roof keeps rotting under a surface that looks new. Small wet areas can be cut out and replaced before coating. If wet insulation runs across large parts of the roof, replacement is the better answer. ASTM C1153 describes how infrared imaging is used to locate wet insulation in roofs.
Do not count on it. The coating makers' association says coatings may stop minor leaks and seal pinholes, but the roof should be properly repaired and dried before coating, and a coating will not find and seal the leaks for you. Leaks are traced and repaired first.
It depends on the coating type, the conditions it faces and how thick it is applied. The coating makers' association says that, based on long-term histories, a properly applied coating can extend a roof's life by up to 10 years or more, and that most coating systems can be recoated as they wear. Ask the coating maker what its warranty term is for the thickness being applied.
A coating cannot fix wet insulation, a damaged deck or failing seams; those must be repaired first. Not every coating can sit in ponding water. Water-borne coatings need the right weather to cure, and gravel or ballasted roofs need special preparation. A coating on a newer roof can also affect that roof's existing warranty, so read it first.
There is no single best one. The right coating depends on the existing surface, how well the roof drains, how much foot traffic it gets, and what the maker's warranty requires. The coating makers' association says some coatings are designed to withstand ponding water and some are not, so ask for the maker's written rating before you choose.
WeatherShield does not publish prices. What moves the number is roof size, the existing system, how much repair is needed before coating, whether wet insulation has to be cut out, access to the roof, and the coating system and thickness. A restoration also skips tear-off and disposal. You get a written scope after the free on-site assessment.
Ask your tax adviser. The coating makers' association says roof coatings are typically classified as maintenance and in many cases can be written off in the year the coating is applied. Separately, IRS Publication 946 says that, if you make the election, section 179 property can include roofs that are improvements to nonresidential real property placed in service after the building was first placed in service. Your building and your books decide which applies.
Often, if the panels are still sound. Fasteners are tightened, treated or replaced, laps and ridge caps are sealed, and rust is dealt with first. The coating makers' association says red rust must be removed or treated with a corrosion-inhibiting primer, and white rust can be coated after cleaning. Metal that has rusted through needs replacement panels.
Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Garden City, Murrells Inlet, Conway, Carolina Forest, Socastee and Little River, plus the nearby Grand Strand ZIP codes the request form accepts. Our office is at 215 Ronnie Ct. Unit F in Myrtle Beach.
Call about a commercial roof, or send the building details through the assessment form at the top of this page.
Go to the assessment form