Commercial Roof Restoration
Restoration is the option most building owners are never offered, because replacement pays a contractor more. When the deck and insulation are dry, restoration delivers the same watertight result for a fraction of the cost and none of the disruption.
What is commercial roof restoration?
Commercial roof restoration is a fluid-applied coating system installed over your existing roof. The surface is cleaned, seams and fasteners are reinforced with fabric and base coat, and reflective top coats are applied to a specified thickness. The result is a seamless, waterproof membrane with a written warranty, installed without tearing anything off.


Real project photos from Conklin-trained contractors in the White Roofing Systems network. See more completed projects
When restoration is the right call for your roof
- Roof is 10 to 25 years old and leaking at seams, laps, or penetrations
- Surface is chalky, cracked, or blistered but the deck below is dry
- Ponding water and slow drainage after storms
- Prior patch repairs that keep failing in the same spots
- You need the roof to last another 10 to 20 years without a capital replacement
Why tear-off is usually the wrong first answer
A full tear-off means dumpsters, disposal fees, exposed decking, and a building that is vulnerable to weather every night the roof is open. It also means a capital expenditure that has to be depreciated over decades.
The harder cost is operational. Tear-offs are loud, dusty, and disruptive to tenants, patients, students, and production lines. For an occupied building, that disruption often costs more than the roof itself.
- Disposal and landfill fees on top of labor and materials
- The building is exposed to weather during the work
- Noise and debris in occupied space below
- Full capital expenditure instead of a maintenance-eligible repair
How a Conklin restoration is installed
The roof is pressure washed and allowed to dry. Every seam, lap, and penetration is reinforced with butyl tape, polyester fabric, and base coat. Rust on metal panels is treated with a rust-inhibiting primer. Then reflective acrylic or silicone top coats go on at the mil thickness the warranty requires.
The finished surface is monolithic, meaning there are no seams left for water to find. It reflects roughly 85 percent of solar energy, which is why cooling costs typically drop after a white restoration.
- No tear-off, no dumpsters, no disposal fees
- 10 to 20 year non-prorated, renewable warranty
- Reflective white surface cuts rooftop heat load and cooling costs
- Work happens over an operating building with no shutdown
- Renewable: recoat at the end of the term to extend the life again
Request a Free Roof Inspection
Tell us your building address and roof type. We route your request to the nearest Conklin-trained commercial roofing contractor, usually within 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does commercial roof restoration last?
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Can any commercial roof be restored?
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What roof types can be restored?
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Does roof restoration stop existing leaks?
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Is restoration tax deductible?
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No-cost commercial roof inspection
Get a Straight Answer on Your Roof
Call 1-309-303-3128 or request a free inspection. You get photo documentation, a written proposal, and an honest recommendation, even when that recommendation is to wait.
Keep Reading on This Site
Industry Sources
- Cool Roof Rating Council(opens in a new tab)
Third-party reflectance and emittance ratings.
- Cool Roof Rating Council. Building Owner Resources(opens in a new tab)
How reflective roof surfaces lower cooling load.
- U.S. EPA. Using Cool Roofs to Reduce Heat Islands(opens in a new tab)
Measured surface-temperature and energy impacts.
