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Waterproofing a Roof in Baja California: When and With What
Here the roof is not ruined by rain: it is ruined by the sun, which expands and contracts it every day of the year.
This guide is for anyone about to hire and wanting to understand what they are buying. If you are after the technical detail of the service, it is on the page for waterproofing.
When to waterproof
Before the rainy season and with the slab completely dry. Applying over a damp or ponded surface wastes the product: it does not bond and it seals moisture inside, where it later pushes the coating up and lifts it.
Preparation: where the job is won or lost
Thorough cleaning, removal of all loose or debonded material from the previous system, crack repair and reinforcement of critical points — coves, downpipes, parapets and penetrations. Most leaks do not start in the middle of the slab, they start at the junctions.
Acrylic or asphalt
Elastomeric acrylics such as Impac 5000 and 7000 are formulated with acrylic resins and highly reflective ceramic thermal particles, with 5 and 7 year service lives. The fibred asphalt emulsion is water-based, asbestos-free, reinforced with synthetic fibres and cold-applied. The choice depends on the substrate, the previous system and the exposure.
Why reflectance matters
In Baja California, lowering the slab temperature extends the life of the system and reduces the heat entering the house. Ceramic thermal particles reflect solar radiation and Impac Sokül 7 adds insulating microcells to the reflective effect of white. That is the difference between patching a leak and solving the underlying problem.
Do you know what material you need?
Send us your list or your drawings. We reply with quantities, recommended products and a delivery date.