Frequently Asked Questions
What building owners, facility managers, and roofing contractors ask us.
Evaluating the Roof
How do I know if my roof is a candidate for encapsulation instead of replacement?
Three questions decide it. Is the panel steel structurally sound with no rust-through over open deck? Is the insulation dry, or can the wet areas be cut out and replaced? Is the structure adequate for the loads it carries today? If all three are yes, encapsulation is almost always the better economics. If the deck has section loss or the insulation is saturated across large areas, you are past it.
What does it cost compared to a tear-off and replacement?
Meaningfully less, and the gap widens on occupied buildings. A replacement carries tear-off labor, disposal, exposure risk, and — on a warehouse, processing plant, or storage building — the cost of interrupting whatever is happening underneath. Encapsulation has none of those. The material cost is higher per square foot than a coating; the total project cost is a fraction of a replacement.
Can it go over an existing acrylic or silicone roof coating?
Sometimes. Silicone in particular is difficult to overcoat — it is designed to shed. Run an adhesion test patch with 7001 Primer before committing. If the test pulls, the old coating has to be removed. We would rather run the test than warranty a bond we have not verified.
What about ponding water on low-slope sections?
It is a non-issue for a fully adhered polyurea membrane. Unlike a lapped or mechanically-fastened system, there is no seam for standing water to work into and the membrane is not breathable. Ponding remains a housekeeping and debris concern, not a leak risk.
Preparation & Application
Do the fasteners have to be dealt with first?
Yes. Backed-out screws get driven or replaced, spinners get oversize replacements, and rust-jacked fasteners get remediated before anything is sprayed. The membrane seals against water — it will not hold a loose fastener in place, and a screw that backs out later will tent the membrane above it.
Can it be applied over rust?
Over sound, tightly-adhered rust after SSPC-SP3 power-tool cleaning, yes — the membrane isolates the oxide from moisture and oxygen and stops the reaction. Over loose scale or flaking corrosion, no. And over perforated panel, no: that section gets patched or replaced first.
Does the building have to shut down?
No. That is the primary operational argument for encapsulation. The existing roof stays in place as the substrate, so at no point is the interior exposed. Work proceeds section by section and rooftop equipment is detailed in place.
What weather window do you need?
Fast-set polyurea is more forgiving than most roof systems because it gels in seconds — ambient humidity has far less opportunity to affect the film than with a coating that stays wet for hours. Substrate temperature and dew point still govern. Practically, this extends the workable season on both ends compared to acrylic systems.
Performance & Documentation
What does Miami-Dade approval actually mean for my project?
It is third-party verification of wind uplift and impact performance under one of the most demanding test protocols in North America. Outside high-velocity hurricane zones it is not a code requirement, but it is documentation that specifiers, insurers, and owners recognize — useful on any project where the membrane has to be justified on paper.
How does it handle hail?
A 60-mil elastomeric membrane with 300–400% elongation and 400–500 pli tear strength absorbs impact rather than fracturing. Hail can dent the panel underneath; the membrane stretches over the deformation and stays watertight. Compare that to a rigid coating, which fractures at the dent perimeter.
Does it need to be recoated periodically?
The membrane is not a sacrificial coating. Aromatic polyurea chalks cosmetically under UV without losing physical properties. Where long-term appearance matters or a reflective finish is wanted, an aliphatic topcoat can be specified over it — that topcoat, not the membrane, becomes the eventual maintenance item.
Can I use this on the metal walls too?
Yes. Metal wall panel and siding take the same system, and wind-driven rain through side laps is a common complaint on older buildings. The vertical application is straightforward with fast-set polyurea because it does not sag. Roof-to-wall transitions get built to 100 mil either way.
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