Modified Bitumen Roof Coating in Orlando, FL
Mod-bit and built-up roofs restore better than almost anything else, and they are the easiest to get wrong. The difference is whether the asphalt gets blocked before it gets coated.
The decision in front of you
Somebody has put a roof replacement in next year’s capital budget. Before that number gets approved, it is worth knowing whether the roof needs replacing at all, because on a commercial building the answer is often no.
Restoration means the existing roof stays where it is and becomes the base for a new seamless membrane sprayed over the top of it. No demolition, no dumpsters, no open deck, and no phone call to tenants explaining why their ceiling is dripping on a Tuesday.
It is not the right answer for every roof, and the assessment below is how we tell the difference.
The mistake that ruins mod-bit coating jobs
Aged asphalt contains oils. Put a white coating straight over it and Florida heat pulls those oils up through the coating within a season. The roof goes tan and blotchy and loses most of the reflectivity that was half the reason for doing it.
It is entirely preventable with a bleed-blocking base coat applied before the finish coat. Gaco makes one specifically for this, the GacoFlex A4271 BleedTrap base coat.
If you are collecting quotes for an asphaltic roof, ask each contractor how they are handling bleed-through. The answers will tell you who has done this before.
Restoration against replacement, in the terms you budget in
| Silicone restoration | Tear-off and replace | |
|---|---|---|
| Building open to weather | Never | In sections, for the duration |
| Tenant disruption | Noise and rooftop access | Noise, access, and interior risk |
| Disposal cost | None | Old membrane and insulation to landfill |
| Weather risk during the job | Low, roof is never open | Real, June to October especially |
| At end of service life | Wash and recoat | Tear off again |
| Roof layer count | Unchanged | Resets to one |
Restoration is often treated as maintenance rather than a capital replacement, which can matter for how it is budgeted and expensed. Confirm that with your accountant; we are roofers.
What we check before we quote
We do not quote a coating off a photograph or a satellite measurement. Five things determine whether restoration is honest advice or an expensive mistake, and all five get checked on site.
Membrane condition
Weathered but sound restores well. Brittle enough to fracture underfoot does not.
Moisture in the system
Built-up roofs hide water. Survey, then cores where the survey suggests it.
Blisters and laps
Isolated blisters get cut, dried and patched. Widespread blistering usually means moisture, which changes the recommendation.
Drainage and ponding
Whether standing water is a blocked drain we can clear or a deflection we cannot.
Layer count
How many roofs are already up there, and what the building department allows.
What the work involves
Blisters cut, dried and patched. Open laps and splits repaired. Flashings and penetration details rebuilt. Drains and scuppers cleared. Then a thorough wash to take off loose granules, oxidised asphalt and growth, a bleed-blocking base coat over the asphaltic surface, reinforcement at every lap and detail, and solvent-free silicone across the field.
Silicone rather than acrylic for the same reason as every other flat roof here: most Central Florida flat roofs pond somewhere, and silicone does not soften where water stands.
What you get in writing
- A photographic condition report covering the field, the seams, the penetrations and the perimeter.
- Moisture survey findings, and core sample photographs where we took cores.
- A clear recommendation: restore, repair then restore, or replace. Including the case where the answer is replace.
- A scope that names the products and the preparation, not just a price per square foot.
- The warranty terms, in full, before you sign anything.
If the roof is not a candidate, you get that in writing too, with the reasons. A restoration sold onto a wet roof fails, and it fails in a way that costs more than the replacement you were trying to avoid.
Roof Coating Service Areas
We restore commercial roofs across 8 Central Florida cities. Pick yours for local details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did our last white roof coating turn tan?
Asphalt bleed-through. The oils in aged asphalt migrate up into the coating when the roof heats. A bleed-blocking base coat prevents it, and it is the most common avoidable failure on coated asphaltic roofs.
Can a gravel built-up roof be coated?
Loose gravel has to come off or the surface has to be prepared so there is something solid to bond to, which adds cost. Smooth and mineral cap sheet surfaces are far more straightforward.
Does a coating count as another roof layer?
A coating is not generally counted the way an added membrane layer is, which is part of why restoration appeals when a building already carries more than one roof. Your building department has the final word and we handle the permit.
What if there is water in the insulation?
Those areas are cut out and replaced before anything is coated. If the wet area is large enough, restoration stops being the right answer and we will quote a replacement.
How long before the roof can be walked on?
Cure times depend on product and conditions and are in the scope you receive. Rooftop equipment access is planned into the schedule so your service contractors are not locked out.
Can you work around our operating hours?
Yes. There is no tear-off, so the work is far easier to schedule around a business than a replacement is.
Find out what your roof actually needs
We inspect, core where it matters, and tell you honestly whether the roof is worth restoring.
Get My Free Assessment Call 407-600-4137