Can My Roof Be Restored Instead of Replaced?

WHAT IS ROOF RESTORATION? 

When a roof begins to leak or show signs of deterioration, you might think it’s time to replace the roof. What you may not know is that, often times, a roof coating or resaturant system can restore the current roof to a like-new condition.

Roof restoration is a cost-effective, proactive maintenance approach designed to prolong the life of the existing roof system by ten to fifteen or more years. Roof restoration is done by repairing defects and providing a new coating or resaturant which restores the weatherproofing integrity of the roof.

There are a number of cost-effective, tried and proven solutions for restoring older, but still sound, roofs. The average cost for these solutions is a quarter of the cost of roof replacement, but this figure can increase significantly if continued neglect results in damage to the underlying deck.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ROOF RESTORATION?

When compared to roof replacement, roof restoration offers a number of benefits that can help you save, including:

• Cut Costs: Roof restoration typically costs 25% - 30% of the cost of roof replacement. 
• Deferred Capital Expenditures: Restoration gives you the ability to deffer significant investments for another ten to fifteen or more years.
• Sustainability: Roof Restoration can extend the life of your roof by upwards of ten to fifteen years or more. Restoration sustains the life of your existing assets.
• Address Other Priorities: Roof restoration allows the facilities manager to address other critical priorities for budgeting. This is an integral part of the Long Range Asset Management Program.

WHO SHOULD CONSIDER ROOF RESTORATION?

The only way to know if your roof is an ideal candidate for roof restoration is to consult a roofing professional. A thorough evaluation of the roof will need to be performed. Performing proactive maintenance throughout the life cycle of the roof is highly recommended and will increase the likelihood of your roof being a candidate for restoration.

WHO SHOULD NOT CONSIDER ROOF RESTORATION?

If any of the following conditions are present, your roof is NOT a candidate for roof restoration:

• Excessive blisters, delamination
• Wet insulation, substrate conditions
• Lack of tensile strength
• Embrittlement (plasticizer migration)
• Seams – lack of adhesion
• Fastener back out
• Retrofitted system
• Cost prohibitive – law of diminishing returns 

Unless you have significant roofing experience, you probably won’t know if roof restoration is right for your commercial building. The experts at StructureTec can determine whether roof restoration is a viable solution for your roof. 

If you are interested in learning more about roof restoration projects, join us today, March 9th, at 1:30 PM EST for a live webinar, "Doing Roof-Restoration Projects the Right Way," brought to you by StructureTec's Building Construction Technology Education Center.

Click here to register. **Please register by 12:30 PM EST.**