Restore Your Roof. Don't Replace It.
Commercial roofs rarely fail all at once. Flat and low-slope roofs age at the seams, flashings, and penetrations, the joints that flex and split first, while the field of the membrane still has plenty of life in it. Metal roofs go a different way. The panels stay structurally sound for decades while the fasteners back out, the seams open up, and surface rust starts eating the finish and then the steel. On a big factory or warehouse roof, that's thousands of fasteners and miles of seam.
A roof coating takes advantage of the fact that the roof underneath is still good. Instead of tearing everything off, we clean and repair the existing roof, treat the rust, seal the seams and fasteners, then apply a fluid-applied silicone or acrylic membrane that cures into one seamless, waterproof surface over the whole thing.
The result is a renewed, monolithic membrane with no seams to leak, a fresh manufacturer warranty, and 10 to 20 more years of service, typically for less than half the cost of a full replacement. It is a core part of our commercial program and pairs naturally with a preventative maintenance plan.
Coatings are not right for every roof. A saturated deck, panels rusted through, or a structural failure needs replacement, not a coating over the top. That is why every project starts with an inspection, moisture survey, and adhesion test before we quote anything.
Silicone, Acrylic & Restoration Systems
Silicone Coatings
$3.50 – $7.00 / sq ft
Adds: 15 – 20 years
Our go-to for flat and low-slope roofs, especially any roof that ponds water. Of the two systems, silicone is the one that tolerates standing water. It shrugs off rain and lake-effect snowmelt, resists UV chalking, and stays flexible through hard freeze-thaw. Primer only where the substrate and the adhesion test call for it.
Acrylic Coatings
$2.50 – $5.50 / sq ft
Adds: 10 – 15 years
Our go-to for metal roofs and anything with real slope. Acrylic needs a roof that sheds water. On a pitched metal roof, the system works like this: we treat and prime the rust, seal every seam and fastener with sealant and reinforcing fabric, then put the acrylic over the whole roof for a bright white reflective surface that cuts summer cooling loads. Not for ponding roofs.
Roof Restoration Systems
$4.00 – $8.00 / sq ft
Adds: 15 – 20 years
A full restoration. Reinforced seams, polyester fabric embedded at every penetration, and a complete coating system, for aging EPDM, TPO, and modified bitumen roofs that still have a sound deck underneath.
Installed ranges include cleaning, seam and flashing repair, reinforcement fabric at penetrations, and the full coating system to the manufacturer's specified mil thickness for a typical sound West Michigan roof. Heavily ponding or badly deteriorated roofs are priced individually after an on-site survey.
How We Coat & Restore Your Roof
Inspection, Moisture Survey & Adhesion Test
We walk the roof, test seams and flashings, and check for trapped moisture. Then we run an adhesion test. Every roof, every substrate, no exceptions. It's a manufacturer requirement, and it tells us whether the coating will bond, whether a primer is needed, and whether the roof is a candidate at all. If we find wet insulation, it comes out first. If the coating won't bond, we tell you before you spend a dollar.
Clean & Prep
The roof is power-washed to remove dirt, chalk, loose rust, and biological growth so the coating can bond. Heavy rust gets mechanical prep. The roof fully dries, and we wait for the temperature and weather window the manufacturer specifies before anything goes down.
Repair & Reinforce
Open seams, cracked flashings, backed-out fasteners, and penetrations are sealed and reinforced with polyester fabric embedded in coating. Primer goes on wherever the adhesion test and the substrate call for it. The spots that leak first get built up first.
Apply the Coating
We spray or roll the silicone or acrylic in the number of coats and to the mil thickness the manufacturer specifies for that system, checking with a wet mil gauge as we go, for a seamless, monolithic membrane.
Inspect & Warranty
A final walk-through confirms full, even coverage. You get a renewable manufacturer warranty and our workmanship warranty, in writing.
Why Coating Beats a Tear-Off
Extend Roof Life 10 to 20 Years
A properly applied coating renews the waterproof membrane and restarts the warranty clock, often deferring a full replacement for a decade or more.
A Fraction of Replacement Cost
Coating a roof typically runs well under half the cost of tear-off and re-roofing, with no landfill disposal fee for the old membrane or panels.
No Business Downtime
Coatings go on right over the existing roof with no tear-off debris, so the building stays open and operating the whole time.
Lower Cooling Bills
Reflective white silicone and acrylic bounce solar heat off the roof, cutting rooftop temperatures and easing the load on rooftop HVAC units all summer.
Seamless Leak Protection
The coating cures into one continuous membrane with no seams, sealing the exact joints, fasteners, and flashings where roofs almost always start leaking.
Easier to Budget
Restoration is often treated as a maintenance expense rather than a capital replacement, which can make it simpler to plan for and fund. Confirm the treatment with your accountant. It also keeps a good roof out of the landfill.
Is a Roof Coating Right for Your Building?
A Coating Makes Sense When:
- The roof deck and insulation are still dry and structurally sound
- You have a single-ply (TPO or EPDM), metal, or modified bitumen roof
- Leaks are at seams, flashings, fasteners, or penetrations, not widespread
- You want to avoid the cost and disruption of a full tear-off
- The roof is chalking, ponding, rusting on the surface, or losing its reflectivity
- You want to extend the roof 10 to 20 years and reset the warranty clock
Replacement Is the Better Call When:
- There is wet or saturated insulation trapped under the membrane
- The deck or panels are rotted, rusted through, or structurally compromised
- The roof already carries multiple failing coating layers
- The roof is ballasted gravel or heavily deteriorated built-up roofing
- The adhesion test fails and no primer or prep will fix it
Not sure which camp your roof falls into? Watch for the early warning signs on our roof maintenance page, then let us confirm it with a moisture survey and adhesion test. We tell you what we found and what it means. Not what sells the biggest job.
Roofs We Restore
Stellar Roofing Company coats and restores the systems common on West Michigan commercial and industrial buildings, flat and pitched:
- EPDM (rubber) membrane roofs
- TPO single-ply roofs
- Modified bitumen and built-up (BUR) roofs
- Metal and standing-seam roofs, low-slope or pitched, including rusting panel roofs on factories, warehouses, and ag buildings
- Previously coated roofs due for recoat
- Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) roofs
Each substrate has its own prep, primer, and coating requirements. We spec the system to match what is already on your roof.
Coat It, Then Keep It That Way
A restoration coating protects the roof best when it is paired with regular upkeep. Twice-a-year inspections catch clogged drains, storm damage, and worn flashings before they cut into the coating you just paid for, and they keep the warranty valid. Add a Stellar Roofing Company maintenance plan and get the full life out of the investment.
Why West Michigan Businesses Choose Stellar
We started as roofers, not salesmen. That matters more on a coating job than almost anywhere else, because a coating is only as good as the prep, and prep is where a company that hands the work off cuts corners. We don't hand it off.
We're not here to sell you a coating over a roof that needs to be replaced. We're here to tell you which one you actually have.
When you coat with Stellar, you get:
Our goal is simple: get the most years out of the roof you already have. Ready for numbers? Schedule your free roof inspection or call (616) 840-1927.
Roof Coating Questions
How much does a commercial roof coating cost in West Michigan?
Most silicone and acrylic roof coatings run between $2.50 and $8.00 per square foot installed, depending on the coating type, the condition of the existing roof, and how much seam and flashing repair is needed. That typically works out to less than half the cost of a full tear-off and replacement. We give you a firm written price after an on-site inspection, moisture survey, and adhesion test.
Silicone or acrylic, which coating is better?
It depends on slope and drainage. Silicone is the pick for flat and low-slope roofs, especially any roof that ponds water, because it holds up under standing moisture and UV without chalking. Acrylic is the pick for metal roofs and anything with pitch. It needs a roof that sheds water, and on a sloped metal roof it's the more cost-effective system by a wide margin. Put acrylic on a ponding roof and it will fail. We inspect first, run the adhesion test, and match the system to the roof.
How long will a roof coating last?
A properly prepped and applied coating adds roughly 10 to 20 years of waterproof life. Silicone and restoration systems land on the higher end, acrylic on the lower. Most systems can be recoated when the time comes, so you can keep renewing the roof instead of replacing it. One rule to know: once a roof has silicone on it, it can only be recoated with silicone. Nothing else will bond to it.
Can any flat roof be coated?
No. Coatings work over roofs with a dry, sound deck and localized wear at the seams, flashings, or penetrations. If the moisture survey finds saturated insulation, rotted or rusted-through decking, or a structurally failing roof, or the coating fails the adhesion test, a coating would just trap the problem. Replacement is the right call there, and we will say so.
Can you coat a rusting metal roof?
Often, yes, but not always, and we don't guess. Every roof we coat gets an adhesion test first, and metal is no exception. Beyond that, the answer depends on how far the rust has gone, what you expect the roof to do and for how long, and what the coating manufacturer will warrant over that substrate. When it's a go, we power-wash and mechanically prep the rust, prime it, seal every seam and fastener with sealant and reinforcing fabric, and apply the system over the whole roof. It stops the rust, seals the leaks, and adds a decade or more of life for a fraction of a metal re-roof. If the panels are rusted through or the framing underneath is compromised, that's a replacement, and we'll tell you.
Will coating my roof interrupt my business?
Very little. Coatings go on right over the existing roof with no tear-off, so there is no demolition debris, no exposed deck, and no roof open to the weather. Your business stays open and operating while we work.
Does a roof coating come with a warranty?
Yes. Coating manufacturers offer renewable material warranties, typically 10, 15, or 20 years depending on the system and mil thickness applied, and Stellar Roofing Company backs the installation with our own workmanship warranty. Keeping up a simple maintenance schedule keeps that warranty valid.