Liquid roof coatings are aftermarket products designed to extend life, seal leaks, or merely provide a heat reflective or aesthetic function over existing roof surfaces. There are many products on the market ranging from asphalt based products, rubber solution [Hypalon, Neoprene, Silicone], water based Acrylic and other emulsions, and chemically curing systems such as urethanes and now Liquid Roof®. Choosing the right product requires some knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of each.
The most widely used coatings for RV Roof Leaks Repair are Acrylic elastomeric products. These are easy to use, have good weatherability and cure quickly in warm weather. The weakness of these products, however, comes from the fact that they are water-based emulsions which makes them vulnerable to sudden showers or freezing temperatures soon after application, and they have inherently poor resistance to ponding water. Another drawback for the Acrylic products is that they do not work over single ply EPDM membranes.
Liquid Roof® is a true EPDM rubber and therefore could be described as a liquid version of the single ply EPDM membrane which has been established as an outstanding performance record of over 30 years. The EPDM chemistry has two unique features not possessed by any other rubber -it is unaffected by ultra-violet and ozone, and can tolerate continuous exposure at temperatures over 300 degrees F. The latter feature is also what gives EPDM rubbers the best aging properties [retain flexibility longer] of all the elastomers.
Liquid Roof® is the only EPDM product currently in the market. It is priced higher than the Acrylics but this one disadvantage is more than outweighed by Liquid Roof's performance advantages and nearly total absence of conditions, which can result in disastrous failures. Many roofs will pond water. The gulf states all experience sudden afternoon showers. The northern states experience rapid temperature drops late in the day during Spring and Fall. These kinds of situations might only result in minor cosmetic surface distortions to the Liquid Roof® while the acrylic coating-based products could be partially or totally destroyed.
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