Engineering coatings like membranes

CCS Influencer Shawn Morgan says that, as the industry shifts from traditional single-ply membranes to roof coatings, one of the biggest changes is how they’re specified and tested.

I’ve been getting this question a lot lately…How roof coatings are starting to function less like “maintenance products” and more like full roofing systems.

Traditionally, coatings were mostly  used to extend the life of an existing roof. They gave you reflectivity, some waterproofing capabilities and bought you a few extra years before replacement. Helpful, but not necessarily a long-term solution.

Today’s coatings are being engineered much more like full membranes. We’re seeing higher performance coatings like silicone blends, urethanes and polyureas. These products have better tensile strength and elongation, and better resistance to ponding water and weathering. When you combine that with fabric reinforcement and multi-coat applications, you’re no longer just “painting the roof”…You’re installing a seamless, monolithic membrane.

That reinforcement piece is key. By embedding fabric between coats, these systems gain tear strength and crack-bridging like traditional TPO, EPDM or PVC single-ply membranes; but without a tear-off, seams or fasteners. This results in fewer failure points and easier long-term maintenance.

From an owner standpoint, it’s very compelling: 

• Equal warranties to single ply (20+ years) 
• Lower lifecycle cost 
• Less disruption and waste vs. replacement 
• Energy savings 
• Easier warranty extensions with recoats instead of reroofs

So, coatings aren’t just a “product” anymore, they’re becoming a legitimate primary roofing system solution, and we need to sell it that way.

Now, as the industry shifts from traditional single-ply membranes to roof coatings for restoration and roof life extension, one of the biggest changes really comes down to how they’re specified and tested.

Single ply’s are treated as full roof systems. They are the primary waterproofing layer, so they must meet some robust ASTM standards and full system testing. Things like wind uplift, fire rating, seam strength, long-term weathering and FM assembly listings.

Coatings are a bit different. They are still generally considered a maintenance or restoration item rather than a stand-alone roof system. So instead of system-level testing, you’re mostly dealing with product standards like adhesion, elongation, reflectivity, UV resistance and compatibility with the existing roof. Codes now treat them separately too, which means the language in the specification moves from “roof system performance” to “material performance and surface prep.” 

This means a few things for us: 

• More emphasis on substrate condition and preparation 
• Adhesion/pull testing before application 
• Film thickness requirements 
• Maintenance plans 
• And typically, different warranties than a traditional reroof 

So, it’s less about replacing a roof and more about extending the life of what’s already there.