As environmental regulations and building codes continue to become tougher, cool roof coatings have become increasingly popular in recent years. A cool roof is one that has been coated with a specific type of paint, sheet covering, or even reflective shingles or tiles so that it reflects heat, directs it away, and absorbs less heat than a normal roof. The result? Roof temperatures are lower than normal (by up to 50 degree Fahrenheit in some cases), leading to a number of noteworthy benefits.

Some of the benefits of roof coating include:

• Extends the service life of the roof—The sun is often a roof’s worst enemy, especially in a place that’s as hot as Houston. When the sun is constantly beating down on your building’s roof, it can deteriorate the roofing material and cause severe damage over time. However, a coated roof is designed to reflect sunlight. This makes the roof much cooler, and therefore, reduces the amount of damage caused by the sun. This could potentially significantly extend the service life of your roof. In fact, there are many cases where coating a commercial or industrial roof can restore it to like-new condition for a fraction of the cost of replacing it.
• Cuts energy bills—The sun that shines down on your roof can cause the inside of your building to heat up. This means you have to turn on your AC to keep the space comfortable. With a cool roof that reflects sunlight away and is up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than a regular roof, you won’t have to crank up your AC so high to keep your indoors cool. This can help cut your energy bills significantly.
• Reduces wear and tear on air conditioning systems—HVAC systems are expensive to repair or replace. A cool roof can make your indoor space cooler and more comfortable and therefore minimize wear and tear on your air conditioning system. This could help extend the lifetime of your AC and lead to fewer repairs.
• Improves indoor comfort—Simply put, the inhabitants of your commercial building will be more comfortable if your roofing has been properly coated. This is especially important for areas that are not air conditioned (e.g. warehouses).
• Works for a wide range of roof types—Roof coatings can be used to improve and to restore roofing systems of all types, including concrete roofs, metal roofs, single-ply roofs, asphalt/bur/granular cap sheet, polyurethane foam roofs, and more. Just about every roof can be made cooler with the right coating.

Summit Coatings specializes in roof coating applications. As a certified applicator of many of the top roof coating systems, we can help you maximize the numerous benefits of cool roof coatings. Visit our site at www.SummitCoatings.com today for more information.

If you’re looking for someone to paint your business, it’s important that you take your time to make sure you choose the best contractor for the job. When it comes to commercial painting companies, not all are created equally, and the quality of work can vary greatly from one service provider to the next.

With that in mind, here are some simple steps you can follow to choose the right commercial painting company for your project.

• Find a company that specializes in commercial painting—You might think all painters are the same, but that’s not the case. While there are plenty of residential painting companies out there, few have true expertise in commercial painting. Simply put, painting a home isn’t the same as painting a commercial office building, a shopping center, a hospital, or any other kind of commercial space. This is your business you’re talking about, and choosing a painter is making an investment in your business. Choose a contractor with proven commercial painting experience.
• Make sure the painters are licensed and well trained—Make no mistake, the industry is plagued by fly-by-night painters. If you’re bringing someone on to your business property to do a job, you want to make sure they are fully licensed and that they have received the finest training in commercial painting, safety protocol, environmental considerations, and other important facets of the job.
• Ask for references—Look, every commercial painting company is going to sing their own praises and try to convince you they’re the best, but the fact is they just want your business. Any company worth its salt will have plenty of real customers who can vouch for the quality of their services. Ask your contractor if they can provide references and testimonials, so you can get first-hand information from their past clients. You want to find out what customers have to say about the painter’s quality of work, their ability to keep projects on schedule, and their professionalism and level of service.
• Compare quotes from 2-3 trusted companies—While price isn’t everything, it’s obviously important to make sure you’re getting a fair deal. Once you’ve found a few commercial painting contracts that meet your criteria, ask for written quotes for your project. Their proposals should be detailed and easy to understand. You can them compare quotes side by side to find the right deal for you.
• Get the work guaranteed—Any company can make your business look good right when they finish the job. The true measuring stick is how long the paint job holds up. How will it look a month from now? How will it look a year from now? These are the kinds of things that really matter. Make sure you choose a commercial painter that stands behind their work and guarantees your satisfaction.

For all your Houston commercial painting needs, choose the experience, dependable team at Summit Coatings. We can help your business look its very best. With decades of industry experience and a commitment to maintaining the highest standards of excellence, we know what it takes to get the job done right the first time. Visit www.SummitCoatings.com today for more information.