Acrylic or Silicone? Understanding the Best White Roof Coating Material for Your Arizona Home
Let's look at and consider the differences between silicon and acrylic white roof coatings made by Henry so you can make a more informed decision on which one is right for you and the roof on your home.
Both silicon and acrylic white roof coatings are popular protective and reflective coatings for flat and low sloped roofs, but the two are very different. Let's compare Henry 887 Tropi-cool 100% silicone with Henry 687 and viral white acrylic in seven different categories.
Tropi-cool 100% silicone delivers 100% waterproof protection, while a high-end acrylic such as Enviro-white acrylic is ponding water resistant up to 48 hours.
Acrylic roof coatings are not waterproof on their own not even those claiming they're siliconized or urethane-ized.
Tropi-cool 100% silicone offers a lifetime transferable warranty while Enviro-white acrylic offers a 12 year warranty.
Tropi-cool 100% silicone can be applied in as little as one coat. Enviro-white acrylic requires a minimum of two coats
Tropi-cool 100% silicone provides a 100% waterproof seal and high reflectivity to prolong roof life. Enviro-white acrylic on the other hand with its dirt pickup resistant technology reflects more over time, making it the best choice if you're more concerned with energy bill savings than waterproofing.
Tropi-cool 100% silicone creates a strong chemical bond by cross-linking silicone molecules to the existing roof surface, resulting in a 30% stronger bond compared to Enviro-white acrylic, which relies on a physical bond that sticks to the surface of the roof.
Tropi-cool 100% silicone is rain safe in 15 minutes, while in viral white acrylic means 12 hours of dry weather.
Tropi-cool 100% silicon can be applied between 35 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit, while Enviro-white acrylic should be applied between 50 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
When to go with Silicone Roof Coating
So to sum up Henry 887 Tropi-cool 100% silicone is your best choice if
When to go with Acrylic Roof Coating
Henry 687 Enviro-white acrylic is your best choice if:
Make sure your roof coating projects are done right the first time
Is a flat roof house hotter than other roof types?
Modern flat roofs use innovative materials that can make them more energy efficient and cooler than older, traditional pitched roofs.
Modern flat roofs use innovative materials that can make them more energy efficient and cooler than older, traditional pitched roofs. EPDM roofing (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) is very highly energy efficient. In studies at Oak Ridge National Laboratories it was found that roof temperatures can be reduced by 30 to 40 percent with EPDM. With such such significantly lower heat transfer into the home, this can be a smart choice for homeowners in warmer areas looking to reduce the demands on their air conditioners.
Learn more about the Benefits Of White Roof Coating in our other article
How to Apply Henry® Elastomeric White Roof Coatings for Energy Savings
in this Henry how-to we're going to help you extend the life of your flat or low sloped roof and help you save on your energy bills by applying a Henry elastomeric roof coating these coatings are also called white coatings cool roof coatings acrylic roof coatings or sometimes even snow roof coatings we're going to use Henry 687 enviro 8 which reflects nearly 90 percent of the sun's heat and UV rays when first applied with it's dirt pickup resistance technology it will still reflect 80 percent as it ages and can save you more than 4600 dollars over the life of the coating before we get started here are the tools and materials you will need for this job of course the Henry 687 enviro white pressure washer or hose with a high-pressure nozzle a non filming detergent such as tsp or tsp substitute scrub brush a leaf blower or broom henry 296 elasto tape repair fabric and henry 289 white roofing elastomeric sealant you'll need this to repair any cracks or holes if you have a metal roof a wire brush to remove rust paint sprayer or deep-pile paint roller with a wooden handle and metal threats paint brushes a drill and mixing paddle so the first step is going to be cleaning your roof you want to make sure that all the drains and gutters are clear before applying the water clean your roof using the detergent and the pressure washer or hose use a stiff bristle brush or broom with additional water and detergent to remove any stubborn dirt grease algae or moss give the roof of final rinse and allow the roof to dry completely using a leaf blower or broom clean any remaining dust dirt and debris the next step is going to be prepping your roof you want to closely inspect for any repairs that need to be made carefully inspect the roof for splits cracks blisters deteriorated flashing or cracked metal edging on metal roofs tighten and seal fasteners prior to applying sealant for best results in bed henry 296 elasto tape repair fabric between two heavy coats of henry 289 white roofing sealant depending on the depth of the repair allow 2 to 24 hours for them to dry and now we're ready to apply the first coat of Henry and viral white envira is ready to use and should not be thinned make sure you mix it well before the use and make sure you're applying it to a warm roof but not too hot to touch apply coatings evenly taking long light strokes in one direction going north and south or east and west apply second coat at a right angle to the first coat so if you went north and south the first time go east and west the second schedule your work so that the coating has two hours to dry before nightfall make sure your elastomeric roof coating projects are done right the first time with Henry and see why we are the number one choice of professionals