3 Things to Look for in a Roof Paint

If you’ve decided to paint your roof, then you have a couple of key starting decisions to make. You need to choose a paint that is suitable for your roof’s materials and has a colour that you like.

However, these aren’t the only considerations you have to make at this stage. Roof paints have some features that you will find useful. These features often help protect your roof and keep it looking good for longer after your new paint goes on.

Which features should you look for?

1. Weatherproofing abilities

Roof paint doesn’t just change the colour of a roof and give it a protective top layer. It can also help weatherproof the roof and your home.

Ideally, you want to use a paint that won’t degrade or lose its colour in harsh weather conditions. It should create a waterproofed layer on the roof. This gives you added protection from water getting into the structure of your home.

A good paint should also be able to deal with sunlight and UV rays. Paints that have some built-in resistance to these rays are less likely to suffer from damage and colour loss. Plus, if you add reflective protection to the mix, a paint will reflect light and heat away from the roof. This protects the paint itself. It also helps keep your roof, and your home, cooler in hot summer months.

2. Self-cleaning capabilities

A newly painted roof looks great to start with. However, the roof will naturally get dirty as time passes. Dust and dirt will settle on the surface.

This grime is more noticeable if you have a dry spell without a lot of rain. However, roofs won’t always buff up perfectly after even heavy rainfall. Sometimes, dust and dirt sticks rather than washes away. This dulls the paint colour and makes the roof look dirty.

Some roof paints have self-cleaning properties. They either reduce the friction on the paint’s surface or they use nano-technology to create a surface texture that cleans itself. If a painted surface has less friction and is smoother, then it is harder for dirty particles to stick to it or to get caught on it. Anything that does lodge on the roof will wash away more easily in the rain.

Nano particles change the surface area of the paint’s coating. They effectively roughen the texture rather than smooth it out. Dust and dirt are less able to take hold on the paint; they are more likely to get caught on the particles and then washed away.

3. Growth prevention properties

Growths like algae, moss, mould and lichen often settle on roofs. If the roof gets the right amount of sunlight and moisture on it, then your new paint could ultimately be covered over by a fungus or plant.

Once something starts to grow on your roof, it’s hard to get rid of. You can clean off a fungus or patch of moss, but it is likely to return. You may not be able to remove all traces of the growth or change the growing conditions on your roof. Left alone, these growths can damage the roof itself.

So, it makes sense to look for a roof paint that has anti-fungal and anti-mould properties. If a paint contains chemicals that kill or inhibit this kind of growth, then you have a better chance of keeping your roof clear.

For more advice on roof paints and useful features, contact Homestyle Roof Painters. As well as helping you choose the right paint, we can prepare and paint your roof to make sure you get the best results.