I own a 1 family home that has flat roof. About 7 years ago I had new
top done...not familiar with names, but it was white. No problems with
leaks. Now i had a handy man checking something out on my gutter and he
looked at my roof and said something like it wasn't finished properly.
It needs to be painted. Then he show me what he meant by pointing to
another neighbors roof 3 houses away. He said its meant to reflect the
sun off the roof. He said the product cost about $90 and he would
charge me $225. Is it really necessary for that paint job and is the
price overstated?

Handy man? did you look yourself, do you live in a cold area where
winter heating is your main cost, if so black is best, if you live south
where AC is your main cost then white is best, maybe your handy just
needs work, 225 labor, what size is it, roofs roll fast.

Anthora,

He is talking about elastomeric roof coating which runs around $65.00 per 5
gallon bucket at Home Depot. Each gallon will cover up to 50 square feet of
roofing. If he buys three five gallon buckets of product. That will cover
about 750 square feet and cost him $195.00 + tax for materials alone. Most
roofs that have never been coated with elastomeric before will need 2-3
coats for the first application. I am assuming your house is larger than 750
square feet? For $225.00 he cannot do a good job. We would charge around
$200.00 just to wash and prepare an average roof for elastomeric.

Elastomeric will extend the life of your roof if applied and maintained
properly. I would get other estimates if you are interested.
Also check out www.koolseal.com

Good luck,

Craig

"Anthona" wrote in message
ps.com...
I own a 1 family home that has flat roof. About 7 years ago I had new
top done...not familiar with names, but it was white. No problems with
leaks. Now i had a handy man checking something out on my gutter and he
looked at my roof and said something like it wasn't finished properly.
It needs to be painted. Then he show me what he meant by pointing to
another neighbors roof 3 houses away. He said its meant to reflect the
sun off the roof. He said the product cost about $90 and he would
charge me $225. Is it really necessary for that paint job and is the
price overstated?

cm wrote:
Anthora,

He is talking about elastomeric roof coating which runs around $65.00 per 5
gallon bucket at Home Depot. Each gallon will cover up to 50 square feet of
roofing. If he buys three five gallon buckets of product. That will cover
about 750 square feet and cost him $195.00 + tax for materials alone. Most
roofs that have never been coated with elastomeric before will need 2-3
coats for the first application. I am assuming your house is larger than 750
square feet? For $225.00 he cannot do a good job. We would charge around
$200.00 just to wash and prepare an average roof for elastomeric.

Elastomeric will extend the life of your roof if applied and maintained
properly. I would get other estimates if you are interested.
Also check out www.koolseal.com

Good luck,

Craig

"Anthona" wrote in message
ps.com...
I own a 1 family home that has flat roof. About 7 years ago I had new
top done...not familiar with names, but it was white. No problems with
leaks. Now i had a handy man checking something out on my gutter and he
looked at my roof and said something like it wasn't finished properly.
It needs to be painted. Then he show me what he meant by pointing to
another neighbors roof 3 houses away. He said its meant to reflect the
sun off the roof. He said the product cost about $90 and he would
charge me $225. Is it really necessary for that paint job and is the
price overstated?


My roof is measured approximately 30' x 16' 8" slightly less than 510
sq ft. Is that paint something that you spray? Never heard of 3
coats..one yes, but not 3.I live in NYC so the cold is not Mainish or
vermontish cold. He said the paint would reflect the heat off the roof
when the sun shines. So what does that it do...nullify ice dams at the
gutter end? He said he worked for home depot at one time. He mentioned
$90 for the paint and the rest for labor. Technically, i do not have
any problems other than a ice dam at the gutter edge when we do hit a
rare cold spell with snow. There are no internal leaks so far...ceiling
or walls. Thanks

Anthona wrote:
cm wrote:
Anthora,

He is talking about elastomeric roof coating which runs around $65.00 per 5
gallon bucket at Home Depot. Each gallon will cover up to 50 square feet of
roofing. If he buys three five gallon buckets of product. That will cover
about 750 square feet and cost him $195.00 + tax for materials alone. Most
roofs that have never been coated with elastomeric before will need 2-3
coats for the first application. I am assuming your house is larger than 750
square feet? For $225.00 he cannot do a good job. We would charge around
$200.00 just to wash and prepare an average roof for elastomeric.

Elastomeric will extend the life of your roof if applied and maintained
properly. I would get other estimates if you are interested.
Also check out www.koolseal.com

Good luck,

Craig

"Anthona" wrote in message
ps.com...
I own a 1 family home that has flat roof. About 7 years ago I had new
top done...not familiar with names, but it was white. No problems with
leaks. Now i had a handy man checking something out on my gutter and he
looked at my roof and said something like it wasn't finished properly.
It needs to be painted. Then he show me what he meant by pointing to
another neighbors roof 3 houses away. He said its meant to reflect the
sun off the roof. He said the product cost about $90 and he would
charge me $225. Is it really necessary for that paint job and is the
price overstated?


My roof is measured approximately 30' x 16' 8" slightly less than 510
sq ft. Is that paint something that you spray? Never heard of 3
coats..one yes, but not 3.I live in NYC so the cold is not Mainish or
vermontish cold. He said the paint would reflect the heat off the roof
when the sun shines. So what does that it do...nullify ice dams at the
gutter end? He said he worked for home depot at one time. He mentioned
$90 for the paint and the rest for labor. Technically, i do not have
any problems other than a ice dam at the gutter edge when we do hit a
rare cold spell with snow. There are no internal leaks so far...ceiling
or walls. Thanks

Its brushed or rolled on. It keeps the roof (Rubber, modified bitumen,
or what ever) from deteriorating from UV rays and also helps keep things
cooler in summer. It will not prevent ice dams. Its a very easy DIY
project if you have a ladder. Put number of coats as per directions. 3
might be over-kill but maybe not. read recommendations for the
particular brand you use. Some is white, some is silver colored. Some
may even be black but I wouldn't use that.

This hassssss to be a mobile home your talking about. Only kind flat
roofed home I can think of in snow country with that dimension.

avid_hiker wrote:
This hassssss to be a mobile home your talking about. Only kind flat
roofed home I can think of in snow country with that dimension.

I wouldn't call NYC exactly snow country,although we are known for
getting some whoppers from time to time and no this is not a mobile home

m Ransley wrote:
Handy man? did you look yourself, do you live in a cold area where
winter heating is your main cost, if so black is best, if you live south
where AC is your main cost then white is best, maybe your handy just
needs work, 225 labor, what size is it, roofs roll fast.

The size is 30' x 16' 8" approx 510sq. ft and its not a mobile home

The handyman's bid sounds pretty good to me. This is a DIY project,
and I would do my own at my house, but it's a messy job on the roof
too. Sweep and hose off loose debris, fix any problem areas, and then
use a paint roller to apply the material. Three coats is what you want
for sure, and you want the silver aluminum stuff that's really tricky
to stir, not white or black stuff, unless, the roof is easily seen by
the neighbors. The aluminum stuff will reduce your summer heating
bills and make the roof last longer. Some neighbors might not like
the harsh reflection from silver, or maybe your roof can be seen from a
window in the house, so settle for the white stuff. I wouldn't put
black on the roof unless the house is located inside the artic circle.
The summer heat and UV rays are what ultimately break down the
materials of a flat roof, as it does on any roof, not the rain or snow.
I don't know much about ice dams though since I've never experienced
that at my house in California; maybe black will keep that from
happening, I don't know.


Anthona wrote:
m Ransley wrote:
Handy man? did you look yourself, do you live in a cold area where
winter heating is your main cost, if so black is best, if you live south
where AC is your main cost then white is best, maybe your handy just
needs work, 225 labor, what size is it, roofs roll fast.

The size is 30' x 16' 8" approx 510sq. ft and its not a mobile home

Alan wrote:
The handyman's bid sounds pretty good to me. This is a DIY project,
and I would do my own at my house, but it's a messy job on the roof
too. Sweep and hose off loose debris, fix any problem areas, and then
use a paint roller to apply the material. Three coats is what you want
for sure, and you want the silver aluminum stuff that's really tricky
to stir, not white or black stuff, unless, the roof is easily seen by
the neighbors. The aluminum stuff will reduce your summer heating
bills and make the roof last longer. Some neighbors might not like
the harsh reflection from silver, or maybe your roof can be seen from a
window in the house, so settle for the white stuff. I wouldn't put
black on the roof unless the house is located inside the artic circle.
The summer heat and UV rays are what ultimately break down the
materials of a flat roof, as it does on any roof, not the rain or snow.
I don't know much about ice dams though since I've never experienced
that at my house in California; maybe black will keep that from
happening, I don't know.


Anthona wrote:


m Ransley wrote:
Handy man? did you look yourself, do you live in a cold area where
winter heating is your main cost, if so black is best, if you live south
where AC is your main cost then white is best, maybe your handy just
needs work, 225 labor, what size is it, roofs roll fast.

The size is 30' x 16' 8" approx 510sq. ft and its not a mobile home


Thanks, but the quote he gave me i presume was for one coat...he did
not mention anything about 3 coats and he did say he worked for home
depot at one time.

"Anthona" wrote in message
oups.com...

avid_hiker wrote:
This hassssss to be a mobile home your talking about. Only kind flat
roofed home I can think of in snow country with that dimension.

I wouldn't call NYC exactly snow country,although we are known for
getting some whoppers from time to time and no this is not a mobile home

Anthona -- I'm not a roofer, but in my experience as a homeowner I feel that
flat roofs need regular attention. I suggest that you do several things --

a. Ask the handyman what product he is going to use, and how many
applications will it take
b. Ask a local reliable roofing company (perhaps the one that did the
earlier installation?) to look at the roof and recommend what maintenance it
might need, and a maintenance schedule.

It may be that the handyman can do the work at a reasonable price. It's
also possible that he'll lay down a coat of cheap product that won't benefit
you. With a quote from another -- expert -- source you will have more
information on which to make a judgement.

Most importantly (for me) don't let it wait until you have interior
problems. In this area (Florida) I recoat a flat roof over my living room
every 2 years, using the elastomeric product mentioned earlier. I had the
roof totally redone during a renovation, and watched the roofing company
redo the coating two years later. For now, as long as the roof continues to
look good (no cracks, leaks, etc.) I'll do the next coatings myself.
Regards --