100% Silicone White Roof Coating on a Modified Bitumen Roof ​⁠

How to coat over a Modified Bitumen Roof with Henry 100% Silicon White Roof Coating Tropi-Cool. It is very easy to do and better for the environment. The sun reflects off of the white roof making it so much cooler in the summer and the rain slides right off. Tropi-Cool encapsulates the modified bitumen roof which breaks down over time from the intense heat from the sun.
Henry 887 Tropi-Cool 100% Silicone White Roof Coating is a premium, 100% silicone, moisture-cure coating designed to reflect the sun's heat and UV rays as well as protect many types of roofs. It is specially designed to maintain maximum reflectivity of heat and UV rays.
My house is so much cooler!
* I discovered this after I coated my roof.
The product that you use to seal out the bleed through from asphaltic substrates and modified bitumen is called a “Bleed Blocker”. Applying a base coat of this will prevent the yellowing that occurs. It will seal out oils that can discolor the final finish coat of white silicon coating.
I couldn’t find any Henry - Bleed Blockers but was recommended to use GE Enduris.
There are a lot of different Bleed Blockers out there, the One-part formula Enduris Bitumen Bleed Blocker is part of the complete Enduris Roof Coatings system. See the link below;
www.homedepot.com/p/Henry-0-9...
www.homedepot.com/p/Henry-887...
siliconeforbuilding.com/produ...

[@garyjohnston6248]

I am going to tell my wife to do our roof tomorrow while I am watching the game.

[@Handywoman]

I’m sure she won’t be happy about that 🤣

[@jesse977]

Make her change your car oil while she’s at it.

[@Handywoman]

@jesse977 😂

[@catinthehat906]

@@jesse977 Put another log on the fire...

[@crabbyresister9194]

I am getting ready to do this to my roof! Thanks for the video. Good work!

[@terrycourtney8011]

Great job I'm now thinking of doing this on my carport roof. I've had 10 roofing estimates for a nearly flat roof, all the roofers want to put TPO on... and charge me an arm and a leg plus my first born. I love this idea.

[@Handywoman]

The roofers are charging a lot of money these days. The satisfaction of doing it yourself and how much money you will save is well worth it. Go for it!

[@happydays454]

I did my own tpo on my house it was 2000.00 I got 2 cheap welders on ebay

[@blueblood723]

Awesome. I'll be doing mine next month. Thanks for the tutorial, very helpful as I plan to do it myself. Aloha

[@teddyboy252]

Good job

[@Handywoman]

Thank you! 😊

[@copperworks]

Normally on the wall transitions I put fabric. The built in gutters I always relined with copper

[@RobertCarlisle-vs3vy]

Dude she’s a lady relax

[@copperworks]

@@RobertCarlisle-vs3vy I’m sure she likes to learn. What’s gender got to do with it? My daughter operates heavy equipment.

[@Handywoman]

☺️

[@Handywoman]

I welcome all comments. I do like to learn from any input. It’s all helpful.

[@larrydunn4626]

thanks, your video was helpful. I also covered an older torch down modified bitumen roof. In case people are looking for tips, my biggest one is that Henry wants the coating to be 22 mil. They want one gallon to cover 66 square feet, which is one 5 gallon bucket for 320 square feet. But how do you know how thick that is when you're rolling? You don't want half a bucket left after 320 square feet! You have to pour the coating into an empty one gallon container, and pour it evenly over a 66 square foot area. Do not dump it all in the middle ... in warm weather, it is really hard to spread it, like molasses. Then roll it out. You will find that a 3/4 inch nap 9" roller cover makes a lot of wet noises when it is really 22 mil and not thinner... hard to describe, but kinda crackly sounding. If you don't see some roller rippling in the finish right when you put it on (which levels out over 5 minutes) you are probably rolling it out too thin. As for application, after I learned how thick it has to be by rolling the gallon into 66 square feet, I then just moved on to dipping the roller, including part of the frame, into the bucket and loading up as much as I could, then rolled out about 3x3 feet per overflowing roller. 3' x 4' was too much, area, it made that roller full roll out too thin, lost that wet sound when rolling out. I found it helpful to tap the roller about 6-8 times within the 3xx3 area to distribute the material before actually rolling it.... cuz it isn't easy to spread, at least not with a 3/4 inch roller cover which most recommend. I took about a minute and a half to dip the roller thenb roll out every 3x3 square, making sure it got spread evenly Oh, and white rooves are not legal in my neighborhood because the houses are built up a hill, where houses above don't want the sun reflecting into their windows from my white roof... so I used Henry 887 grey/gray, which is only sold at Home Depot. I lose about 20% of the reflectivity, but at least it is legal for my association and I also needed it for some areas of my roof that pool water. Also, I think a light grey roof color is better looking than pure white.

[@Handywoman]

Good tips! Thank you

[@DaveG-qd6ug]

so glad i do not live in a city with roof police😂

[@Swoliosis1]

Did you do anything to the seams or just cover it all w/ the 887?

[@Handywoman]

If your roof is newer and the seams aren’t separating or showing disintegration from the sun then I would say you could skip covering the seams. To add an additional layer of protection and longevity to the white coating then cover the seams. The prices are going up for all materials which makes it easy to want to skip steps.

[@Swoliosis1]

@@Handywoman My porch torched down is 7-8 years. I'm no expert, but I'd grade it "not bad".

[@gdfggggg]

This seems ok but not long term. In the UK we have something called Classicbond pro. It’s a fleece backed EPDM membrane, it will go straight over the top with a PU adhesive.

[@Handywoman]

Classicbond Pro looks similar to our roofing materials in the USA. Developed in the early 1960’s, Ethylene propylene diene monomer, or EPDM, is a type of synthetic rubber that is commonly used across many industries. While natural rubber may deteriorate with exposure to sunlight and ozone and become brittle over time, some synthetic rubbers like EPDM are designed to be able to withstand more extreme conditions and can last much longer. EPDM has many applications due to its durability, flexibility, ability to withstand a wide range of temperatures, and many other properties. This includes flexible connectors, water gaskets, O-rings, grommets, and a variety of automotive parts, as well as many other outdoor applications. It is also the only rubber that is used for making full roofing systems.

[@traderman6681]

Hi nice job, I’m contemplating doing the same thing for my roof. Just wanted to ask about the age of the roof area , also the dimensions and how much of the “paint” was used. 🙏

[@Handywoman]

Thanks! My roof is about 15 years old and the dimensions are 31’ x 11’. I used 3 - 5 gallon buckets of Tropi-cool Silicone White Roof Coating and 3 - 1 gallon cans of Tropi-Cool Seam and Repair Roof Putty. When applying the roof coating, push down on the roller to spread it evenly and you might not use as much. One coat of paint is all you need.

[@traderman6681]

@@Handywoman thanks for the info. I was cringing at the price of 350 per 5 gal , but even though the house is a bit small, the roof is 40’ x 30’. I’m hoping a thin coat will take no more than 10 buckets.🤞 Thanks again. 🙏

[@larrydunn4626]

@@traderman6681 According to Henry, 320 square feet is covered by one (1) 5 gallon container. You should need no more than 4 buckets, which covers 1280 square feet, and you only have 1200. I used 4 buckets for 1200 square feet and had two gallons left of the 4th bucket.

[@Swoliosis1]

@@Handywoman Good grief, that is an awful lot of product isn't it?

[@larrydunn4626]

what if you had not used the seam repair material? did Henry recommend that or you thought of it yourself?

[@Handywoman]

I watched a lot of you tube videos about Henry’s roof coating. Some were from roofers, DIY people and Henry. They all used the roof putty to cover the seams. After I did my roofs, I did think about what you asked. Do you really need to cover the seams before applying the roof coating? If your seams are tightly sealed, you might not need it. It looks like the seams pop up over time from the extreme heat from the sun. As you paint the white on, it diminishes this aspect.

[@lawrencel1964]

Seal the seems your already doing the top coat

[@scmtkings4]

Would it be okay to leave the sealant exposed without doing the roof coating on top?

[@Handywoman]

Yes. The roof repair sealant is great all by itself, without adding any white roof coating on top. It’s flexible and doesn’t harden, or crack. It has excellent adhesion for vertical or horizontal applications. Look for my next video on using the sealant on my roof to stop a water leak.

[@artlife6210]

its a decent product, which will need redone every few years with the exact same product...because nothing else will stick to it, all the best!!🙂

[@jacec5855]

Just think of 1000 sandwiches lined up guys and your spreading some miracle whip, nice even layer you don’t want to run out on that last piece of bread

[@Handywoman]

😄 great comparison!

[@markchilluffo9638]

You think this will go over asphalt shingles?

[@Handywoman]

Yes, asphalt shingles can also be painted white, which costs less than replacing the roof and is more sustainable.

[@cliffords.8341]

In 1991 my parents had their flat roof done by a company that used the white silicone and it had a 20 year warranty. It lasted about 20 years or more and it started leaking. Our father had passed away and our mother was in a nursing home when I moved into the house. I couldn't find the paper work for the roof and our mother had dementia so there we had no idea who they were. We had a new roof put on the had the white pea rocks built in. The house was definatly a lot cooler with the white silicone coating. This past May after one day of heavy rain the roof had a leak in the front bedroom. I've been thinking of hiring a company to apply the white silicone over the roof, but after seeing this video I'm going to do it myself and save a lot of money. The only thing is, is that it's been in the mid 90°'s with high humidity with the heat index of mid 100° - 112° temps this June. Luckily it hasn't leaked since then even with all of the rain we've been getting.

[@Handywoman]

That’s excellent!! Your parents were ahead of everyone on having white roofs. That’s really hot. The paint would dry too fast as you are laying it down on the roof. I would wait until it’s much cooler to paint. It’s very satisfying doing a large job, like a roof, yourself.

[@cliffords.8341]

@@Handywoman Thanks for the tip of waiting for it to cool down for applying the coating. What's funny is my neighbors across the street where my parents rented a house for a year, then bought the house we grew up in and I'm living in now were applying the white coating and it appeared they started around 5pm and it took two of them about two hours. Not sure if they finished it.

[@sh2697]

so we can use the black color or the white color for this right?

[@Handywoman]

If you used the black roof putty the color might show through under the white roof coating. I’m sure the black is a lot cheaper then the white but white on white will reflect the sun and heat better. You could test it out on a smaller section to see if the white covers the black putty. Good question! Especially how all the prices are going up on all the materials.

[@sh2697]

@@Handywoman I dont mean black over white. I mean using either black or white

[@Handywoman]

I misunderstood you, absolutely you can use black, white and they even have grey.

[@larrydunn4626]

@@Handywoman what? tropicool 887 only comes in white and grey. What product are you talking about? Tropicool 885 seam repair comes only in white.

[@Handywoman]

Your right! I’ve only seen white and grey in Henry. I’ve seen black in other name brands.

[@treashurehunter800]

Yeh should have grabbed the extra $50 to dust the wood bee holes!LOL

[@Handywoman]

Lol yes That will be another video. They love that long soffit.

[@teddyboy252]

What did it cost you to do this roof?

[@Handywoman]

I used 3 - 5 gallon buckets of Tropi-cool and 3 gallons of roof putty. When I did this roof it, the prices of the supplies were a lot cheaper then what they are now. Now Tropi-cool is $349 - 5 gallon bucket and the roof putty is $119 a gallon. So if today I did the roof, it will cost me $1,404.00.

[@mule666]

How long does this last ?

[@Handywoman]

The answer to this question can vary based on the thickness of the coating and how well you take care of the roof. Typically, silicone roof coatings can last for about 15 years. This requires that you ensure the roof is properly cared for during that time. The thickness of the coating will affect how long it can last. This is because the thicker coating can provide added protection.

[@timlu697]

Use to be $180 5 gallon now they charge $ 445 for 5 gallon insanely expensive .

[@Handywoman]

I know it’s ridiculously expensive now. It seems to be staying at $445 now.

[@jgg204]

We decided against using this product b/c we were told once you go silicone, you are married to it. Instead, we used fiber mesh and roofing cement on all seams. Then once cured, we did 3 aluminum silver coats. which protects the roofing cement seams, fills in all of the voids where the granules came off the modified bitumen, and prevents more granules from coming off. If a seam ever needs repair in the future, we can do the repair with roofing cement or torch down a new piece of modified bitumen. I hate the granulated modified bitumen roofs, the granules do not stay attached and you inevitably end up having to coat it anyways,

[@Handywoman]

Sounds good! If you change your mind down the road, you can always put the silicone on top of the Aluminum. The rain slides right off of the silicon.

[@ryanwommack6500]

wrong way to apply also silicone is way better

[@ryanwommack6500]

silicone is stronger and can be re coated over again many times

[@jgg204]

@@ryanwommack6500 wrong way to apply what?

[@jgg204]

@@ryanwommack6500 silicone can still separate at a compromised sheet seam. then you have to repair the seam, then patch the silicone. it's a disaster

[@notimportant3686]

there was no point in doing the seams separately if you didn't use the mesh with it

[@Handywoman]

www.homedepot.com/p/Henry-296-4-in-x-150-ft-Reinforced-Fabric-Elasto-Tape-HE296195/100058184 Yes your right. My seams weren’t opening up so I just put the roof putty down without the mesh. Specially designed for use with water-based leak stoppers. Gives more tensile strength by reinforcing the patch.

[@philipclift7205]

Silicone over asphalt is not recommended. Asphalt over asphalt is recommended. If you need to re asphalt now, you have to tear it all down.

[@Handywoman]

I was aware that once I coated my asphalt roof with silicone that I could never go back. The only way forward to maintain my roof was to keep putting another coat of silicone on it. So far so good. It’s been 2 years with the silicone and I’ve had no problems.

[@phyl1283]

Why would you do that?

[@jamesford6846]

Ruins roof. Do not use silicone coating on roof. Cannot use anything else on top of it. And it makes a vapor barrier on outside that causes condensation on the underside. Should be outlawed.

[@larrycrookshanks1646]

Do not use silicone on asphalt modified roofs. It will not stick.

[@tedmankowski5490]

Hi. Does any other product stick to torch-down modified bitumen rolled roofing (with granules). I did some test patches and noticed that the non-silicone white Henry product curls up and pulls the granules right off. The Aluminum oil based product test patch seemed to work better. Thanks for your advice...T

[@larrycrookshanks1646]

@@tedmankowski5490 Use the same material for patching. Use a heat torch.

[@Handywoman]

Granule loss which is uniform across the roof is usually a result of normal weathering. Over time, the bond between the granules and asphalt deteriorates, and granules will be loosened and carried away by runoff. The Henry white silicone bonded and sealed my torch down modified bitumen roof. Do a test of the silicone on a section of your roof.

[@CGasmkyroofer]

Garbage system. At least embed granules if you’re gonna use crappy silicone sealant

[@eskwadrat]

to thin, milady. this isn't paint

[@user-ij1sp7om9o]

I'm confident she applied multiple coats. She mentioned using three 5-gallon buckets (15 gallons) of this material, and considering the roof's relatively small size, about 450-500 sq. ft., I assume at least two coats were applied. The 887G Tropi-Cool 100% Silicone's approximate coverage is 67 sq. ft. per gallon. Therefore, 15 gallons should cover approximately 1000 sq. ft. in a single coat, or it could be used for two thinner coats. How do I know this? I just coated my 400 sq. ft. roof today with a single, generous coat. I purchased 10 gallons and had about one-third of the second bucket remaining when I finished

[@Handywoman]

You’re right 🤷🏼‍♀️ it was one coat. It was really thick. I figured that down the road if need be I can add another coat of the “paint”.

[@Handywoman]

Excellent! As you know it’s very thick to apply. You need muscle to roll it out on the surface. I applied this in September 2021 and it was warm maybe in the low 90’s.

[@CGasmkyroofer]

Silicone isn’t good for anything more than a window. Garbage system.

[@jamescantlin1072]

You're not supposed to mix silicone

[@Handywoman]

I used a large paint stick to mix the 5 gallon Roof Coating and hand mixed it until a smooth viscosity appeared. You can get free paint sticks from Home Depot or Lowes. Ask the employees working behind the counter mixing the paint in the paint department. They have the long sticks for the 5 gallon buckets.