The difference between Specialised Roof Paint and normal exterior paint explained by Licenced Builder (and Managing Director) Greg Catton.
Warning! As you read this article, you may begin to think I’m getting a kickback from Nutech Roof Coatings, the way I’m raving on about them. I assure you, I’m not. They’re just head and shoulders above the other paints.
As a roof restorer, I’m often asked: “What’s the difference between roof paint and exterior paint?” Well, just as “oils ain’t oils”, roof paints definitely ain’t roof paints. Sure you could use any old exterior paint when doing a roof repair, tile roof restoration or metal roof restoration, and for a while it could look pretty schmick…but only for a very short while. You see, normal exterior paint isn’t a patch on specialised roof paint that has been painstakingly developed and fine-tuned over the years. Take Nutech Paint for example. (See, I’m already pushing their barrow!) These blokes have been around for over 40 years – they are Australia’s largest and oldest roof coating specialists – and in this builder’s humble opinion, it’s them first and daylight second. I’ve been using their paints for about 25 years and the only time I’ve ever been disappointed was when I didn’t order enough and had to go back for more. More about it later in this bulletin, OK?
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Why is it important to use only roof paint on a roof?
You wouldn’t use ceiling paint on a deck, would you?
You’d know that deck paint has been designed to deal with a lot of foot traffic and be very durable, while the ceiling paint would quickly wear away.
It’s the same with roof coatings; roof paints have been designed with quite a few unique properties.
As you’ll see in our popular new resource –
– all roof paint needs to be high quality. Being out in the blazing hot sun and elements, they have to be amazingly elastic, so they can stretch for hours at a time and then return to their original shape. And do it all again tomorrow. And the day after that…finishes have a variable life expectancy.
A roof paint also has to be tough and resilient. As the topmost layer of protection for the roof membrane, it is going to cop the full brunt of:
* infrared and ultraviolet sunlight
* torrential rain
* gale force winds
* massive storms
* and even hail.
On top of that, it has to be able to keep your home as cool as possible. Oh, and look the goods too.
In short, it’s got to be able to continue to perform in all conditions, look great and protect for as long as possible.
And you aren’t going to find all those qualities in a cheap external paint, I tell you.
Like so many roof restorers, I used to base my choice of roof paints on price, then performance.
These days, it comes down to performance, then value-for-money.
That’s why I use Nutech roof coatings exclusively.
If you want to cut corners and use another brand of roof paint, fair enough…but definitely count me out.
I have had first-hand experience with ALL the top brand roof paints – including Dulux, Taubmans, Solarcoat, British Paints, Solargard, Berger and many more – and none of them come close to Nutech.
Like me, NuTech Roof Coatings keep their good looks longer, and as for performance, well that goes right through the roof!
Lots of other people agree with me. For example, here’s a comment from a Whirlpool Forum enthusiast…
“I’ve used both (Dulux and Nutech) many times… I prefer the Nutech… it is thicker and easier to get a nice thick build in 2 coats… the Dulux is considerably thinner.” Whirlpool Forum Comment
Little wonder this advanced Aussie-made roof paint:
- Has been exported to 21 countries worldwide
- Has been used on a staggering 800,000+ roofs
- Covers over 128 million square metres of roof area, and
- Comes complete with some of the longest guarantees in the business…
in fact, their top-of-the-range NXT Heat-Reflective Roof Coating is backed by an industry-leading 12-year manufacturer’s warranty.
Different roof coatings for different applications.
Preparation is crucial when repainting a roof, so I always ‘prep and prime’ using a range of Nutech primers and sealers, such as SupaPrime and Master Sealer.
Metal roofs might need Anti-Corrosion Metal Primer, while tile roofs may require NuPrime and Maxi Point, and for terracotta roofs I always use Elite Terracotta Prime H2O.
All of their surface preparation products and sealers are fully compatible with the Nutech topcoats and there are three of those quality roof paints to choose from, ranging from NuFlex and TileFlex right up to the NXT.
NuFlex is a 100% gloss acrylic roof coating designed to be colour fade resistant and non-yellowing to guarantee maximum durability.
It withstands the most adverse weather conditions, is potable (drinking water safe) and backed by an 8-year manufacturer’s warranty.
According to the paint tin, “TileFlex is infused with self-cleaning nano technology”.
All I know is that it goes on glossier and looks clean and new for much longer than other roof coatings. It’s also drinking water safe and backed by a manufacturer’s 10-year warranty.
The ultimate heat reflective roof coating.
As good as NuFlex and TileFlex are, NXT Cool Zone takes roof paint to a whole other level.
As its name implies, this revolutionary high gloss acrylic is extremely heat-reflective; it dramatically reduces the heat on your roof and in your ceiling and as a result, your living space below.
But the best part is that the heat reflection works well even in dark colours.
Before NXT Cool Zone, if you’d told anyone you were thinking of having your roof repainted in charcoal to keep your home cooler in the blistering Queensland summer heat, they would have dead set thought you were suffering from heat stroke!
However, NXT Cool Zone is available in a range of 36 colours – including dark and rich contemporary colours – and they have been proven to reduce interior house temperatures by between 6 and 10 degrees Celsius.
That means you don’t have to sacrifice colour choice in order to have a cooler, more energy- efficient home.
For more information about roof paint and roof coatings, please call 07 3808 0700 and speak to one of our friendly, ever-helpful consultants, or simply click here to contact us.