Roof sealers:  water based formulas perform for approximately 10 years

Roof sealers: How long do they last?

Over ten years ago, we applied a high quality elastomeric coating in traditional red on the Superintendent’s Home in Whitesbog, NJ, the historical blueberry village in New Jersey–a gem of a discovery for history buffs.

Outside of a cleaning required on a back corner, the coating is holding up well.  The customer can expect to apply a single coating to keep the primer covered sometime in the next five years.

What types of roof sealers are there?

The old lead paints still are the best…..and quite illegal to use. These banned coatings lasted 20 years or so, continuing to appear fresh, avoiding flaking and acting as a bastion against leaks. The presence of lead is the major reason for its success.

 Lead has been determined to be dangerous, particularly to young children. Yet, there are many metal and wooden items that owe their present good condition to the use of lead paints.

Since 1978 when lead paints were banned, other formulas have been released: aluminum coatings, water-based elastomerics, and high-tech combinations. The manufacturers have even developed a finish for the old lead coated copper look.

At present, the water-based acrylics and elastomerics are the most popular for longevity, pricing and convenience by most applicators and customers. We use these water-based products along with a host of other formulas that each have their advantages. We even can restore an old, leaking, rusty metal roof in sub-zero temperatures with roof sealers! The worst part of a sub-zero project is pressure washing the roof.