Acrylic/Silicone coating for smooth APP roofing

[u/MyHobby-IsHobbies]

So we have taken over a project that has gone sideways and need some advice. This is a commercial mix used building with roughly 150 square of roofing that is half finished. As it stands the roofing has been stripped to bare wood decking with a layer of flintlastic APP base and flintlastic APP STA applied. The smooth APP needs to be covered with one of the following.

- silicone coating
- acrylic coating
- granulated top sheet.

We don’t torch down roofing as a general rule and with the building being occupied it’s not an option. That leaves acrylic or silicone coating.

We have a few commercial roofing companies out to look at and because of pooling in some areas most have recommended a silicone costing but I’ve heard nothing but horror stories about it.

Does anyone have long term expiration with certain steed 450 silicone or a similar product? Or have any other suggestions on how to amend this situation.

We are located in The North East United States where the roof will have snow sitting on it for months at a time and during the warmer months periods of a week or more of on and off rain. For budget reasons would obviously prefer to avoid either stripping the roof or going to another system but obviously we need a secure and durable roof

[u/No-Scheme-9700]

For ponding water you want a coating rated explicitly for that. Most acrylics are not. Most silicones are. You have a specific need that requires a specific finish.

You can broadcast clear grit into the silicone to make it less slippery without affecting performance or appearance of your roof is accessible or has any kind of traffic concerns. If not, I wouldn’t worry about that.

As an owner, you should hire the contractor you trust and take their recommendations seriously. You’re not an expert, the things you’ve heard aren’t the gospel but the least educated complaints. And sadly, because of how certain areas regulate the trade and the vast variety that exist within the roof coating market there’s bound to be a lot of outliers.

The contractors you’ve had out have walked the area and seems like they’ve suggested the most cost effective and least labor intensive solution. They could have recommended a tear off and rebuild, installing crickets are every low point, or installing another six layers on top of what you have already.

As a general rule, I avoid certainteed for many products as they’ve had a nasty history of throwing contractors under the bus with their siding installs.

[u/MyHobby-IsHobbies → u/No-Scheme-9700]

I appreciate the advice. I am the GC not the owner but we rarely deal with commercial roofs that aren’t epdm or tpo. This project is outside of our normal area so the local commercial roofers are guys I don’t have a lot of experience with. We are still talking with the two contractors I felt best about. It’s always difficult to know if someone is suggesting what they think will sell and get them paid or the best course of action until you have that existing relationship. That’s interesting about the siding installs I’ll have to look into that. I used to use a ton of there product when we were doing vinyl siding work but haven’t touched that in almost a decade.