Poll: elastomeric vs. white paint on roof

[Jolly Roger]

I have found that farm implement paint is cheaper and tougher and then buy the ceramic additive to mix in.
The problem with that is that most farm equipment isn't white?
Major construction equipment one manufacturer is (TEREX) but they think something of there stuff.
I would think that any light color with the ceramic added would be close

[Stu & Filo. T]

Originally Posted by allwthrrider

Just called the company & their tech services said no primer necessary as long it hasn't been exposed to moister

Well I sanded the roof and applied 2 coats & it looks great, I treated the new side steel with Ospho yesterday and today wiped it down & started applying the
elastomeric paint and it was looking like ****, real chunky wouldn't spread at all so I just scraped off what I put on and now going to rattle can some primer on the rest then go back and sand off the remnites of the other when it dries.

[nat_ster]

Originally Posted by allwthrrider

Well I sanded the roof and applied 2 coats & it looks great, I treated the new side steel with Ospho yesterday and today wiped it down & started applying the
elastomeric paint and it was looking like ****, real chunky wouldn't spread at all so I just scraped off what I put on and now going to rattle can some primer on the rest then go back and sand off the remnites of the other when it dries.

Thx for testing it out.

Nat

[Stu & Filo. T]

Originally Posted by nat_ster

Thx for testing it out.

Nat

Sure would have been a lot easier for me if you'd been the first Nat

[nat_ster]

Originally Posted by allwthrrider

Sure would have been a lot easier for me if you'd been the first Nat

That stuff is hard to get here in Canada.

Nat

[onenationundergoat]

I ended up painting the roof with regular white acrylic enamel automotive paint. 1 gallon ($35) with hardener and slow reducer sprayed on in one heavy coat with probably 16 oz left over. It has made a fantastic difference, especially when combined with the reflectix window shades.

[EastCoastCB]

^ yup the florida schools are almost all white-painted roof buses.

[c_hasbeen]

I read an article that one of the bead liner spray companies made a silver rv roof supposed to reduce heat in the rv. Not sure which one it was

[Tango]

White or silver on the roof will reflect a LOT of heat.

Elastomeric paints are for sealing out leaks.

White elastomeric does double-duty but is prone to going flat and holding dirt without some type of sealer over it.

[rvingoffgrid]

i spray foamed my bus so i didn't have to worry about roof color, but in the past we use acme super barrier with a non skid top coat. ace hardware carries it

[HolyBus]

Paints here in FL tend to turn chalky, fade and peel no matter how nice you are to them. Clear coat, wax, etc. doesn't make much difference. It won't last. That is why I bought cheap paint for the first paint job. Roll it on and plan to redo it in time. They sell rolls of a vinyl over rubber roofing material (PeelnSeal is one) that is supposed to protect against leaks. Shoot, house roofs done with 30yr shingles may last 12-15 before the gravel is gone and shingles are cracked/broken. It just happens and insulating the attic and using more than the recommended vents will not be enough. I try to be realistic and assume the worst, hope for the best and keep smiling.

[Scooternj]

Originally Posted by rvingoffgrid

i spray foamed my bus so i didn't have to worry about roof color, but in the past we use acme super barrier with a non skid top coat. ace hardware carries it

[CaptainInsaneo]

I live in AZ and have paint many a roofs with elastomeric. I am wondering if anybody HAS actually done the sawdust elastomeric thing on the roof of a skoolie? I am seriously thinking about mixing sawdust in the next time I got to do the roof.

[mdl76]

Originally Posted by CaptainInsaneo

I live in AZ and have paint many a roofs with elastomeric. I am wondering if anybody HAS actually done the sawdust elastomeric thing on the roof of a skoolie? I am seriously thinking about mixing sawdust in the next time I got to do the roof.

will dust and dirt build up easier on a rough surface? Considering the surface is rough from the added saw dust? The dirt will then make the roof darker and be less effective

[someguy]

I'm using both. The elasto. Just went over the rivets and the seems then painted the rest white.
And I found a gallon at Home Depot for the elasto. Seeing how I wasn't doing the whole roof 5 gallons would be a waste.

[captblarney]

Originally Posted by Piersg

Interesting and timely thread as I'm about to move on to working on the roof.

Is there an added benefit to spending the money and going with a 100% Silicone roof covering like Henry's Tropi Cool versus a standard elastomeric coating? I noticed the Tropi cool comes with a lifetime warranty versus a 10yr for the elastomeric stuff, but there is quite a bit of difference in price.

Silicone Roof Coating - Henry Company

I just got off the phone with a Henry's rep. I was asking about the difference between 287, 587, 687. When he asked what it was for and I told him (bus), he said that the 287 was not the product to use because it was latex based and would result in a powdery residue coming off the application. While this may be fine for a roof, this would be a mess on a vehicle (his words).

He recommended using 887HS TROPI-COOL

While it's more expensive, the 887 is a sillicon based product and should not require the primer base layer that the 287 does (287 might not actually require primer in all cases but im not sure about that). Also, the 887 goes further with 1-2 gallons/100sq-ft vs. 2-3 gallons/100sq-ft of the 287. Also the 887 looks to be longer lasting.

That being said I'm considering the 887 since it looks to be close in price when adding in all considerations. Have folks who used 287 noticed the powdery residue he was talking about. Was it a problem?

[bonny790]

**Bump**
Wondering what sort of long term updates there are with the solar-flex 287 vs the tropi-cool 887? There's a considerable price spread between the two.