It's never easy when your metal roofs get into trouble in the middle of winter. Unfortunately, even the best roofing materials such as metal roofs cannot withstand a truly brutal winter storm. When the storm clears, your reliable and experienced Denver CO roofing contractor may refuse your work request and for good reason: their equipment and team cannot function properly during winter. You're left with one choice, and that's to use acrylic and know the temperature to apply roof coating on your roof effectively.
True enough, metal roof coating isn't rocket science. However, knowing the right temperature to apply roof coating is important. Winter's sub-zero temperatures can cool down and harden your coating without warning. At this point, it does seem like a bad idea, but if you know the freezing point of all types of coating, you may have a chance to re-coat your metal roof effectively. American Weather Star has an excellent article about this -- there's an excerpt that may interest you below.
The Right Temperature to Apply Roof Coating During Winter
Working with roof coatings in winter months can be slightly challenging. Since the chemistry of each roof coating will react a little differently in cold weather, we will address the cold weather concerns for the materials that compose our core systems.
Acrylics
Acrylic coatings make up our Met-A-Gard and Met-A-Gard+ roof coating systems. Acrylic 211, High-Tensile Acrylic 211, Butter-Grade 221 and Red Oxide Primer 912 are the key components of these high-performance roof restoration systems.
As water-based products, they will freeze when left in below freezing temperatures for an extended period of time. Once frozen, even after they have thawed, these products can no longer be used for effective roof coating restorations.
A warehouse that reaches 30-32 °F will not cause a problem but if it will be much cooler you will need to move to a heated area. During application make sure that it is 50°F and rising. The dry time of acrylic coatings will slow down dramatically if the air temperature is below 50°F.
If freezing may not be a concern, dew that comes in this time of year can cause major problems with the coating while still wet. Humidity is just as important to acrylic coatings as temperature. The higher the humidity the more reason for concern. (Continue Reading)
That article explains the right temperature to apply roof coating. However, you'd definitely want to learn how to apply them during wintertime. While it's extremely dangerous to attempt any kind of repair or recoating on your metal roof during winter, the knowledge is vital especially when leaks happen. However, we discourage you from following any kind of roof coating instruction unless it's an undeniable emergency where it is the last resort.
National Coatings has an in-depth guide in applying roof coatings during wintertime. You can use this to your advantage, but make sure to pay attention to each detail to avoid any errors in application, future issues, and risks to your well-being.
How To Apply Roof Coatings During Cold Seasons?
There are a few important weather conditions to consider before applying a roof coating system to your building in the winter and shoulder seasons. These requirements include:Always check weather conditions before application and never apply if rain is anticipated within 24 to 48 hours.
Air temperatures should be at a minimum of 55˚F with temperatures expected to rise for the following 24 hours. This includes temperatures during nighttime.
Apply the roof coating system in the early morning, finishing early into the afternoon to allow for a minimum of four hours of sunlight for the coating or sealants to cure.
Areas such as California, Hawaii, Texas, Arizona and Florida often have warm winter temperatures averaging between 60˚F to 90˚F in January. As long as these temperatures do not drop below 55˚F during the evening and rain is not expected, these weather conditions are acceptable for installing a roof coating system during the winter.
While weather conditions and temperature need to be ideal before application begins, it is also important to keep in mind: (Continue Reading)
Now, if you're reading this during the pre-winter season, you have seen how much a cure is worth more than prevention. At this point, you've got enough time. You won't even have to fiddle with the temperature to apply roof coating on metal roof because you can re-coat it with a professional as fast as possible.
On the other hand, you'll want to use the best roof coating in the market. Ames Coating endorses its product as a great coating with winterizing capabilities. It might just be what you need. You can learn more about the product in an excerpt below.
A Winterized Roof Coating To Keep Your Roof Safe During Winter
Unfavorable conditions make it difficult for contractors to go to work and for do it yourself remedies like tar and cheap coatings to adhere since many can’t adhere and dry in conditions with any moisture at all. This is a problem because a lot of damage and leaking in your home occurs in the winter months.
Ames coatings are water based and formulated for easy application in many situations. This product makes winter time roofing simple, and can help you repair leaks all year round. All our coatings are high quality and highly concentrated so you’ll have a better time using them in unfoavorable conditions.If you find yourself applying coatings in the winter, here are some helpful hints to help you have a successful project: (Continued)
In admission, Roper Roofing isn't licensed to perform any roof coatings for metal roofs. However, we can definitely deliver exceptional wintertime repairs and replacements your property may need. Contact us today to know more about what we can do for you!
