How to Know if Your Commercial Roof is a Good Silicone Coating Candidate

Here at Four Seasons Kanga Roof in Metro Detroit, we talk to commercial property owners every day who want to extend the life of their roofs without paying for a full replacement. Silicone roof coatings are an incredible solution, but here is the honest truth: not every commercial roof is a good candidate for a silicone coating.

Following the principles of “The Kanga Way”, our goal is to educate you and give you transparent options. We rely on strict industry standards from trusted authorities like Elevate, Carlyle, CertainTeed, GAF, the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), and Roofing Contractor Magazine to determine if a roof can be saved. If your roof isn’t a fit, we will tell you straight up.

So, how do we determine if your Metro Detroit commercial roof is a prime candidate for a silicone coating? We look closely at four major factors: age, material type, insulation dryness, and the number of existing roofing layers.

1. Age: Is Your Roof Under 15 Years Old?

The very first thing we check is the age of your roofing system. To be considered a good candidate for a silicone coating, your roof must generally be under 15 years of age. This does not mean roofs older than 15 years cannot be a good coating candidate, but they will likely need an in-depth inspection prior to installation. 

Once a commercial roof pushes past the 15-year mark, oftentimes the structural integrity of the membrane and the fasteners often degrades to a point where a coating can act as a band-aid rather than a long-term restorative solution. Our roofing specialists are highly trained to assess this aging process. As one of our great customers, Victoria Hibbert, recently said after an inspection, our team “took his time and explained everything we needed to know about our aging roof”.

2. Roofing Material: What is Currently on Your Roof?

Not all materials react the same way to silicone. Manufacturers like GAF require specific substrate conditions to ensure proper adhesion and performance. Here is a breakdown of how different roofing materials handle silicone coatings:

3. Insulation Dryness: Is Moisture Hiding Under the Surface?

You cannot trap water inside a roofing system. According to the NRCA, moisture hiding inside a roof is usually not apparent to sight or touch. GAF guidelines also explicitly state that a roof must be clean and dry with absolutely no trapped moisture before a coating is applied.

Before we apply any coating, we check the insulation under the membrane.

• The 20% Rule: The insulation must be less than 20% saturated to proceed with a coating.
• Wet Material Removal: If we find moisture, anything saturated must be pulled out and replaced before coating.

At Kanga Roof, our team is incredibly thorough during these evaluations. As Alesia Swider noted in her 5-star review, our team is “detailed oriented in our roof inspection”. We don’t guess; we test.

4. Layers of Roofing: How Many Roofs Are Up There?

Building codes and physical physics dictate how much weight and trapped vapor a commercial building can handle. We always verify how many layers of roofing are currently on your building:

• One Layer: Having only one layer of roofing makes your building a very strong candidate for a silicone coating.
• Two Layers: Coating a two-layer roof can be done, but it is much more susceptible to moisture being trapped within the system. We approach these with extreme caution.
• Three or More Layers: If you have more than two layers, a silicone coating is normally not recommended due to a high likelihood of moisture issues and hidden craftsmanship problems buried in the previous layers.

If you are a commercial property owner in Macomb County, Oakland County, or anywhere in Metro Detroit, Four Seasons Kanga Roof is here to give you an honest assessment. As Robert C. shared in his review, “The entire staff and Bill Jr., were amazing and very helpful though the process”. If your roof is a candidate, we’ll restore it. If it isn’t, we’ll explain exactly why.

To receive your custom expert report on whether silicone coatings are a good candidate for your building, call us now at 586-566-0308 or book your inspection online at kanga-roof.com/schedule-inspection-now/. As always, I hope you have a Kanga-Rific day!

Sincerely,

Bill Burkhardt, Jr.

VP & Owner, Four Seasons Kanga Roof