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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
 

Earth Fact
Did you know that 7% of all garbage in landfills is old roofing material?
Below you will find some of the more common questions that we receive.  For more information email us on our contact form or give us a call from Oahu at (808) 262-ROOF (7663) or TOLL FREE nationwide at: (877) 605-COOL (2665).

Q: I see a number of white roof coatings on the market. What makes Hawaiian SunGuard different?

Not all white coatings have ceramic held in suspension.  The ceramic-titanium granules that we add to our coating act as an incredible heat shield which can lower the surface temperature of a roof by 60 degrees or more!

In a recent test conducted by the Engineering Dept. of the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), two identical “clone” buildings were built in the desert. Alike in every respect, including their orientation to the sun, the two building were fitted with identical A/C units with separate electrical meters. The only difference was the white coating that was applied to one building (walls and roof) had ceramic material added.  Here are the energy-usage results:
hawaii hot roof relief

Incredibly, the building with the ceramic added to the coating used 51.3 % less kilowatt hours to maintain the same temperature inside!  Imagine what this can do to your electric bill here in Hawaii, where energy costs are nearly twice the national average!

Q: The energy savings are impressive, but I am more interested in stopping the leaks in my building. Why is Hawaiian SunGuard good for waterproofing?

Hawaiian SunGuard uses only premium acrylic resins. Resins are the building blocks of any acrylic coating. We use a high-performance acrylic resin called Lipacryl®. Manufactured by the same folks that make plexiglas®, the building blocks for our coating cost a little more than other available resins but perform much better in waterproofing applications. Combined with our CoolFab reinforcing fabric, Hawaiian SunGuard can waterproof almost any surface--including those troublesome areas of a roof where water ponds. In fact, we are so confident in the Hawaiian SunGuard waterproof membrane, you can have one of our licensed roofing contractors install and issue up to a seven year leak-free guarantee!

Q: How much coating do I need and how much will it cost?

The cost of materials for a reflectivity coat (epoxy primer and coating) averages $0.85 per square foot. For a full-fabric reinforced system, material costs are approximately $1.85 per square foot. The amount of coating that you will need depends on several factors. The size, type, and condition of your roof will all affect the actual amount of coating that you will need (click here to see sample coverage rates for different surfaces). Also, the type of Hawaiian SunGuard system that you choose to install will determine the amount of materials required. For a completely reinforced full-fabric system (recommended for waterproofing flat roofs) you will need about twice the amount of coating necessary for applying a reflectivity coat (designed to lower temperatures and preserves roofs in already good condition).

Q: How many coats do I need?

Generally, for best waterproofing results it is better to use three thinner coats than two heavy coats. However, the most important factor is total system thickness. For waterproofing applications you'll want a total membrane thickness of at least 45 mils (about the thickness of a quarter). Despite the extremely thick consistency of Hawaiian SunGuard, this is impossible to achieve in just one coat. The number one problem that most people face when applying coating is that they apply the coating too thin. Since Hawaiian SunGuard both looks and is applied similar to paint, the tendency is to stop once the surface has been "painted". The thickness of paint when covering a surface is typically one or two mils (thickness of a piece of paper). The best way to insure that you achieve the correct thickness for your desired system (waterproofing and/or reflectivity) is to accurately measure the surface to be coated and apply all of the materials purchased.

Q: What is the maintenance and how long will it last?

The Hawaiian SunGuard membrane ages at approximately 1 mil per year. Typically, after seven to ten years, you can hose down your roof, patch any defects, and simply topcoat, using less than half the coating you originally used. Repeat indefinitely.

Q: What surfaces can Hawaiian SunGuard go over?

If applied according to our installation instructions, you can install the Hawaiian SunGuard waterproof membrane to any flat roof and most sloped surfaces; including asphalt shingle, aluminum shingle, plywood, transite panel, rubber, TPO, mineral surface cap sheet, and even pitch and gravel, if the gravel is removed and the surface scraped smooth.

Q: How can I purchase Hawaiian SunGuard?

Our friendly staff are waiting for your order. You can have 5 or more buckets delivered free on Oahu, or you can contact us to have an estimator measure your roof and explain the installation and warranty options that are available.
 
Hawaiian SunGuard