Surefire ways to extend the life of your roof

Read on to find out how roofing cement, coatings, and adhesives can increase the life of your roof.
Want to fix common roofing leaks? Looking to prevent cracks on your roof’s surface? Need to protect your roof from the elements? Roofing cement, coatings, and adhesives are a few of the great products on the market that can help take care of your roof.

Roofing cement acts as a shield against leaks and water damage to your home. The type of cement used varies from roof to roof and job to job. No matter what kind you use, it can help maintain a sturdy and safe roof.

Uses and benefits of roofing cement include:

• Leak prevention
• Creating strong bonds for shingles
• Sealing skylights, vent pipes, and chimneys
• Covering and securing exposed roof nails
• Repairing pried up roof shingles

You can find roofing cement sold in home improvement stores. It comes in tub-like containers and tubes. The material is applied using a number of tools including caulking guns, trowels, and putty knives.

Applied on top of roofing membranes, roof coatings can create a seal and reflective surface on a roof. You can apply it to metal roofs like those found on sheds and mobile homes in order to deflect the hot rays of the sun. This leads to a cooler interior air temperature for your home, shed, or building. A roofing coating is a great addition to your home if you’re looking to reduce heating and cooling costs.

The various kinds of roof coatings available include:

• Metal roof coating: protects the life of your roof, expanding with the heat
• Asphalt coating: helps your roof shed water and other weather elements
• Reflective roof coating: keeps your building cool by deflecting the sun
• Monolithic waterproof coating: repairs leaks and waterproofs

Roof coatings come in a liquid form with a similar consistency to paint. Before applying a roof coating inspect, clean, and prep the roof. Any defects should be fixed before applying the coating. For flat roofs, it is best to paint on the coating with rollers. With shingled or rocky roofs, use a paint sprayer.

Reduce the costs of your roof’s maintenance with roofing adhesives. These products create strong bonds during the initial installation of roofing underlay and rolled rubber membranes. They increase the longevity of your roof.

You can use roofing adhesives on roofing membranes and insulation.

Roofing adhesives come in various types including latex- or water-based. Adhesives can only be applied when temperatures are at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit and will remain that way during the drying period. Be sure to store the adhesive in an area where the temperature can be controlled between 50 and 70 degrees.