Henry's Roof Paint

[o1marc]

I'm having serious second thoughts about the Henry's elastomeric roof coating. I did a section around the skylights and am not satisfied with how well it laid smooth. It also seems to collect dirt easier than a smooth paint would. Once it's down you're pretty much done, can it be painted over with regular paint? Experiences from those who have used it? :Thanx:

 

[Ninjakitty]

No personal experience but I read about a lot of the issues that you just mentioned. I personally know a bus that pressure washed all of the tropicool off of their bus after a month or so. I personally am sticking with oil based enamels for exterior paint

 

[farok]

Are these issues with all elastomeric paints or just Henry's?

Chris

 

[EastCoastCB]

Are these issues with all elastomeric paints or just Henry's?

Chris

Rubberized paint only holds up so long on a vehicle... I like regular paint.

 

[Sleddgracer]

elastomeric paint works best on a rough surface, and best of all on a rough vertical surface

 

[musigenesis]

No personal experience but I read about a lot of the issues that you just mentioned. I personally know a bus that pressure washed all of the tropicool off of their bus after a month or so. I personally am sticking with oil based enamels for exterior paint

If your roof is well insulated, water-tight (fingers crossed) and already painted a reflective white, is there any additional advantage to using something like tropicool? I've heard it has a tendency to get dirty, but lack of durability seems like a much bigger problem.

 

[Native-SKO]

We applied ames elastomeric paint to our roof about a six weeks ago. Our experience is that it forms a tough shell (we did apply 3 coats and included ceramic beads). We have tested painting over the Ames elastomeric paint and paint does bond well. We did ask the Ames folks and they said it was fine to paint over their paint with a laytex paint. We first applied Rustoleum primer, then Rustoleum Professional gloss black to both the primed and raw elastomeric paint. The places where there was ONLY the primer did show small cracks. When these cracks were painted, they filled in and were mostly not noticed. The parts where the gloss paint was applied directly to the elastomeric paint adhered well and looked good. We set the test piece out in the elements for a few weeks and there was no change from the initial findings.


Today, we shot some PP&G AUE-300 gloss black 2-part acrylic enamel implement paint on part of the roof that does have the elastomeric paint. It does look nice. Time will tell the total story, but I believe it will be nice for some time to come.

 

[jazty]

If your roof is well insulated, water-tight (fingers crossed) and already painted a reflective white, is there any additional advantage to using something like tropicool? I've heard it has a tendency to get dirty, but lack of durability seems like a much bigger problem.

Here's an older thread on the matter. I did a test of elastomeric paint vs white oil paint vs school bus yellow somewhere in the pages:
http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f13/insulating-paint-beads-feedback-from-real-people-please-9291.html

 

[jazty]

Anecodotally, I should add that I painted several coats of Henry's Solarflex on my bus's roof about 4 or 5 years ago. It has held up really well. Sure, it could use a cleaning (as could the entire bus), but it doesn't look bad, just a bit dusty. No yellowing or anything.
The paint pale provides detailed application instructions that _must_ be followed! Make sure to rough-up the surface with sandpaper. The product takes a long time to properly dry, so if weather is a concern move the project indoors or build a magnificient tarp circus tent (that's what I did).
The only places where it is peeling off are due to me hitting branches and other low-hanging objects

 

[firebuild]

I have it and my roof looks amazing. The rest of the bus, not so much. I also feel it's done wonders in terms of regulating the interior temperature of the bus.

I believe we did 2 coats, used a roller. It did go on pretty smooth. It's very matte but really looks good.

 

[miketwofeathers]

I'm having serious second thoughts about the Henry's elastomeric roof coating. I did a section around the skylights and am not satisfied with how well it laid smooth. It also seems to collect dirt easier than a smooth paint would. Once it's down you're pretty much done, can it be painted over with regular paint? Experiences from those who have used it? :Thanx:

First of all anything you put on the roof that is water based, it's doomed to fail. Elastomeric says in reality water based. It will not small well and after a year you'll have white streaks after it rains which is the'paint' chalking. If your looking to seal vents and such use dicor self-leveling caulk. It has at minimum a 10 year life. If your looking to color the roof unless you can get oil base, it will take first putting primer on like kilz, and then a high quality paint for a house. But realize they will chalk as they age. Oil base gives you a longer time between painting versus a elastomeric paint.

 

[o1marc]

First of all anything you put on the roof that is water based, it's doomed to fail. Elastomeric says in reality water based. It will not small well and after a year you'll have white streaks after it rains which is the'paint' chalking. If your looking to seal vents and such use dicor self-leveling caulk. It has at minimum a 10 year life. If your looking to color the roof unless you can get oil base, it will take first putting primer on like kilz, and then a high quality paint for a house. But realize they will chalk as they age. Oil base gives you a longer time between painting versus a elastomeric paint.

So the manufacturers claims are all lies?

"Henry® 287 Solar-Flex® White Elastomeric Roof Coating is a premium, elastomeric, water-based acrylic latex coating. When properly applied, it is highly resistant to disbonding, chalking, mildew and discoloration."

The oil base paint won't have near the insulation properties the elastomeric will. Typically paint is good for 10 years, elastomeric they claim is good for up to 17 years.

 

[EastCoastCB]

So the manufacturers claims are all lies?

"Henry® 287 Solar-Flex® White Elastomeric Roof Coating is a premium, elastomeric, water-based acrylic latex coating. When properly applied, it is highly resistant to disbonding, chalking, mildew and discoloration."

The oil base paint won't have near the insulation properties the elastomeric will. Typically paint is good for 10 years, elastomeric they claim is good for up to 17 years.

They're exaggerations and opinion presented as fact.
"highly resistant" is pretty subjective in marketing. And plus all those claims are for a stationary roof on a permanent structure.

Paint is really poor way to try to seal or insulate a bus, but to each their own.

 

[Sleddgracer]

Rubberized paint only holds up so long on a vehicle... I like regular paint.

They're exaggerations and opinion presented as fact.
"highly resistant" is pretty subjective in marketing. And plus all those claims are for a stationary roof on a permanent structure.

Paint is really poor way to try to seal or insulate a bus, but to each their own.

I had a franchise for elastomeric paint ( Vinyl ) - painted an old Victorian style house with it - the next summer I received a letter from that customer praising the paint, saying it had cut his heat bill in half - I thanked him for the note and that I was glad he was pleased with the paint and the job, but left out the part that the decreased heat bill was likely due to the several cases of caulking we used to seal up all the cracks around the window and door frames than it was the 8 mils of paint we lathered on his house - lol

 

[shaymcquaid]

I have noticed also (in my extensive youtube/internet research:biggrin that the elastomeric products end up looking bad in not too much time.

I'm kinda leaning toward sealing the seams and then an automotive single stage poly. I think the smooth surface will lend itself to staying clean and obviously be resistant to the elements. Just my reasoning based on personal experience. ymmv

 

[yfrank14]

I dont know anything about a bus, but i have used Ames roof coatings on my house.
Expensive and a PITA to work with, at least in my area due to the weather needing to be just right to apply it, but i had two roofs on additions that were built by drunken farmers and there was no way to keep them from leaking with convetinal roofing products.
This stuff is great because it goes up and over bumps and around corners. It is like using tar.
It does chalk, but i don't care. I could wash it if i cared.
Dries to a bright white so you can blind the google map satellites.
That being said, i cant see a benefit to using it on a bus.
If i were going to use it, i would use the cheesecloth like product Ames makes. It goes on top of one coat then you paint on top of it.
Causes the whole roof to flex as one piece, so you don't get cracks where two opposing sections meet.
When i get a bus i assume i will be happy with Rust-Oleum.

 

[jazty]

First of all anything you put on the roof that is water based, it's doomed to fail. Elastomeric says in reality water based. It will not small well and after a year you'll have white streaks after it rains which is the'paint' chalking. If your looking to seal vents and such use dicor self-leveling caulk. It has at minimum a 10 year life. If your looking to color the roof unless you can get oil base, it will take first putting primer on like kilz, and then a high quality paint for a house. But realize they will chalk as they age. Oil base gives you a longer time between painting versus a elastomeric paint.

5-years with Henry's Solar-flex paint on my bus roof. No chalking. No running. No peeling. No yellowing.

I'd stay far away from exterior house paint on a bus. All of the buses I've seen that were painted with exterior house paint are chipping badly. For quick and easy stick with Rustoleum (with added hardener).

All that aside, don't rely on paint to seal a roof. It won't last for long.

 

[farok]

I'm still leaning towards an elastomeric paint for the roof (my local hardware store has Black Jack for under $70 for 5 gallons - good for at least 3 coats on my shortie, I suspect), but I've hear BusKote is supposedly pretty good too, but far more pricey. Is it worth it to consider? What benefits does this bring over basic Rustoleum or an elastomeric paint? If some folks are recommending basic Rustoleum instead of elastomeric, I would assume this would also be worth considering.

Thanks as always,
Chris

 

[jazty]

I'm still leaning towards an elastomeric paint for the roof (my local hardware store has Black Jack for under $70 for 5 gallons - good for at least 3 coats on my shortie, I suspect), but I've hear BusKote is supposedly pretty good too, but far more pricey. Is it worth it to consider? What benefits does this bring over basic Rustoleum or an elastomeric paint? If some folks are recommending basic Rustoleum instead of elastomeric, I would assume this would also be worth considering.

Thanks as always,
Chris

Take a look at this thread for some answers to your questions:
http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f13/insulating-paint-beads-feedback-from-real-people-please-9291.html


Things get interesting around page 4.

 

[EastCoastCB]

I'm still leaning towards an elastomeric paint for the roof (my local hardware store has Black Jack for under $70 for 5 gallons - good for at least 3 coats on my shortie, I suspect), but I've hear BusKote is supposedly pretty good too, but far more pricey. Is it worth it to consider? What benefits does this bring over basic Rustoleum or an elastomeric paint? If some folks are recommending basic Rustoleum instead of elastomeric, I would assume this would also be worth considering.

Thanks as always,
Chris

Buskote is just elastomeric paint.