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Commercial Roofing

Coatings in the City

September 26, 2022

Construction planning through to completion can be tricky to coordinate, especially within an urban area, which can present a range of complications. Building proximity, tall building heights, complex building structures, and densely populated areas are just a few challenges that can make it particularly difficult to consider traditionally heavy or large-sized materials when roofing or re-roofing a building.

In addition to construction planning constraints, states such as California, New York, and others are adopting more stringent building codes to help alleviate the effect of urban heat islands.

As property owners, architects, specifiers, and contractors are seeking new solutions to overcome these issues, the roofing materials industry is seeing increasing adoption of coatings and liquid membrane products that are easy to deliver and apply to the roof, while generating potential labor and installation savings during construction plus lower material costs for long-term maintenance.

Installation of a liquid membrane system using a water-based acrylic topcoat

Benefits of Coatings for Urban Projects

Coatings offer a distinct advantage in urban construction environments due in part to their mobility, ease of application, and potentially low environmental impact. At an average weight of 60 lbs. (27.2 kg) per 5-gallon (18.9 L) pail that can be carried by a handle, coatings solutions can ease transportation in ways that traditional roofing materials may not. Thanks to service elevators, coatings' advantages are often seen in busy metropolitan areas where using a crane or halting traffic may be expensive or otherwise challenging.

Coatings also adhere to many existing roof materials, which can be helpful when restoring a structurally sound, low-slope roof that may have multiple surfaces, such as an asphaltic roof, a metal drip edge, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) vent pipes.

Coatings are manufactured to be "built on site," whether as just a coating with no reinforcement or through a layered approach, where fabric is embedded in the coating to create a reinforced liquid-applied membrane.

Application of acrylic topcoat at parapet wall detail. (Editor's note: There is a lower roof adjacent to the parapet that is not visible in this photo.)

The versatile application methods of liquid products and fabric rolls are a key benefit to urban construction projects. Many times, these products can be quickly and easily applied using brushes, rollers, or squeegees. These tools are relatively lightweight and easy to transport, and they don't require power or specialized equipment that may not travel well or can be disruptive to residents and neighbors — making them ideal for city construction in tight, crowded spaces.

Additionally, with the build-on-site capability of liquid membranes and a lightweight fabric, it's possible to optimize a roof system to match any space. Liquid-applied products can seamlessly adhere to angles, making them an ideal solution for a roof with many details that need to be flashed or angles where a custom fit is needed, conforming to any detail to provide waterproofing protection.

Coatings are also useful in maintaining and repairing roofs, which makes them a viable option for building owners and facility managers looking for a roof that can be easily maintained with similar materials to ensure proper adhesion and extend performance.

Liquid-applied products can also meet the requirements of a more sustainable and environmentally conscious roofing solution. They may have the ability to restore a structurally sound roof without the need to tear off the existing roof. Additionally, many coatings are manufactured to comply with regulatory requirements, such as low volatile organic compounds (VOC) content, low or no biocides, or being zinc free (always make sure to check local building codes for applicable requirements).

Types of Coatings for Urban Projects

There are many different technologies when it comes to roof coatings, and each has a unique advantage and offers a unique solution, depending on the needs of a project.

Items to consider when selecting a coatings technology often include regulatory requirements and local VOC restrictions, weather conditions affecting the roof, the amount of foot traffic on the roof, and a range of other factors that may be unique to the roof.

A contractor checking metal seam treatment.

As with any project, it is important to ensure that each product meets or exceeds testing and certification requirements when selecting any coatings solutions, including the following:

• Acrylic coatings are water-borne, typically have low VOCs and low odor, and can easily be applied or recoated in the future. Most acrylics are one-part products, meaning they are ready to use, and there is no need for mixing multiple components. Typically applied via brush, roller, or sprayer, acrylic coatings also offer easy cleanup.

• Fluoropolymer (polyvinylidene difluoride, or PVDF) technology is a water-borne technology manufactured using Kynar Aquatec resin, which is based on Kynar 500 technology. The technology provides color stability, a strong solar reflectivity of lighter color coatings, and architectural or aesthetic value. This product is typically used only as a topcoat (over an acrylic basecoat) and on roofs where aesthetics are a primary concern.

• Silicone coatings are moisture cured, have low odor, and can be applied easily. Offering a wide range of solutions to many roofs, silicone coatings are generally chosen for their high solids content. In particular, customers choose high-solids silicone coatings because they are suitable for roofs that pond water.

• Urethane coatings, both single-component (1K) and two-component (2K), are solvent-borne, high-solids technologies that provide an excellent balance of tensile strength, elongation, and hardness. The 2K urethane products are specifically chosen when durability, dirt and mildew resistance, chemical resistance, weatherproofing, and high abrasion and impact resistance are needed.

Combating Urban Heat Islands

The urban heat island effect can best be described as what happens to urban areas as populations move into a central area — more pavement, fewer trees, more infrastructure, and more hardscape. There are many studies on the effects of urban heat islands, and while hard surfaces such as pavement play a large role, so do roof surfaces. This dynamic leads to higher temperatures in these areas, whereas their surrounding rural landscapes, which often have less pavement, more trees, and less infrastructure, typically see lower temperatures.

To help mitigate this effect, coating roofs (and pavement) with lighter, more reflective colors will help lower roof temperatures.

By coating an asphaltic roof with a white acrylic coating, one can greatly reduce the surface temperature. According to a 2010 article entitled, "Potential Benefits of Cool Roofs on Commercial Buildings," that reduction may be as much as 55 °F (30.6 °C) and may also result in significant savings in cooling energy. Cooling of the roof not only benefits the building owner but can also reduce the heat island effect in the area.

Measuring roof temperatures of light- versus dark-colored roof systems.

Conclusions

Whether your need is easy delivery to an urban roof project, a creative roof design that will protect the building and provide a seamless detail, or a reflective roof solution to mitigate urban heat island effects, coatings and liquid membranes are a viable solution for you. With many different coatings technologies and manufacturers on the market, the decision can be challenging. To assist with your decision, ensure that you partner with a manufacturer who offers many solutions so you can find the one that is best suited for your project.

To explore liquid-applied coatings solutions offered by GAF, click here.

About the Author

Michelle Carlin

Senior product manager for liquid-applied products at GAF. She has more than 18 years of experience in coatings products, holding a variety of sales, marketing, project management, and product development roles at manufacturing organizations.

Commercial roof maintenance programs are a great way to expand your business and build long-term relationships with school facility managers. You may already be offering commercial roof maintenance services, or perhaps you're interested in branching out. Providing roof maintenance to K-12 schools and universities can be a good source of reliable, ongoing work. But you'll need to consider these facilities' nuances.Schools' Current Roof Maintenance ChallengesIn an educational environment, students' safety and comfort come first. Buildings must be secure and functional, and they must provide an atmosphere conducive to learning. Creating this environment starts with the roof, but this can easily be put off or forgotten about as many school facility managers focus on day-to-day maintenance issues. If students and teachers complain about a lack of hot water or classroom temperatures that are too hot or cold, facility managers swiftly address these issues.However, facility managers should prioritize regular roof maintenance in addition to addressing the most immediate facility concerns. Even something like a small leak from deferred roof maintenance can lead to much larger, and more costly repairs, creating headaches for everyone involved, that could have been avoided.The Value of Commercial Roof Maintenance ProgramsThe roof protects everything inside the school—from books and computers to shop equipment and musical instruments. If a roof leaks, many items could suffer damage. At the end of the day, ensuring a quality roof through regular maintenance not only protects everything inside the building, it can also help extend the life of the roof. Moreover, some roofing system manufacturers may require regular roof inspections to maintain warranties or guarantees. A roof maintenance program can meet this requirement, providing inspection records and evidence that any issues were addressed.How to Develop a Maintenance Program for SchoolsA commercial roof maintenance program for schools isn't much different from what you already do for other commercial buildings. And while regular maintenance inspections can be completed anytime, a neglected roof can often end up requiring repairs that need to align with the school's calendar to plan for minimal disruptions to the students. This can cause inconvenient delays, or date changes that could be avoided with regular inspections and maintenance.GAF Senior Product Manager Benjamin Runyan says that it's important to identify the manufacturer of the existing roofing system to ensure you are using compatible products that won't void the warranty or guarantee. "You want to be looking at this from a maintenance standpoint," says Runyan. "What does the roof look like? How was it built? How have they been maintaining it?"To start, Runyan recommends that you inspect the entire roof system and document its condition with photos and notes. Pay particular attention to the more vulnerable areas, such as seams, fasteners, flashings, edge metal, drains, and gutters. Look for cracks, missing roofing materials, evidence of ponding water, or of birds or other animals, and signs of moss or algae. An infrared scan of the roof can determine if any moisture is present and help pinpoint areas that need immediate attention.Your program should include basic tasks such as clearing debris from drains and gutters, removing leaves or branches, and making minor repairs where existing sealants are losing pliability or are showing signs of deterioration. If you identify larger concerns, you can document that with photos and provide an estimate for the repairs. Also, note how long the repairs should take and what products you'll use.Getting Started with SchoolsPreventative maintenance programs aren't just a benefit to the schools, they can also lead to other school roofing work including re-roofing opportunities. If you're ready to add school commercial maintenance programs to your business plan, GAF has the resources you need to get started. Runyan explains, "Your first step should be talking with your GAF Territory Manager as they will likely already have established relationships with school districts, colleges, roof consultants and architects in your service area."From commercial roofing system specifications to WellRoof® Guarantee Extensions, plus roof restoration options, GAF meets all your needs for stepping into the world of educational buildings.

When communities come together, incredible things happen. That's exactly the case in the city of Seattle, Washington, where the GAF Community Contractor Program has made lasting impacts on those in need through partnerships with Habitat for Humanity and ReBuilding Together. Both nonprofit organizations focus on working with homeowners to build new homes and revitalize communities in need of rebuilding, respectively.GAF's partnership with Habitat for Humanity began in 2011. From the start, it felt like a natural pairing. Habitat for Humanity's vision of "building strength, stability and self-reliance in partnership with families in need of decent and affordable housing" aligns perfectly with GAF's commitment to building resiliency in communities across the U.S.GAF recently became involved in ReBuilding Together in the Pacific Northwest through GAF Territory Manager Donovan Gladstone, whose involvement with the board of Roofing Contractors Association of Washington created an opportunity for community partnership. ReBuilding Together's mission of "repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives" is an excellent fit with GAF's commitment to helping neighbors.Helping Contractors Support their CommunitiesGAF invests in the areas where it has manufacturing operations, aiming to lift up the communities where team members live and work. This ideal extends to the GAF Community Contractor Program, where GAF certified contractors can partner with GAF and give back through the following initiatives:GAF Habitat for Humanity Program. With over 1,500 local Habitat for Humanity affiliates in the U.S., GAF-certified contractors can partner with their local chapter to provide the labor to install fully-donated GAF roofing systems. Volunteers don't work alone. Homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor into building their Habitat house.GAF Affordable Housing Reroof Program. This initiative encourages contractors to partner with any 501c3 nonprofit organization in their community for a reroof project, for which GAF will donate the shingles.GAF Roofs for Heroes. GAF-certified contractors can partner with a local 501c3 to perform roof repairs or replacements for local heroes. These heroes include healthcare workers, first responders, veterans, police, fire, and EMTs.As part of the Community Contractor Program's progress in Washington state, more than 20 GAF certified contractors were able to provide over 100 new roofs to those in need of a new roof in the Seattle region, working with Habitat for Humanity and ReBuilding Together. "Giving back is at the core of what GAF does, but bringing in and partnering with our contractors is something that makes us unique," explains GAF Director of Corporate Social Responsibility Arlene Marks.Celebrating Giving Back While Giving Back AgainMarks and Gladstone wanted to host an event to thank the contractors who donated their time and labor to install those roofs and came up with a unique and fun way to extend the spirit of giving through Welcome Home Toolkits. "This was Arlene's idea, and it was such a great one," Gladstone notes.Marks shares, "We try to make all of our events meaningful, so what was the best way that we could reach back out to these homeowners that we've already helped? The Welcome Home Kits were the answer."The contractors attending the event assembled toolkits containing basic items like screwdrivers, nut drivers, adjustable wrenches, pliers, hammers, safety glasses, and more. The kits also include a video message of encouragement from the program participants.Most of the individuals who are helped through the roof donations are first-time homeowners. Accordingly, many don't have the basic tools needed to maintain their homes. The gift of a Welcome Home Toolkit provides so much more than drivers and wrenches, it offers confidence, resilience, and peace of mind.Building Community Among ContractorsIncredible things happen when communities come together—not only for the recipients of the donations, but for the participants as well. GAF-certified contractors in the Seattle region came together to give back to the community while building new professional relationships and friendships at the same time."You're bringing together like-minded people," Marks notes. "While they are competitors in the field, they already have the compassion to help their communities. It was an opportunity to work together toward a common goal to meet, share ideas, and talk about the market in a very safe and non-competitive environment."Impacting the CommunityA representative from Habitat for Humanity attended the appreciation event in Seattle to say thank you and share how much of an impact ReBuilding Together and the contractors' work have had on the community. The Welcome Home Toolkits were provided to both organizations and have gone a long way toward welcoming and inspiring the new homeowners.Looking to get involved in giving back to your community? Visit the GAF Community Matters page to explore different opportunities and get started.

Spirits were high at the second annual GAF Latinos in Roofing Expo, where more than 600 Latino roofing professionals gathered in Houston, Texas, for networking, business growth, and education seminars—all in Spanish. "To have a conference dedicated to Latinos, I love it," says Jorge Parada. "I'm sitting next to somebody that looks like me, that speaks the same language. It's a different experience from other conferences."Empowering Attendees at the Latinos in Roofing ExpoThe Latinos in Roofing Expo is one way GAF is working to level the playing field for Latino roofing professionals. Rather than take a one-size-fits-all approach, the expo provides education and resources that consider the Latino community's unique challenges. For example, industry experts taught classes in Spanish such as The Power of Latinos in Your Company's Culture, In-home Selling, Single Ply TPO, Coatings, and The Power of Content Creation for Roofing Companies.In addition to networking with other top-tier contractors, attendees received education in Spanish about the newest GAF contractor products, programs, and trainings designed to help roofers run—and grow—their companies. According to several attendees, these "culturally intended" business growth sessions, offered in Spanish, were one of the most valuable aspects of the conference.Many other conferences and training opportunities expect Latino roofing professionals to thrive with resources that cater to the non-Hispanic, English-speaking contractor community. In contrast, the Latinos in Roofing Expo empowered attendees through culturally intended offerings and shared language."The majority of these [Hispanic] contractors speak English, but it's also cultural. So, the way we do business has to feel culturally intended. Do business like Hispanics do business. Speak the language Hispanics speak," says Alan Lopez, GAF CARE training operations manager. Lopez has been a leading advocate for Latino roofing contractors at GAF and in the roofing industry as a whole.Improving Latino Roofers' Access to ResourcesMany Latino roofers have experienced disadvantages when rising in the roofing ranks because of language and/or cultural differences. For too long, the industry has pigeonholed Latinos into labor roles. As a result, Latinos are drastically underrepresented in roofing leadership, despite making up 57.7% of the roofing industry. Improving access to resources and cultural interactions is a sign of the roofing industry evolving."GAF is the front-runner in helping Latinos, because they have given us so many free resources and free seminars in Spanish," says conference attendee Junior Garcia, CEO. "They have allowed us to get to know what other [non-Hispanic] contractors already know." Some of the GAF culturally intended resources include:Spanish-language GAF website with the same user-friendly features as the English-language GAF website.Spanish-language GAF Document Library for Residential and Commercial GAF roofing products, including technical bulletins, warranty guarantees, data sheets, and more.Spanish-language GAF CARE trainings and resources, including business development courses, hands-on-trainings, and more—all taught with the needs of Latino contractors in mind.Spanish-language events, such as the 2023 GAF Latinos in Roofing Expo, designed to develop Hispanics in roofing leadership.Connecting with Latino ConsumersDeveloping Latino contractors also creates a powerful financial opportunity to serve Latino consumers. This benefits Hispanics in roofing and the roofing industry as a whole.Too often, Latino consumers are overlooked and underestimated. In fact, the Latino consumer base currently has unmet needs of more than $100 billion. Empowering Latino roofers to develop and grow as business leaders is one way to help bring change. "If you want to do business with the Latino community, you have to speak their language," says Hugo Saldaña, GAF territory manager in Houston, Texas.Speaking as a Latino professional in the roofing industry, Saldaña explains that people are at the heart of increasing a consumer base and growing contractor opportunities. "My parents preferred to do business with people who also spoke Spanish, their native language," says Saldaña. "Every day, when I go into work with these guys, it's like helping my dad or my mom. I think when you do that, and these guys know there's a caring relationship there, it goes a long way."Moving Towards the FutureLatinas in RoofingWhile the Latinos in Roofing Expo is a huge win, GAF and the roofing industry still have opportunities to grow. For example, GAF recognizes that female Latina roofing professionals may experience more challenges than their male counterparts. "There are a lot of challenges we [women roofing professionals] face, but there are opportunities for leadership. Now there are more resources and training and more opportunities to build our skills and build our knowledge, and be able to have the same opportunities as men," says Valeria Avila of Servi Express Roofing. GAF provides opportunities to empower women in roofing and recognizes the benefit of forming better bridges between women and the roofing industry.Resources for GrowthAlthough there is work to be done, the 2023 GAF Latinos in Roofing Expo is another step forward for the roofing industry. "Our company has done an amazing job—we now have a Spanish website and cater a lot to the Hispanic community, but there's still greater need," said Andres Beltran, a GAF CARE training manager based in Greenville, South Carolina.As the industry continues to evolve, Beltran encourages Latino roofers to connect with the free, Spanish-language training services and business development opportunities at GAF CARE Contractor Training Centers. "Whether it be from a marketing standpoint, financing, business development, leadership, insurance, and restoration—we can help Latino contractors to elevate their game," says Beltran.Learn more (in Spanish) about GAF resources and GAF certification opportunities today.

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Coatings in the City

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Benefits of Coatings for Urban Projects

Types of Coatings for Urban Projects

Combating Urban Heat Islands

Conclusions

About the Author

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Don't miss another GAF RoofViews post!