Spray Foam Roofing in Albuquerque, NM

Spray foam roofing is a layer of high-density polyurethane foam sprayed on top of a flat or low-slope roof, then sealed with an elastomeric coating that protects it from the sun. In Albuquerque, where so many houses have flat roofs with parapet walls and canales, it solves two problems at once. It gives the roof a new seamless surface, and it puts insulation on the outside of the roof deck, where there is room for it, instead of inside a shallow ceiling cavity where there usually is not.

Why flat-roofed homes are hard to insulate from inside

Many flat-roofed houses have only a few inches between the ceiling and the roof deck. There is no attic to walk in and no room to blow loose insulation to depth. The ceiling gets very hot in summer, and the roof is often the largest source of heat gain in the house. Adding foam on top of the deck changes that without opening any ceilings, and the thickness can be adjusted to reach a target R-value.

How the system works

The crew cleans the roof, removes loose gravel or failed material, and repairs the deck where it is soft or damaged. Foam goes on in passes and expands into a monolithic layer with no seams, wrapping up the parapets and around vents and equipment curbs. It can be built thicker in low spots so water drains toward the scuppers or canales instead of ponding. Then the coating goes on. HomeAdvisor lists silicone topcoats at $1.40 to $2.50 per square foot and acrylic at $0.15 to $0.75, and the coating is the part that faces the sun and gets maintained.

Life span and recoating

HomeAdvisor's guide says a spray foam roof lasts 20 to 50 years when it is applied correctly and recoated on schedule, and recommends a fresh topcoat every 10 to 15 years to prevent UV damage and keep the surface watertight. Albuquerque's sunshine is the main thing that wears a foam roof: Wikipedia's Sunport climate table counts about 3,415 hours of sunshine a year, 77 percent of the possible total. So the coating is the part you budget for again. We tell you what coating we plan to use and what upkeep it needs.

Tear-off or go over the top?

Foam can often be applied over an existing built-up or modified bitumen roof if it is dry and well attached, which saves the cost of tearing off. Wet or delaminated areas have to come out. Fixr puts old roof removal at about $50 per square, rising to about $150 per square for heavier materials, and HomeAdvisor lists removal at an added $1 to $3 per square foot. We probe and inspect the existing roof before we say which route fits.

When foam roofing is not the right fit

Foam is for flat and low-slope roofs. Pitched shingle or tile roofs are a different job, and their insulation usually belongs in the attic. A roof with rotted decking needs that framing repaired first. And because foam is sprayed on site, it needs dry surfaces and calm enough wind, so spring wind and summer monsoon afternoons affect scheduling.

If your flat roof is leaking, ponding, or simply old, call us. We will get on the roof, tell you what we find, and give you a written price. Get a free estimate