Now here's a subject that produces some confusion. Roof coating solutions should be based on FACT, not price.
Seriously. What is a roof that does not leak and provides a solution to heat retention worth? The leak part is obvious, but what's this heat retention stuff about?
It's actually very simple.
Dark surfaces suck-up heat. Light surfaces reflect heat.
During the summer, when our exposure to the sun increases, a dark colored surface sucks-up heat, transferring the heat to your home and unless you have air conditioning, even with all your widows open and the fan at full speed, your home can become hotter inside than it is outside. It feels like a hothouse. That can make a home very uncomfortable. A light colored roof repels the sun, reducing the amount of heat transferred to your home.
A dark colored roof might sound like a smart thing to have during the winter. But that's not the truth. During the winter the sun does not shine from directly overhead, it is on the horizon and the sun's rays do not hit our part of the world directly. The sun's rays strike at an angle (like a rock skipping on the water), and does not provide the heat like it does during the summer when it is overhead. So, even though a dark surface might retain some heat, it is not enough to overcome the ambient temperature. And when the roof is covered in snow, there's no heat retention at all. A dark colored roof does not help reduce the overhead, especially when you add in the cost of air-conditioning. A light colored roof actually improves the home environment during the summer, a dark surface does not.
There are four basic systems on the
market and readably available to cover your roof and seal out moisture.
They are: TAR, SILVER SEAL, MEMBRANE and RUBBER CO-POLYMER.
Hot mopped or cold applications are
available. Tar works great on surfaces that do not move and are in
environments that remain relatively constant. During the summer the dark
tar sucks-up heat and gets soft and expands. It moves with the expansion
of your home. During the winter tar gets hard and brittle and retracts or
"shrinks". This can lead to cracks that allow moister to
enter. A roof covered in tar is the same to a contractor as your glasses
are to an optician, you're going to get it replaced.
This is a cold application
product that is painted on. When this product first came out it was the
greatest thing since sliced bread for the mobile home and RV industry. It
is far superior to tar. It's light colored appearance reduces heat
retention and it's sealing capabilities far exceeds that of tar. It is
widely used in the lower 48. But we are in Alaska. Silver Seal
gets brittle and it shrinks and cracks and it is not effective in sub-zero
weather.
This is a relatively new product
for the mobile home application. I don't know enough about this product to
be objective. There have been some problems with it in sub-zero temperatures,
but new improved systems have recently been introduced that may solve some of
the original product's shortfalls. We are investigating the new systems
and will report back to you on our findings. Personally, I have
reservations and would not use this system without finding out how it has
performed in cold climates.
This is a cold application product that is rolled or brushed on. It looks
like mayonnaise, thick and white.
It is a petroleum product that when cured becomes a "membrane"
covering your roof. There are a couple of product lines
available.
I used "SNOW ROOF" I purchased at Fred Meyer's. I had a few problems. It can only be applied when the temperature is above 70°, the sun is directly overhead and it won't rain for at least 24 hours. Look, in Alaska all you have to do is hold your breath and the weather changes. The stuff is great compared to tar or silver seal! But it took TWO summers to get it on!
Now there is a new product called "DYCO SHIELD AND SEAL", see a copy of the brochure. A major breakthrough in mobile home and recreational vehicle roof coating technology, this product was developed specifically for the mobile home and RV industry. Like "Snow Roof", it is white and looks like mayonnaise. But this product can be applied in temperatures above freezing and it dries in just 30 to 60 minutes!
It is flexible to 60° BELOW zero, and in the summer it reflects heat, cooling the surface by as much as thirty degrees! It can be applied over properly prepared surfaces like steel, galvanized metal, aluminum and asphalted aluminum, (silver seal). It's thick liquid properties flow into cracks and seals them.
Once properly applied, rubber co-polymer products provide a superior sealing and cooling roof system with a life-span far exceeding anything else available in today's market.
Have a suggestion we can share with other mobile/manufactured home owners? Please call or email us postmaster@reallyneatstuffalaska.com