New Life For Old Roofs

New Life For Old Roofs FARM HOME Houses 1-5-30 In many cases, you don't even have to remove the old asphalt shingles or roll roofing to repair leaky roofs with Rapid Roof, a new paint-on coating developed by the Conklin Company, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. "It's an exciting product," says Al Vlasak, president of A & R Sales, Montgomery Minn., and a Conklin distributor. "You can paint or spray it on yourself, or our distributors have crews available for custom application," he told FARM SHOW. Vlasak describes it as "a rugged acrylic roof coating specially formulated to withstand the toughest punishment weather can dish out. Its non-toxic, water base formula makes for easy application by sprayer, brush or roller on new or existing roofs. Once dry, it forms an extremely elastic film." Vlasak notes that a coating of Rapid Roof, when dry, will stretch up to 300% without cracking or breaking. Another test of its elasticity is the "mandrel bend test" in which an 18 mil film of hardened Rapid Roof coating, chilled to a -20?F, was bent around a 1/2 in. dia. rod without breaking or cracking. If ice buildup along the edges causes the roof of your house to leak, a coating of Rapid Roof may be the answer. "Just apply it over the shingles as a sealant to prevent dammed-up water from backing up under the shingles," explains Vlasak. Here's how Rapid Roof can be used on new construction: After laying down plywood sheets over the rafters, simply tape the seams and apply two coats (each about 16 mils thick) of Rapid Roof from the Conklin Co. "The material itself is white. Special colored granules can be applied to the still-wet second coat to give it a textured appearance. Wide cracks or holes in older roofs, and the ridges and valleys, should be taped prior to applying Rapid Roof, says Vlasak. What does it cost? Suggested retail is $13.20 per gal. in 5 gal. lots. One gallon covers 50 sq. ft. It figures out to about 271/2 cents per sq. ft. of roof area, including tape for the holes, cracks and along the ridges, the granular texture material and the material itself. "Rapid Roof saves labor because you may not have to take time to rip off the old shingles, roll roofing or whatever material is already on the roof," explains Vlasak. "If the roof is metal and badly rusted, we recommend using another Conklin product called Rust Not. It stops rust in its tracks and can be applied right over the rusty surface after first removing any loose scales. Cost of this material is approximately 51/2 cents per sq. ft." The Conklin Company offers a limited 15 year warranty where Rapid Roof is applied by a trained and approved certified applicator. The warranty will provide 100% of the material required to repair a leaking roof during the first 5 years, 75% for the next 5 years and a 50% for approved claims filed between the 10th and 15th year after application. For more details on Rapid Roof and other Conklin products, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Al Vlasak, A & R Sales, Rural Route 2, Montgomery, Minn. 56069 (ph 612 364-7365).

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