The future is fluid-applied

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how the mindset around fluid-applied roofing is changing and why it’s happening now. 

In a new episode of CoatingsTalk, Megan Ellsworth sat down with Greg Hlavaty, the president of Western Colloid, to talk about the rise in interest in fluid-applied roof systems. Fluid-applied systems have been used for decades, all around the world. But what’s changed? The recent rise in popularity, he believes, is a shift in people’s perspectives.  

Traditionally, fluid-applied roofing has been seen as a repair product. Greg shared, “For many years, it was always considered a Band-Aid. ‘Let's see if we can get by for a few more years from a roof by putting a coating on it.’” But recently, people have begun to think of fluid-applied roofing as a membrane system, rather than just a repair product.  

More than a patch 

This change in perspective is due to a variety of reasons, including the market’s understanding of fluid-applied membrane’s sustainability and longevity qualities. Greg elaborated, “We throw away our roofs every 15 years. Where in other parts of construction, they paint a wall or put new flooring down. They don’t have to throw it all away. And that’s what fluid-applied membranes allow for in roofing – the maintenance and repair of an existing structure without having to tear it all off.”  

And fluid-applied membranes aren’t sacrificing longevity for that sustainability aspect. Greg explained, “Just because it's rated as a maintenance repair doesn't mean, oh, it's only going to last 3 or 4 or 5 years. Most of our systems now are in the 10-to-20-year lifespan, which is the same lifespan of a brand new roof membrane that's put on new construction.” 

Supporting the mindset shift 

As the mindset around fluid-applied systems changes, Western Colloid has made it a priority to make sure contractors and other stakeholders are well-informed. Greg shared, “We as manufacturers go to our marketplace, both through the contractor and to the building owner, to make sure that the components we build in the factory, the liquids, the other parts of the assembly, are installed correctly.”  

They do this through a variety of initiatives, including field technical training. Greg explained why this support is so important for fluid-applied membrane systems. He shared, “If you missed a seam on a traditional system, you could go back and re-weld that seam. You can catch and fix your issues. But with fluid-applied, it needs multiple layers, and each layer must be done right to ensure a successful roofing membrane installation. Because of that we see it as our responsibility to offer field training and other support for contractors who are drawn to fluid-applied membranes.”  

Fluid-applied in action 

By designing high-quality products and supporting the contractors that are changing the mindset around membranes, Western Colloid’s fluid-applied products can “go toe-to-toe with any other technology in the roofing industry.” Greg shared, “Two months ago, we did a re-coat of a fairly lightweight system. It was 10,500 squares of a reinforced system and acrylic surfacing. It went 17 years with no recoating and the only reason it got recoated this year was to set the new owner up for success.”  

With that new fluid-applied membrane, the roof has another 10 years or more added to its lifespan. Further, thanks to the fluid-applied membrane they used, this result came without any tear off required. This not only means it was a more economical project, but it was also more sustainable as the waste that would be produced with a traditional reroof was diverted from the landfill.  

Listen to the whole episode with Greg to learn more about the power of fluid-applied membranes.