Foam Roof - Tan & Sand
Has anyone had a tan & sand foam roof done on their home? I need to have some work done on my existing foam roof ( white ) and I was told about the tan & sand option but I can't seem to find a whole lot of information about this option. We are curious about the trade offs with the tan & sand option including durability and insulated properties. I live in Sonoma County and I am trying to locate a reputable foam roofing company.
Thanks!
Please tell us what this is. None of us at Dura-Foam have ever heard this espression.
After laying down the elastomeric coating ( which is a tan color ), they blow sand across it so that it is embedded into the coating. Below are the exact terms that the company describes on their proposal:
Install 30 mils of tan elastomeric ultraviolet protective coating
Broadcast sand granules into wet final coat of U.V. elastomeric to refusal
Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
I don't know details about sand-and-tan, but the sand may not be that bad an idea. When Able Roofing applied my roof, they spread marble granules (1/16 inch across) over the wet roofing. I'm not sure it helps durability much, though it probably reflects at least some UV energy away from the elastometric coating. One major advantage is that the granules end up settling in the low spots on our flat roof, chases water away from the potential puddles, and spreads water across the roof so that it dries out faster after rains. The only problem is that the grains clog the screens we put in the drain holes, and we have a scattering of granules on the ground around every downspout.
Considering how hot it gets on our roof, I'd probably stick with a white coating just so we reflect as much heat and light as possible. The only good reason I can think of for colors is if your roof's visible from the street, and you want to make it a bit more innocuous. You can certainly get elastometric coatings in other colors -- check out Metacrylics in San Jose and the colors they provide.
Robert
Thank you for the information Robert. We bought our home just over a year ago and being in Petaluma makes it difficult to find foam roofers that will travel to our area. The one company who did give us a quote mentioned this tan & sand option but as I mentioned we have been able to locate very little information about it. We currently have a white roof and are very pleased with the insulating properties that it gives our home. The good thing is that it is not very visible from the street either. If anyone knows of a reputable company that will travel to Petaluma, please feel free to pass it along to my personal address.
Thank you all!
When researching roofing for my house and the rentals, found that the "rock" embedded into any type of roofing material is the "UV" protector and mechanical protection (walking on it), mainly.
So, yes it will protect the layer that is over the foam, ***AS*** long as there is rock covering it, but the rock does not cover 100%.
Plus there is thermal cycling, which will work the rocks off over time.
This is the main telltale when an asphalt roof is towards the end of it's useful lifespan...when the amounts of rock falling off increases. The asphalt can no longer hold onto each piece, so it falls off from wind, rain, walking on it, etc.
Once that goes, the layer underneath will have direct UV exposure.
My fear at the time I made up my mind to go with foam was that the companies which chose to install this rock might chose a lesser rated coating. Decided against it and just go with the spray/painted/rolled/etc on coating. Then expect to recoat it every few years.
A tan and sand will not effect the energy conservation performance of your foam roof. Foam roofing has a "K" factor of .15 per inch. That means that only .15 percent of the available energy will conduct through the foam. The sun just isn't over-head long enough to effect the ceiling in your home. In the real world, "R" rating is meaningless when discussing foam roofing. A foam roof coated any light color will stop solar gain equally as well. Reflectivity is only annoying to your neighbors. A granulated (tan sand) system has a higher impact and abrasion resistance than soft white elastomeric coating alone. It looks like a beach and birds aren't attracted to the little black spots on a dirty white roof. Peck, peck, peck. Sand will dent a beak.
Blow off excess sand. Sand is applied to the wet coating "to refusal". In other words, more than the wet coating can accept. Blow off the excess, it's good for the soil.
A wire mesh folded into a box (open on the bottom side) placed over a drain will "tea bag" the debris and won't clog easily. Get rid of the light-bulb looking screens that actually make clogs form at the opening.
