Today’s consumers have more choices than ever when it comes to roof coatings. Therefore, it can be a challenge to decide which is right for your project. Polyurea is one variety of roof coating that you might not have ever even heard of. However, it is worth investigating as a roofing option, because it has exceptional durability, flexibility, and ease of application. The incredible versatility of polyurea makes it ideal for many different building types, and it is particularly useful in commercial roofing applications.
What is polyurea?
Polyurea is a relatively new roofing material on the market. It was only introduced in the 1980s for roofing applications, but it has become widely utilized in this time. It is a material similar to polyurethane, but it has its own unique physical properties. Polyurea is an elastomer, which means it is highly elastic, making it very flexible and able to adapt to varying weather conditions. In addition to being used as a roof coating, polyurea is also a popular material for coating truck beds, parking decks, industrial work floors, hangars and boats.
What are the benefits of polyurea roof coating?
Perhaps the largest benefit of polyurea roof coating is its water resistance. Polyurea not only stands up to high humidity and moisture, but it can even withstand ongoing conditions of standing water on the roof. It is also resistant to chemical corrosion and has high abrasive resistance. Additionally, polyurea roof coating can be applied to any type of substrate, including concrete, wood, or metal. It has little to no VOCs, making it an environmentally safe roof coating for a variety of buildings. Finally, polyurea roof coating has a unique flexibility in its formulation to have any number of textures, colors, and slip resistance.
How is polyurea roofing applied to the substrate?
Another distinctive benefit of polyurea is the application process. Polyurea is sprayed on to the roof, and it has a relatively low curing time. Roofs coated in polyurea are serviceable within just a few hours compared to 24-48 hours with polyurethane and epoxy coatings. What’s more is that polyurea can cure in extreme conditions, including extreme cold, high humidity, and extreme heat?
Is polyurea roofing an affordable option?
One of the largest drawbacks of polyurea roof coating is the cost. It is on the high end of the scale of cost per square foot for roof coatings, but it does have a lifespan of up to 25-30 years without the need for reapplication every few years.