Castagra's Ecodur Roof Coatings have helped thousands of contractors solve their tricky roof problems. Check out some of Ecodur's main advantages and reach out today for more info!
Hardness: 40-50 Shore D – With a hardness comparable to skateboard wheels or bowling balls, Ecodur is superior in resistance to traffic, hail, animal, and other types of damage. See it action here!
Grease/Chemical Resistance: Ecodur is resistant to all types of grease and has very few chemical incompatibilities. This makes it ideal for installation on any restaurant or industrial building. It is also very resistant to jet exhaust, making it a great candidate for military and airport applications.
Seamless: Single-ply systems come in sheets that must be welded or adhered at the seams. These seams are prone to human error, and are generally excluded by single-ply manufacturer warranties.
Adhesion: With up to triple the adhesion of other coatings, Ecodur can be applied without pressure washing in most circumstances. This dramatically reduces environmental impact, as well as preventing furthering of issues with the existing roofing membrane. Check out this tar and gravel roof that was done without spudding.
Repairability: Ecodur readily bonds with existing Ecodur and acrylic topcoats with minimal preparation. Silicones require harsh chemicals and can only be repaired with compatible silicones. Acrylic coatings can be repaired with multiple products, but require thorough cleaning first. Single-ply systems require welding tools and patches to make repairs.
UV Resistance: Acrylics and single ply systems will chalk and degrade by approximately 1 mil/year in normal conditions. Silicone edges can begin to curl with UV exposure. As a natural mineral modified urethane, Ecodur will discolor, but will not be degraded by UV exposure.
Heat Resistance: Studies are finding that the roof under a solar panel can reach temperatures exceeding 190F for up to 8 hours/day. As a result, researchers are finding early degradation of TPO and other roofing systems. Ecodur experiences no heat degradation to 212F or the boiling point of water.
Length Of Current Formulation: Ecodur’s formulation has been consistent and successful for over 25 years. Only PVC and SPF have a longer track record. Silicone and EPDM have seen only minor changes over the past 20 years. Acrylics have been relatively consistent since the introduction of elastomeric about 15 years ago. TPO was created nearly 30 years ago as a cheap alternative to PVC, but has undergone multiple formulation changes due to failures.
Maximum Thickness: Ecodur requires no off-gassing or evaporation to cure. It can be cured at any thickness without adding cure time, and the properties will be consistent throughout. This makes it ideal for filling cracks, blisters, and more. Silicone can be applied to 60 mils in a single pass, but may require multiple weeks to cure when thick, even more if moisture in dry environments. Because acrylic coatings are generally only 50-60% solids, they require evaporation to cure and can only be applied to approximately 26 mils/pass to avoid mud cracking. Each pass will cure to approximately 13 mils, requiring a minimum of 2 passes on most systems.
Curing: Because of Ecodur’s unique chemistry, it can cure at below freezing temperatures, under water or even in an airtight container. Because it is hydrophobic, even a surprise rain will not wash fresh Ecodur off of your project. Most silicones are moisture cured and cannot be rained on for the first 4 hours. They tend to cure slowly and unevenly in arid environments. Acrylic coatings require evaporation to cure and do best in hot, dry weather. In cold, humid weather, acrylics can take days to cure before they are rain safe. Check out Ecodur's fast cure time here.
Resistance To Ponding Water: Coming from the tank lining industry, Castagra’s Ecodur has been trusted for decades to hold millions of gallons of water, wastewater, chemicals and more. Long term ponding has no effect on Ecodur. High quality silicones also tend to resist ponding water well. Because they are water based, acrylics will tend to swell, blister, and liquify with prolonged water exposure. Single-ply seams are not suitable for ponding water. See first hand how good Ecodur is with ponding water here!
If you have questions about Castagra’s Ecodur Roof Coatings, or would like information about how to become a Castagra Certified Applicator, contact Castagra at 1-888-388-2935 or info@castagra.com
Written by: Jef McCurdy
Technical Director - Castagra
