That’s been my experience too—these coatings are more like a band-aid than a cure, especially once the weather gets wild. I tried the mesh tape with elastomeric on my garage roof last year, and honestly, it held up a bit better than just the coating alone, but not by much. Once the snow started melting and refreezing, I still ended up with peeling edges and a couple of new leaks. I think if your roof is already flexing or sagging, nothing short of a real repair is going to last. Still, I get the appeal when you’re trying to stretch things out on a budget.
Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing—those coatings just don’t stand up to freeze-thaw cycles. I tried patching a low-slope section with two coats of elastomeric and mesh, thinking it’d buy me a couple years, but by spring, it was bubbling and flaking at the seams. In my experience, once the decking starts flexing or you’ve got any rot underneath, coatings are just delaying the inevitable. Sometimes it feels like throwing money at a problem that really needs a proper fix.
- Had the same issue last winter—put down a fresh coat on my porch roof, looked great at first, then by March it was peeling up at the seams.
- I’m starting to think some of these coatings just aren’t made for our freeze/thaw swings.
- Did anyone actually get more than a year or two out of these? Or am I missing a prep step that makes the difference?
- At this point, I’m debating whether it’s worth patching again or just saving up for a full tear-off...
I’m starting to think some of these coatings just aren’t made for our freeze/thaw swings.
Yeah, that’s been my experience too. I’m in upstate NY and the temp swings here are brutal. I tried two different brands on my flat porch roof over the last five years—neither lasted more than a year and a half before they started bubbling or peeling at the seams. I did all the prep: cleaned, dried, even used their special primer one time. Didn’t seem to matter.
Honestly, I think these coatings are more of a band-aid than a fix if you’re dealing with real winters. My neighbor swears by torch-down rubber, but that’s not exactly a DIY weekend project unless you like playing with fire (literally). At this point, I’m leaning toward saving up for a proper tear-off and new membrane. Patching every spring is getting old…and expensive.
If anyone’s actually gotten 5+ years out of a coating in a cold climate, I’d love to know what magic they’re using. Otherwise, I’m done wasting weekends on this stuff.
- Totally get it—freeze/thaw cycles are brutal on coatings.
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Same here in northern PA. Even with “flexible” coatings, seams always start lifting after one winter.“Patching every spring is getting old…and expensive.”
- Tried a silicone-based product last year, but still saw cracks by spring.
- I’ve heard some folks have luck with elastomeric coatings, but I haven’t seen anyone get more than 2 years in this climate.
- Full membrane or torch-down seems like the only real fix, but yeah, not exactly a weekend DIY unless you’re feeling brave.
- Honestly, coatings might buy a little time, but they’re not a long-term solution for harsh winters, in my experience.