What is Acrylic Coating?

Most people are familiar with at least one acrylic coating, it is an all-acrylic material, usually associated with a polymeric, plastic material that is extremely durable, and has excellent weathering properties, and is very resistant to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight and the adverse effects of weathering. Sinomaco SA2000 Flexible acrylic coating is an all-acrylic material, meaning that it is composed entirely of highly durable building blocks called monomers. While this is a clear sheet of the acrylic plastic, most acrylics are blended with other materials to create other easily recognized products such as paint, adhesive or caulk.

Acrylic polymers can be formulated to be tough and hard, and also very flexible. Acrylic polymers can also be manufactured to be flexible, to be tolerant of movement at low temperature, very elastic in their behavior.

Application of Acrylic Roof Coatings

Acrylic polymers have been engineered that are specifically designed for roof applications, and specifically for roof coatings. Coatings manufacturers have tried to use house paints on roofs but these were too brittle. Formulators also tried to use caulk and sealant technology to make elastomeric roof coatings, but they have not been totally successfully – resulting in failures. Today the technical requirements for a successful roof coating are fully understood.

Acrylic elastomeric roof coatings refer to a liquid-applied monolithic (seamless), fully adhered, elastomeric membrane that’s formed in situ on the roof. These coatings are applied 5 to 10 times thicker than a house paint. Typically, the thickness of an exterior house paint is 3 mils, .003 inches. For elastomeric roofing applications, these would be 15 to 30 mils. However, with these coatings the membrane comes out of a can. That’s why the term formed in-situ on the roof is used. It’s applied as a liquid. As it dries, it forms a tough membrane, like EPDM and like HypalonR. But, unlike those materials, it has no seams. No field or factory seaming is necessary. Moreover it is also fully adhered. These coatings are not mechanically attached like other types of single-ply membranes.

It is Not a Paint

The roof coating looks like a paint in a can or pail. It has the same viscosity as paint, which makes it brushable or sprayable, or, it can be applied with a roller, just like a house paint. But, it’s a very different material based on a different class of acrylic chemistry. Also, it’s a material that has a unique set of performance criteria. An acrylic elastomeric roof coating is not a paint. Typically a paint does not require resistance to ponding water, reflectivity properties, flexibility at low temperature, ability to expand and contract or resistance to foot traffic. But an elastomeric roof coating does require these properties. The roof is going to sit on a relatively horizontal surface, tolerating many external stresses and water contact for extended time.

These acrylic roof coatings are usually white in color. This white color provides two unique features. First it reduces the temperature of the roof membrane to which it is applied. This reduced temperature coupled with the UV blocking properties of the coating reduces the degradation and deterioration of the roofing membrane enabling it to last longer. This white color also reflects as much as 85% of the heat portion of the sunlight, reducing the heat transfer into the building and reduces air conditioning costs.


Post time: Apr-14-2021