Commercial roof coatings for Atlanta buildings

Silicone is the usual choice on flat commercial roofs around Atlanta because it tolerates water that stands for a day or two after a storm without breaking down. It goes on in thick coats, often in a single pass, over a cleaned and primed membrane with seams and penetrations reinforced first. The trade-off is that silicone collects dirt and loses some brightness over time, and very little bonds to it later except more silicone, so a future recoat stays silicone.

Acrylic coatings are water-based, reflect well and stay cleaner than silicone, which keeps them brighter and cooler over the years. They suit sloped metal roofs and low-slope roofs that drain properly, because standing water softens acrylic and wears it away. Acrylic goes on in two or more coats, a base and a top coat, and it is easy to recoat later. Weather matters: it needs dry conditions and warm enough temperatures to cure, which rules out some of the colder winter days.

Older metal roofs usually fail at the fasteners and seams long before the panels themselves wear out. Screws back out, washers dry and crack, and rust starts at the laps. We replace or seal every fastener, treat rust, reinforce seams and laps with fabric and base coat, and then coat the whole roof. The result is a sealed, reflective surface over panels that still have years of structural life, without the cost of new metal or a tear-off inside an occupied building.