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Serving Bernalillo County

Elastomeric Roof Coating in Albuquerque, NM

Coating a sound flat or low-slope roof in Albuquerque to extend its life, after an inspection shows the substrate can take it.

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  • Roof repair and full replacement
  • Leaks, hail and storm damage
  • Flat and pitched roofs

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Roof Coating

Elastomeric Roof Coating: what it covers

Quick answer

An elastomeric coating is a liquid-applied, flexible layer laid over a sound low-slope roof to seal small defects and shed water. It is a repair for a roof whose membrane and deck are still good, and a roofer confirms that on the roof before any coating is quoted.

Elastomeric Roof Coating illustration for Albuquerque, NM

A coating is one of the most useful and most misused flat-roof products. Applied to a sound roof it seals small splits and porous spots, reflects heat and extends the working life of the membrane. Applied to a wet or failing roof it seals the water in, and the damage is worse a year later, when it is hidden under a bright surface.

That is why the inspection comes first. A roofer checks the deck for moisture, the membrane for brittleness and the seams and flashings for sound bonds before any coating is priced. The coating is only specified when the roof can take it, and the quote says what that test found.

This page explains what a coating does, what it does not do, and how a roofer decides whether one is the right repair. The product is named in the scope, and the surface preparation is part of the price.

Service area
Albuquerque & Bernalillo County
Availability
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Warning signs

Signs you need elastomeric roof coating

Coating products can be solvent-based and give off vapour. Keep the work area ventilated, keep children and pets away from the roof during application and follow the product's safety data sheet.

  • A flat roof whose membrane is still flexible and bonded but shows surface wear and small cracks
  • Chalking or a powdery surface on the membrane that rubs off on the hand
  • Small pinholes or blisters that are dry on inspection, with no wet insulation underneath
  • Seams and flashings that are still bonded when tested by hand
  • A roof that has ponded in a few places, where the coating can be applied to the drained surface
  • A membrane with no splits through to the deck, and no soft spots when walked
Our process

How our elastomeric roof coating visit works

  1. Inspect the deck, the membrane and the seams

    The roofer checks the deck and insulation for moisture, the membrane for flexibility and the seams and flashings for bond. A coating is only quoted when these checks come out sound.

  2. Clean and prepare the surface

    The membrane is washed to remove dirt, algae and loose coating, and any failed seam or split is repaired before the coating goes on, so the coating is not asked to bridge an open joint.

  3. Apply the primer and the first coat

    A primer is laid where the product requires it, then the first coat of elastomeric material goes on at the thickness the product names. The roofer checks the thickness as the work goes.

  4. Apply the second coat and the reinforcement

    A second coat, and reinforcing fabric at seams and penetrations where the product calls for it, completes the system. Each layer is allowed to cure before the next is applied.

  5. Test and record the coating

    The finished coat is checked for uniform thickness and for any pinholes, which are sealed. The record names the product, the thickness and the date, for the manufacturer's warranty if one is offered.

What a coating does and what it cannot do

A coating seals porous surfaces, small splits and pinholes and sheds water. It cannot fix a wet deck, a failed seam or a membrane that has lost its flexibility.

A coating is a skin. It bonds to the membrane, it stretches with the surface, and it keeps water out of the small defects that the membrane has developed. It does this well on a roof that is otherwise sound. It does not hold up a deck that is rotting, and it does not hold a seam together that has already come apart.

Expectations matter. A coating is a life-extension measure. A good installation on a sound roof can add years, and a poor one on a failing roof can hide a problem until it is larger. The roofer should say which of these your roof is, and why.

  • A coating seals small defects on a sound membrane
  • A coating does not repair a wet deck or a failed seam
  • A coating adds life to a sound roof and hides nothing if the roof is sound

How is the surface prepared before a coating?

It is cleaned, dried, repaired and primed. A coating laid over dirt, old chalk or an open seam will peel, and the preparation is most of the labour.

A roof that is cleaned properly takes the coating better. The surface is washed to remove dirt and algae, and any loose coating or chalk is removed. Failed seams and splits are repaired first, so the coating is not asked to bridge an opening. Primer is laid where the product requires it, and the surface is dry before the coating goes on.

The preparation is also the part of the job that is hardest to see afterwards. Ask the roofer to describe the cleaning and the repairs in the scope, so you know they were done before the coating was applied.

  • Wash to remove dirt, algae and loose chalk
  • Repair seams and splits before the coating goes on
  • Dry the surface and prime where the product requires it

What does a coating warranty depend on?

The manufacturer's terms and the installer's workmanship, both of which should be in writing before work begins.

Some coating systems come with a manufacturer's warranty, and it depends on the product, the thickness applied, the surface prepared and the installer used. The warranty may require a regular inspection or may be void if the roof is walked on in a certain way. Ask for those terms before the work is booked.

A warranty is a promise from the manufacturer or the installer and not from this line. The line connects you with a local roofer and does not warrant the work performed.

  • Ask for the warranty terms in writing
  • Check what inspections or care the warranty requires
  • Keep the product name and the thickness on file

When is a coating the wrong answer?

When the deck is wet, the membrane is brittle or the seams are open across the roof. A coating over any of these hides the problem.

A coating is the wrong answer when the roof has water in it. Coating a wet roof seals the water in and the insulation keeps it, and the damage spreads out of sight. The same is true of a membrane that cracks when lifted: a coating will not give it back its flexibility, and the surface will split under the coating within a short time.

In those cases the roofer should say so and recommend the work that is needed first, whether a repair or a replacement. A quote for a coating on a roof that cannot take it is not a quote the homeowner should accept.

  • Wet deck or insulation under the membrane
  • Membrane that cracks when flexed
  • Seams open across most of the roof
Options

Types and options for elastomeric roof coating

Full-roof coating system

A complete coating laid over the whole roof after the repairs are made. Suited to a sound roof that is showing age across its whole surface.

Spot coating over a failing area

A coating laid over one area only, where the rest of the roof is sound. Used sparingly, because a patch of coating beside an uncoated area can look uneven.

Reflective topcoat

A light-coloured top layer that reflects sun and reduces surface temperature. The benefit depends on the roof's exposure, which the roofer discusses with you.

Bernalillo County

Why elastomeric roof coating is different in Greater Albuquerque

The FACTS sheet has no sourced monthly weather drivers for Albuquerque, so this page makes no claim about when a coating should be applied. The roofer schedules the work around the product's temperature and dry-weather limits.

Coatings are used on low-slope roofs across the city and the county, and the scope is the same wherever the roof sits.

Hail reports near the metro are automated and not roof findings, so a coating after a storm should follow a damage inspection and not be used as a substitute for one.

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If it's an emergency, call now. For non-urgent elastomeric roof coating, send the form and we'll call you back.

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Where we work

Elastomeric Roof Coating across Bernalillo County

Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.

Related

Membrane Seam Repair

Repairing the joints in single-ply and modified bitumen membranes on flat roofs in Albuquerque, with the sealant the membrane names.

Flat and Low-Slope Roof Repair

Repairs to flat and low-slope roofs in Albuquerque and the towns around it, starting with where the water sits and why.

Guides

Read before you book

FAQ

Elastomeric Roof Coating FAQs

Will a coating stop a roof leak?

Only if the leak is a small defect in a sound membrane. A coating does not stop a leak through a failed seam, a wet deck or a flashing that has come loose.

How long does a coating last?

It depends on the product, the thickness, the roof's exposure and the condition of the membrane underneath. The roofer can give the manufacturer's expected life, but cannot promise it without seeing the roof.

Can I coat the roof myself?

Not safely or reliably. Surface preparation and thickness control decide how the coating performs, and both are done better by a roofer who does this regularly.

Does a coating need to be re-applied?

Most coating systems are maintained rather than left alone, and the manufacturer's schedule sets the re-coat interval. The roofer confirms the schedule in writing.

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