Similar to many roofing products, roof coatings have evolved
since first being used. Because of the benefits coatings offer,
more building owners are requesting coatings be used on their
buildings. When making roof coatings part of your company's
offerings, learn how coatings began, are manufactured and should be
applied.
The first modern roof coatings were asphalt-based and referred
to as "asphalt paint." Asphalt, a bottom-of-the-barrel byproduct of
the petroleum refining process, became plentiful and cheap in the
late 1890s when oil refineries sprung up to support the growing
gasoline demand for the horseless carriage. By blending asphalt
with petroleum solvents, a liquid material was created. The
material could be painted on a variety of surfaces to provide
protection from the elements and additional weathering protection.
During the early 1900s, asphalt was used as a raw material to make
roofing materials and could be heated and applied as a...
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