Painting a roof?

[Anthona]

I own a 1 family home that has flat roof. About 7 years ago I had new top done...not familiar with names, but it was white. No problems with leaks. Now i had a handy man checking something out on my gutter and he looked at my roof and said something like it wasn't finished properly. It needs to be painted. Then he show me what he meant by pointing to another neighbors roof 3 houses away. He said its meant to reflect the sun off the roof. He said the product cost about $90 and he would charge me $225. Is it really necessary for that paint job and is the price overstated?

[m Ransley]

Handy man? did you look yourself, do you live in a cold area where winter heating is your main cost, if so black is best, if you live south where AC is your main cost then white is best, maybe your handy just needs work, 225 labor, what size is it, roofs roll fast.

[cm]

Anthora,

He is talking about elastomeric roof coating which runs around $65.00 per 5 gallon bucket at Home Depot. Each gallon will cover up to 50 square feet of roofing. If he buys three five gallon buckets of product. That will cover about 750 square feet and cost him $195.00 + tax for materials alone. Most roofs that have never been coated with elastomeric before will need 2-3 coats for the first application. I am assuming your house is larger than 750 square feet? For $225.00 he cannot do a good job. We would charge around $200.00 just to wash and prepare an average roof for elastomeric.

Elastomeric will extend the life of your roof if applied and maintained properly. I would get other estimates if you are interested. Also check out

Good luck,

Craig

[Anthona]

My roof is measured approximately 30' x 16' 8" slightly less than 510 sq ft. Is that paint something that you spray? Never heard of 3 coats..one yes, but not 3.I live in NYC so the cold is not Mainish or vermontish cold. He said the paint would reflect the heat off the roof when the sun shines. So what does that it do...nullify ice dams at the gutter end? He said he worked for home depot at one time. He mentioned $90 for the paint and the rest for labor. Technically, i do not have any problems other than a ice dam at the gutter edge when we do hit a rare cold spell with snow. There are no internal leaks so far...ceiling or walls. Thanks

[No]

Its brushed or rolled on. It keeps the roof (Rubber, modified bitumen, or what ever) from deteriorating from UV rays and also helps keep things cooler in summer. It will not prevent ice dams. Its a very easy DIY project if you have a ladder. Put number of coats as per directions. 3 might be over-kill but maybe not. read recommendations for the particular brand you use. Some is white, some is silver colored. Some may even be black but I wouldn't use that.

[avid_hiker]

This hassssss to be a mobile home your talking about. Only kind flat roofed home I can think of in snow country with that dimension.

[Anthona]

I wouldn't call NYC exactly snow country,although we are known for getting some whoppers from time to time and no this is not a mobile home

[Anthona]

The size is 30' x 16' 8" approx 510sq. ft and its not a mobile home

[Alan]

The handyman's bid sounds pretty good to me. This is a DIY project, and I would do my own at my house, but it's a messy job on the roof too. Sweep and hose off loose debris, fix any problem areas, and then use a paint roller to apply the material. Three coats is what you want for sure, and you want the silver aluminum stuff that's really tricky to stir, not white or black stuff, unless, the roof is easily seen by the neighbors. The aluminum stuff will reduce your summer heating bills and make the roof last longer. Some neighbors might not like the harsh reflection from silver, or maybe your roof can be seen from a window in the house, so settle for the white stuff. I wouldn't put black on the roof unless the house is located inside the artic circle. The summer heat and UV rays are what ultimately break down the materials of a flat roof, as it does on any roof, not the rain or snow. I don't know much about ice dams though since I've never experienced that at my house in California; maybe black will keep that from happening, I don't know.

Anth> > Handy man? did you look yourself, do you live in a cold area where

[Anthona]

Thanks, but the quote he gave me i presume was for one coat...he did not mention anything about 3 coats and he did say he worked for home depot at one time.

[JimR]

Anthona -- I'm not a roofer, but in my experience as a homeowner I feel that flat roofs need regular attention. I suggest that you do several things --

a. Ask the handyman what product he is going to use, and how many applications will it take b. Ask a local reliable roofing company (perhaps the one that did the earlier installation?) to look at the roof and recommend what maintenance it might need, and a maintenance schedule.

It may be that the handyman can do the work at a reasonable price. It's also possible that he'll lay down a coat of cheap product that won't benefit you. With a quote from another -- expert -- source you will have more information on which to make a judgement.

Most importantly (for me) don't let it wait until you have interior problems. In this area (Florida) I recoat a flat roof over my living room every 2 years, using the elastomeric product mentioned earlier. I had the roof totally redone during a renovation, and watched the roofing company redo the coating two years later. For now, as long as the roof continues to look good (no cracks, leaks, etc.) I'll do the next coatings myself. Regards --