Page 1 of 1

Cool Seal or Tin Roof

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:58 am
by wislndixie
We have a 2001 Clayton 16x80 MH. Have gotten a quote to cool seal for $700. The same contractor quoted $3000 for a 26 guage aluminum roof installed and trimmed just like Mark shows in his book. My question is, how effective is Cool sealing, how often should it be done? or would the tin roof be the way to go?
Thanks,
Mike in Alabama

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 4:50 pm
by Greg
Mike, If the roof is in good shape, I would leave it alone. if it is starting to rust then I would coat it. I did ours for the first time after 10 years. You really want to be on the roof as little as possible to avoid problems. Greg

RE: Cool Seal or Tin Roof

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 8:05 pm
by JD
I agree with Greg. The less time spent on the roof is better for the roof. If your main goal is to have an overhang or add insulation with your new roof, then you would need a need roof. But if the goal is to not leak, I feel that you maintain the original roof as long as possible. When the repairs become too frequent or big, then it may be time to look at a new roof.

All factory metal roofs are going to have a finite usable lifetime. Eventually, rust and or a build-up of sealants is going to make resealing the roof too expensive or too much work. Anything you squirt out of a tube or paint out of a bucket will also have a limited lifespan. They will all deteriorate and fail eventually. So my thinking is to make each reseal or recoat last as long as possible to minimize the wear and tear on the roof. That is why I only recommend doing the recoats properly and not taking short cuts.

JMO
JD

RE: Cool Seal or Tin Roof

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 8:12 pm
by wislndixie
Thanks for the replys. The roof is in perfect condition as of now, in fact, I've never been on top. I was just looking at trying to cut down on utility bills by adding the tin roof.

I also talked to a contractor that is installing 1 1/2 insulation on top then "wrapping" the roof with a product made by Dupont. Some kind of membrane that they install and he swears they have excellent results with it as far as cutting down utilites..

What are your thoughts?
MIke

RE: Cool Seal or Tin Roof

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 8:35 pm
by JD
Hi Mike,

1 1/2" of white polystyrene foam will add about R-7.5 of insulation to your roof (polyiso = R-9). The effects on cooling can be greater than just the added R-rating though. By adding the insulation (and roof panels) above the existing roof, you should be cutting down on the amount of heat getting trapped in the "attic" area.

Using a "Home Wrap" (Tyvek) type product would be like an underlayment I am thinking. I have not heard of anyone doing this, but the theory sounds good. One roll is enough for your entire roof and costs less than $200. Usually, foam panels are fastened down with screws with big plastic washers.

JD

RE: Cool Seal or Tin Roof

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 11:26 am
by wislndixie
Thank you again so much for replying. I''m thinking of going ahead and cool-seal the roof. I have some scaffolding that I can use and not get on the roof and just roll the cool-seal on.

Here are two links that describe the "wrapping of the roof". If you have any comments about this procedure, please post them back here.
Mike

http://www.roofwrap.com/faq.php
http://www.dupont.com/industrial-polyme ... _home.html

RE: Cool Seal or Tin Roof

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 5:21 pm
by JD
Hi Mike,

You may still need to get up on the roof. I do all the vents and roof edges with a small roller and a brush. The roller just dispenses the material and I use the brush to really get it where I want it. Also, you may need to clean up the old sealant on the edges before redoing them. I like working from the top of the roof so I can get around the entire roof easily.

Here is a link to some excellent roof materials.
http://www.amesresearch.com/metalroof.htm

JD