As a property owner or facilities manager, you may wonder how to know if your roof is a good candidate for fluid-applied roofing. As the founder of White Hat Industrial, I'd like to share some insights that might help you better understand what fluid-applied roofing can do for you.

Here are three things to think about:

1. Inspect the existing roof substrate and underlying roof structure

Did you know that any roof with a good underlying structure can be restored? Over time, every traditional roof system will degrade and may begin to leak. If caught early enough, the good parts of the roof can be retained and the degraded parts of the roof can be restored back to top performance. In these cases, removal and disposal of the existing roof into a landfill may never be required. 

We have over 40 unique fluid-applied roof systems that can restore virtually any traditional roof surface to get the roof back to its highest quality. The evaluation of your particular roof and the performance characteristics you need help us provide the best solution for you and your building.

2. Evaluate the extent of moisture or water damage

Recognizing potential moisture or water damage on the roof of your building is also an important step because when roofs leak and stop performing as intended, water gets into the building and can create damage to the insulation and roof structure. Knowing the true extent of this is a valuable step to determining the best solution for your roof. Our team has assessed many roofs that other companies were going to completely tear off and dispose of, which showed only 3% to 15% wet areas. These are perfect candidates for roof restoration with a fluid-applied roofing system. The wet areas can be removed and replaced and then the entire roof can be restored.  

If the moisture assessments show higher percentages of saturation or widespread moisture damage across the entire roof system, full removal and replacement can be the right answer.  There are several methods your contractor and third-party inspectors can use to give you this data to help you know your options.  

3. Account for the environmental and financial impact 

Disposing of an entire roof into a landfill, when it can be remediated and restored, is a cycle that most agree needs to stop. Having a proper assessment of your roof and taking advantage of roof restoration with a fluid-applied roofing system is a great first step to finding a better solution. Specifically, fluid-applied roof systems can lower your building cooling costs and provide more temperature control. For example, restoring a darker traditional roof system to a white fluid-applied system stabilizes the roof temperature and keeps excess heat from being absorbed into the building. Sometimes the studies, we have run for clients, show that the utility savings alone over time can pay for the roof restoration.

While having all of this information is beneficial, it may not always be something you know on your own, which is why finding a great roofing partner is important. When working with our White Hat team, you can always trust us to make the right recommendation based on best practices and to continuously place your best interest at the center of what we do.

Still not sure if your roof is a good candidate for fluid-applied roofing?

Our team of industry experts is always happy to help you evaluate your roof and find the best solution to meet the unique needs of your facility. If you’d like us to come to examine your roof, just schedule a free roofing assessment with us by calling us at 937.909.9030 or contacting us on our website.