Membrane Roof Restoration For A 150,000 Square Foot Facility

Issue:

The owner of this 150,000 square foot facility had a roof problem that he needed to address before it started affecting the building contents, operations and structure itself. The roof was made up of two systems: an EPDM black membrane comprising 75% of the roof and a gravel BUR over the other 25%. The gravel BUR section seemed to be performing well without any leaks.   However, the black rubber EPDM system had been in service for more than 20 years and was leaking. Replacement of the EPDM roof would be very costly and also result in business interruption during the roof tear and replacement process.

Solution:

The building owner, a real estate investor involved in managing numerous properties himself, knew that the black EPDM roof was absorbing and transmitting heat into the building during the area’s hot Virginia summers.  This proactive and conscientious owner investigated all options to restore the roof, deciding to apply a reflective roof coating over the EPDM portion of the roof.

After conducting his due diligence and exploring several roof coating options, the building owner chose the white reflective ALDOCOAT 660 Thermoplastic Coating for his roof system. After pressure washing to thoroughly clean the surface, the roofing contractor sealed all seams and potential penetration points with ALDOSEAL 747. The coatings were then applied as specified with a medium gray base coat and top white finish coat.

Results:

The ALDOCOAT solution deferred complete roof replacement, a very costly proposition given the size of this roof, for at least another 10 years. The solution sealed all leaks and water intrusion, and the reflective finish has reduced the facility’s energy costs.  The savings from the reduced energy bills achieved in the first year have been substantial, exceeding the labor to install the entire ALDOCOAT system.

In summary, the EPDM restoration solution has provided ongoing financial and operational benefit.  It has provided the owner a proven and tested alternative to costly roof replacement, which also adds tear off material to area landfills.

Benefits:

Specific benefits of the white reflective elastomeric coating are:

1. This system saved the financial and environmental costs of a roof tear-off.
2. It lowered the surface of the metal from over 160 degrees Fahrenheit to less than 100 degrees increasing comfort and allowing less heat to enter the building envelope.
3. It has reduced energy costs during peak demand hours.