Discovering a persistent roof leak is more than an annoyance—it’s a financial threat to your property. For over 25 years, property owners have turned to high-performance roof coatings as the smart, cost-effective alternative to expensive roof replacement. Our mission has always been to offer a solution that is proven, long-lasting, and truly simple to apply: our Liquid Butyl Rubber.
While our liquid Butyl Rubber stands apart from traditional roof coatings, the success of any project ultimately rests on the application. The most common roof leaks that plague owners months or years after a coating project are often the result of five avoidable mistakes.
To maximize the 18–20 years of life you can expect from our one-coat application, you must understand where most traditional projects fail. Let’s dive into the five critical mistakes you must avoid to achieve a waterproof, seamless finish with Butyl’s superior chemistry.
1. Skimping on Surface Preparation and Ignoring Seams
This is the most time-consuming part of any coating project, and it is also the most frequently rushed. The principle is simple: our liquid rubber is only as successful as the surface it’s applied to. If you bypass essential preparation, you compromise the chemical bond, setting the stage for future roof leaks.
The Mistake: Failing to clean, repair, and prepare the existing surface properly.
The Solution:
- Cleaning is Critical: Like all painting projects, the most time-consuming aspect is often cleaning, repairing, and preparing the surface. You must thoroughly power wash and vacuum the entire roof to remove all chalking, dirt, and loose debris.
- Seam Repair is Mandatory: Especially when recoating an existing roof, significant separation within the seamed areas must be sealed before applying the coating. Our testimonials show that crews first power wash, then seal off all separated seams with two-sided tape, and do all necessary prep work around chimneys and other penetrations.
- The Butyl Bond: Our proprietary solvent allows for a unique chemical cross-link to occur, whereby the Liquid Butyl Rubber and the surface chemically fuse to become one. Any debris or contamination prevents this crucial bond from forming, rendering the protective membrane ineffective.
Suppose you are looking for a solid performing product that will ensure you’ll never get a call saying the roof is leaking. In that case, you cannot use a material without doing the necessary preparation.
2. Choosing a Multi-Coat System that Requires a Primer
Many property owners are initially drawn to standard roof coatings because of their cheaper price per gallon. However, this is a dangerous pitfall that triples your expense and complexity.
The Mistake: Selecting a coating system that requires a separate primer and multiple coats to achieve adequate film thickness.
The Solution:
- One Coat, No Primer: Our Liquid Butyl Rubber is applied in just one coat and requires no primer. The material is formulated as a single, superior product that serves as a rust inhibitor, adhesion promoter, and UV stabilizer.
- Adding Weight and Risk: Why complicate a project with multiple steps when a single-coat system offers superior performance? An actual “Do-It-Yourself” product should simplify, not complicate. Check out our EPDM Store.
3. Selecting a Coating That Cannot Withstand Ponding Water
For flat roof owners, this mistake is the single most significant cause of recurring roof leaks. If the coating can’t withstand standing water 365 days a year, it is not a permanent solution—it’s temporary maintenance.
The Mistake: Using water-based acrylics or traditional elastomeric coatings that degrade when exposed to standing water.
The Solution:
- Water-Based vs. Solvent-Based: Our product is a solvent-based system, not water-based. This is a superior choice because solvent-based coatings are significantly less susceptible to climate conditions and freezing temperatures, and they have very high resistance to extreme weather.
- Standing Water Warranty: Liquid Butyl Rubber will withstand ponding water 365 days a year! This factor was the deciding factor for contractors, as it is the roofing product in the U.S. that is warranted against ponding water on flat roofs.
For flat rubber roofs, liquid rubber is the only clear choice to avoid the cycle of continuous roof leak repairs.
4. Under-Applying the Material and Sacrificing Mil Thickness
A common rookie mistake is stretching a gallon of material beyond its engineered coverage rate. The thickness of the material is the single most significant factor determining how many years are added to your roof’s life.
The Mistake: Trying to cover too much area per gallon, resulting in a thin, weak membrane that will quickly fail.
The Solution:
- The Mil Rate Rule: Liquid Butyl Rubber is designed to be applied in one coat at a 20-mil film thickness. That is the beauty of the product. One gallon covers 50 sq ft, and a 5-gallon pail covers 250 sq ft. The customer is responsible for determining their square footage, and this coverage rate is non-negotiable for success.
- Superior Thickness: Our Liquid Butyl Rubber has a thicker consistency than other roof coatings and results in a 20-mil film thickness. Different coatings may require two or three coats to achieve the same thickness, but Butyl Liquid Rubber only requires a single coat.
5. Ignoring Ambient and Surface Temperature Requirements
While our product is highly versatile and has a 5-year shelf life, applying it outside the recommended temperature range can delay the crucial curing process.
The Mistake: Applying the coating when temperatures are too low, preventing the chemical cross-link from fully curing.
The Solution:
- Temperature Range: For best results, the product should be applied between temperatures of 50–100° Fahrenheit. If you are using spray equipment, the ideal temperature is 70°F.
- Curing Time: The product requires daytime temperatures of at least 50° to cure. The good news is that our Butyl formula can be exposed to freezing temperatures during the drying process, but it will NOT continue to dry until it reaches 50 degrees or higher. Once temperatures rise again, it will continue to cure.
- Moisture Tolerance: Our superior solvent-based system offers a massive advantage over other coatings, as it waterproofs within 2–3 hours of application—unlike other products that require 24 hours or more to dry. A light rain 2–3 hours after application will not affect the material or its performance, but you must ensure you have that short window for initial waterproofing.
By avoiding these five common pitfalls, you ensure your application of liquid rubber is successful and that you are maximizing its potential to provide 18–20 years of leak-free performance—outperforming other roof coatings.