Painting the roof of a house is a challenging task, especially if the roof is a slope. Some homeowners prefer painting their roofs, while others don’t prefer painting as they like the natural color of shingles. However, those who prefer painting their roofs face many difficulties while doing so.
From choosing the right paint to hiring the painters and getting the best results, there are plenty of challenges that homeowners need to address. The painting task becomes much difficult in case of sloped roofs. Let us explore some things that make roof painting a problem for homeowners with the help of roof painters adelaide.
If the roof is too old
In case the roof is too old, it requires repairs before you can paint it. However, before beginning the repairs, it needs an inspection by a roofing professional. Some people don’t pay attention and paint their roof themselves. Painting yourself can cause problems, and the paint gets worn soon as the moisture and other elements affect the paint quickly on old roofs.
Painting the shingles
If the roof is sloped and made up of shingles, it becomes difficult to paint the same. Painters need to create a temporary structure to hold them in a position for painting. This adds up to their work and takes more time and labor hours to paint a sloped roof. Painting multiple shingles one by one takes more time than painting a flat roof. Moreover, stepping on a sloped roof also involves the risk of slipping and falling.
Coating thin
Applying a thin roof coating can create problems as it does not offer the necessary strength the roof paint needs. The reason for this problem is that the water of the solvent in the paint evaporates as it dries. It is essential to add additional wet mils in the paint if you plan a thin coating for your roof. Doing this can offer your thin coating adequate thickness.
Thick coating
When we paint a roof with a thick layer, it becomes naturally prone to bubbles and blisters in the film. The layer under the surface does not get sufficient time for drying, but the surface itself dries and traps the water and other chemicals. These chemicals and water content under the surface causes the formation of bubbles and blisters that requires you to break the coating and repaint sooner than required.
Improper mixing of paint
It is essential to mix the paint thoroughly to achieve the right consistency in the coating. Usually, the heavy ingredients in the paint settle at the bottom of the container, which requires stirring while painting. Most painters don’t mix the paint while painting the roof that leads to imperfections. When the paintbrush picks the thick ingredients from the container, they stick on the surface, causing imperfections in the coating.
Painting in the rainy season
Painting in the rainy season in a location where it can rain anytime is a severe issue for painters. As the paint coating needs time to dry up completely, rain can wash it off, leading to thinning of the coating. The coating also becomes uneven and requires a second coat to make it uniform. Therefore, it is best to avoid painting a roof in the rainy season. If the house in a location that receives rains anytime, homeowners should paint the roof on a sunny day, so that it dries off before the rain. Also, painters should check the forecast before painting and should paint in the days when the weather is sunny for a few days.
Painting in cold weather
Similar to the rainy season, painters face some challenges in cold weather. The paint takes more time to dry, and they need to wait for more in the winter season to apply a second coat. There is also a risk of birds and pests to spoil the wet paint until it dries off completely. Whether homeowners choose to paint a single coat or double, it takes more time to dry in winter. As the roof is open to the external environment, anything can spoil the paint, whether they are birds, insects, objects, hailstorm, or any other thing.
Solar panels
Some homeowners have solar panels on their roofs, and these things need removal before painting. It is a difficult task to remove and reinstall all the panels. Some homeowners prefer painting the roof without removing the solar panels. In such conditions, it becomes more challenging for the painters to paint a roof with solar panels or any other installation.
Failing roof systems
A roof coating is not a solution for roof replacement, especially during conditions like wet insulation and loss of roof system adhesion. The coatings are helpful to restore the watertight nature in such conditions for a short time. However, extreme conditions such as thawing and freezing of wet insulation, splitting of the membrane under the coating, hail damage, and wind uplift damage can still occur.
Winds
Winds bring with them a lot of dust and dirt that can spoil a fresh coat of paint on any roof. Even a mild wind can bring plenty of dirt and leaves that can spoil the paint. Therefore, it is best to avoid painting a roof on a windy day or in such a season. It is not possible to cover an entire roof in a way to protect it from winds. It is essential to check the local weather and paint when the weather is calm and sunny.
Type of material
Some challenges in painting a roof also depend on the roofing material. Materials like concrete and metal roofs are easy to paint while it is difficult to paint wood and asphalt shingles. The shape and design of the roof also bring challenges in painting. Straight and flat roofs are easy to paint while slant and slopes are challenging.
Final Words
These are some challenges that make roof painting a problem for painters and homeowners. However, consulting a house roof painting professional service can guide homeowners about the right time to paint their roofs. Painting the roofs at the right time in the right season can help people to get high-quality results they want for their house.