The time has come for The Cool Roof Store by Green Energy Outlet (GEO) — and just in time to rescue Hawaii’s roofing expenses. At the store, crowds are educated about installing an affordable, renewable roof. Instead of reroofing your home again, simply apply a top coat every seven to 15 years for the life of your structure.
Until recently, roofing was a very expensive proposition — especially if you had an old asphalt roof (composition shingles, pitch and gravel or mineral surfaced roll roofing). After about 10 to 15 years of exposure to UV rays under the hot Hawaiian sun, asphalt roofs are prone to curl and crack, causing leaks. Because of their heavy weight, the roofs had to be torn off and hauled to the dump at great expense — about $2,000 for the labor and dump fees. That didn’t even include the price of the new roof or the insulation underneath.
If you wanted your home to be cool, you had to add expensive insulation to achieve the recommended “R-19 Value” in the building code. Unfortunately, there was a serious side effect to adding that insulation, which most people didn’t even know about. Since the heat from the sun couldn’t get past the insulation and into your home — you were indeed cooler. That’s a good thing! But since that heat was being trapped in the asphalt roof itself, it became hotter and cracked more quickly — a definite bad thing!
So what do you do? The answer lies in putting on a protective, reflective coating, preferably with Ceramic Titanium granules like Hawaiian SunGuard. That blocks 100 percent of the UV rays from the sun, allowing your roof to last as long as your structure does. Just simply recoat when needed.
If you have heavy ponding water, The Cool Roof Store recommends a silicone coating in those areas. Silicone coating is more expensive per gallon, and can be a little tricky to put down if you don’t know a few secrets of the trade. However, once down it will not chalk off over time — or so the manufacturers say — like water-based acrylics do. Some manufacturers even claim a 20-year material warranty for their products. Since these coatings have not had that long of a presence in Hawaii, this has not yet been proven in the 50th State. That’s why many homeowners opt for the known reliability of acrylics such as Hawaiian Sun Guard and Apoc’s Sta-Kool.
The Cool Roof Store also sells and installs solar attic vents, venting skylights and other roof accessories. The store also is expert at integrating solar PV systems into your roof. Remember, you must either repair or replace your existing roof before you install your new solar system, which will make future access to the roof more difficult.
If you would like a licensed installer to give you a quote to waterproof your existing roof, or you wish to tackle the job yourself and just want a bit of free expert advice, give the folks at The Cool Roof Store by GEO a call at 591-1900. This week the store has some really good specials going on with Hawaiian SunGuard, Apoc’s Sta-Kool and the 40-inch-wide Roof Reinforcing Fabric. Visit The Cool Roof Store at 575 Cooke St. in Kakaako to see all the systems up close.
For a short time, the store also is offering to meet you at your roof project and measure your roof for you so that you know how much material you need to purchase. There is no obligation and you can ask as many questions as you wish.
ADDRESS: 575-G COOKE ST.
CONTACT: 591-1900
WEBSITE: www.leakmaster.com
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