Most of the time, Kyle Diamond of New Dimension Construction of Millbrook, NY subs out the roof work on projects … but not always. Occasionally—because of scheduling issues or some unique aspect of the job—NDC tackles the roofing, too. That was the case for a renovation project the company recently completed that included two 15-square, low-slope roofs with planned solar arrays. Because of the numerous roof-to-deck anchors needed to support the stanchions for photovoltaic panels. Kyle and crew decided to install Acrylabs, a seamless, fluid-applied acrylic elastomeric roof system, rather than an EPDM or other single-ply membrane.
While EPDM is the fallback for flat roofs almost everywhere, for NDC, Acrylabs has proven to be a versatile product they have successfully used over the past 15 years on a range of jobs, from large roofs like the one in the photo above to small deck-over-living-space types of projects. To fix leaks, they’ve also applied it as a re-roof material over a number of different types of roofing.
NDC finds the system easy to install: It doesn’t require respirators or other special equipment, and doesn’t require a big investment in tools. Basically, all that’s needed is a roller, paintbrushes, and a good pair of scissors to cut the reinforcing fabric that gets embedded in the elastomeric coating. Some contractors spray-apply the material for a smoother appearance, but we haven’t invested in that equipment.
NDC’s cost for materials is about $2.50 to $3 per square foot with shipping; for estimates, pricing with materials can range anywhere from $5 to $15 per square foot, depending on the size of the roof and whether it’s a new roof or a roof-over.
In this JLC article, Kyle lays out how his crew installs the system, with a focus on three different types of projects: a small rooftop deck with some tricky flashing details; the large roof referred to above, with the solar array; and an aging flat-seam metal roof with a built-in gutter.
