Koolseal...What to do...Please help

[astegall1978]

Hey I have some questions about sealing my roof. I have found where i can buy the koolseal locally. I live in the upstate of South Carolina and its HOT...I have been needing to reseal the roof for a while but have been slack about it, until this past Winter when I noticed the water stains. Since I was told you could'nt re-seal the roof (paint it) in the cold weather. Now its hot and I have to get it done, SO.....What Do i need to get the job done right? I am going to rent a Presure washer and clean the roof. Its a Metal on Metal Single wide 16x80

1. What If any Kinda Cleaning solution sould i use? (and can I use it on the siding aswell)
2. What sould i use to recaulk around the vent pipes?
3. What time of day sould i start painting the roof?....Its pretty hot here now in the day and I was told to paint it EARLY in the Morning, before the sun Gets out and shining on it...Cause they said that the sun heating up the metal roof would cause the Koolseal to start running and melt so to speak? But The roof is damp from the night, does that matter? S what do i do???

Thank you so much for Any Info you guys can get me. I love the website, its has helped me in so many DIY Projects.

[JD]

Kool Seal has a PDF file with full instructions, called Product Data Sheet, at their website. You want to pay particular attention to the use of their primer for hard to seal areas and the use of the seam tape at vents, flashings and ridge caps on double wides.

http://www.koolseal.com/product_family. ... lastomeric

I have not had a problem applying elastomerics in heat, at least it doesn't seem to affect the product. I do not use the Kool Seal brand, but the application instructions are the same. The primer mentioned above can be used on old dried out asphalt (black roof tar type stuff) sealants but I would remove any asphalt products that are still soft. I have not found an easy way to do this. I scrape it off with a putty knife as best I can then clean the rest with mineral spirits. I will also do a final wipe with lacquer thinner.

You do want to start as early as possible to utilize as much of the cooler weather as possible and you want to quit early to be sure the product has skinned over real well before any dew hits the roof.

On vent flanges and other flat metal screwed to the roof, I just make sure it is screwed down real good with no gaps. Then I apply the undercoat product pretty heavy and embed the seam tape into the undercoat. While it is still wet, I will apply another undercoat on top of the seam tape. I let this dry fully before applying top coats. Usually I give the roof a full day before starting the top coat. If the under coat is not cured enough, you could end up with these blister - bubble type things all over the place. I imagine Kool Seal, like most elastomeric product companies recommend smoothing out all joints and screw heads with a trowlable caulk. I generally do not do that, but I pay extra attention to getting the seam tape to fit tight to screw heads and joints, and not let the fabric "tent" around screw heads, creating a small void around the screws.

On the subject of seam tape, I cannot use the stuff Kool Seal sells. It is more like a stiff grid like tape. Conklin roofing products has the best seam tape as it is a spun product and not a woven product. This allows the cloth tape to be very pliable and able to wrap tightly around screw heads. Ames Research standard seam tape is the next best tape and is very usable. Ames Research Peel N Stick seam tape is usually my first choice. Unlike their standard seam tape, the Peel N Stick is also a spun polyester product and very pliable/moldable. The Peel N Stick cost more but it has the advantage of not having to apply the under coat to make it stick. Just tape it on there and press it down real good with a hand roller or a clean terry cloth towel. Someone could be right behind you applying the top coat. Really should have at least three coats of top coat. My usual method is seam tape, 1-2 coats of undercoat (Ames Research Elasto-barrier) and 2-3 coats of top coat (Ames Maximum Stretch).

A pressure washer is great for cleaning the roof and if cleaned real well, no chemicals or soaps are needed. Just clear water. This will also help to keep cleaners from streaking the side walls of the home. Where there is no awning for protection, I will usually wash off the side walls with the clear water too. If I run into any type of greasy or oily areas, I will clean those areas by hand using Simple Green. They sell 1 gallon concentrate bottles at the home stores for about $16, and that gallon could make 10 gallons or so the way I mix it, 20 gallons if you follow the directions.

The roof being damp in the morning is a problem. You don't want to apply sealants when the roof is actually wet or noticeably damp. I will sweep off any water I can then wipe the areas with old bath towels. It does not need to be wiped totally dry. It seems that just a good effort is enough to get the air to complete the drying. You won't have to wipe much as the sun is coming up right behind you and will dry the rest of the roof. Start on the non-shaded sunnier side of the roof first. If it is somewhat windy, start on the windward side of the roof as the wind dries the roof pretty quickly.

There are many details not mentioned above, but this and other recommendations for other forum members should give you a good start. Good luck with your project.

JD

[Greg]

One other thing that JD forgot about. SUNGLASSES, if you are doing the roof on a bright day get the darkest glasses you can find. You will not believe how much sun Kool seal reflects. Greg

[astegall1978]

Thanks so much for the info, Its is big help