Fiber-Cement Roof Cleaning and Coating

We just finished painting this roof in Rancho Santa Fe. The client purchased the home a year ago and was prepared to spend almost $35,000 to reroof.

Why did she think she needed a new roof?

The roof looked old and in need of replacement.  When a roof ages it turns bright silver instead of the original dark brown.  Some tiles had cracked.

The tile doesn’t make your house waterproof, it’s the tarpaper that protects the roof.  As long as the roof still protects the tarpaper, they still keep your roof waterproof.

What to do before re-roofing or cleaning and repairing a fiber-cement roof:

• Get multiple bids.  Have at least two contractors came out and gave estimates.  Some contractors will take the easy way out and only caulk your tiles, not properly repair, clean and coat the entire roof.  Talk to a professional roofing contractor as well to explain how well the roof tiles are holding up and if cleaning and coating are the answer.  Make sure the contractors are certified in the application process!
• Make sure the bid includes:  Pressure wash, bonded it with a sealer coat, painted roof color coat and a clear sealer coat.
• Make sure that the painting contractor chooses a product that can do the job. I researched coatings to use on tile and found only one coatings manufacturer that was specific to roofing tile. I found a retired paint chemist that manufactures coatings specifically for roofing tile. He specified a six step process, three steps of preparation and three coatings to be applied. After going to the manufacture’s headquarters to be certified as an applicator I was able to restore the  roof. Total cost of the job was $7,500 compared to $35,000.

With new laws for fire safety, old shake shingles need to be replaced.  Fire retardant wood shingles are only as good as long as fire retardant lasts, which isn’t very long.  This exposes your home to fire risk. Cement tile roofs are too heavy for houses built for wood shingle roofs and could cause a roof to collapse.  The building industry has come out with  light-weight fiber cement shake shingles which are a blend of wood fiber and cement to cut weight in half.

Unfortunately, ultimately the product failed and was subject to a nation-wide class action suit.  Seven companies went under another company survived and provided warranties for all roofs for full length of original warranty time and this company is still working on these roofs.  These roofs are still viable but look old and weathered.  Cleaning and coating using approved processes keeps the warranty valid.

Look for silver or gray shingles, cracks, or any damage.  Call us at Accent Painting for a free estimate.