On a beautiful day in Joplin, Missouri, Ridgeline Roofing & Solar inspected one of the more unique roofing systems you’ll come across. This structure, originally built to be fire-resistant, once housed a bakery and features a rare combination of materials layered over decades of repairs and upgrades.

A Roof Built to Last… Then Modified Over Time

This building starts with a concrete roof deck, a strong and durable foundation rarely seen in modern residential roofing. On top of that sits a multi-ply hot-applied roofing system, likely four to five layers thick, finished with gravel for UV protection.

Over time, as leaks developed, additional systems were applied:

• Closed-cell spray foam, added as a waterproofing layer
• Acrylic coating, used to protect the foam from UV exposure
• Sealant overlay, applied later in an attempt to extend the life of the acrylic

While each layer was intended to solve a problem, stacking systems like this often creates long-term complexity rather than a permanent solution.

Why Acrylic Coatings Often Fall Short

During the inspection, it was clear that the acrylic coating system had deteriorated significantly. Areas exposed to direct sunlight showed faster wear, while shaded sections remained in better condition.

This highlights a common issue with acrylic coatings:

• They are water-based and can degrade faster under standing water
• They lack the long-term durability of silicone systems
• They often require frequent maintenance or reapplication

Even with an added sealant layer, the performance gap between acrylic and more advanced systems becomes evident over time.

Structural Integrity Still Strong

Despite the roofing challenges, the building’s structure remains in excellent condition. The concrete deck and framing are holding strong, which opens the door for restoration options rather than full structural replacement.

Additional features noted during the inspection include:

• Modified parapet caps, wrapped for added protection
• An old skylight opening and elevator shaft penetration
• Wall sections that remain in good shape, particularly on shaded elevations

Finding the Right Solution

With multiple roofing systems in place, the goal is to determine the best path forward—balancing cost, performance, and warranty coverage.

Potential solutions may include:

• Removing failing coatings and applying a high-performance silicone system
• Targeted repairs to stabilize existing layers
• A full restoration plan designed to simplify and strengthen the roofing system

Every roof like this requires a custom approach, and that’s where experience matters most.

Smart Planning Saves Money Long Term

Just because a roof is complicated doesn’t mean it has to be expensive. The key is identifying what can be preserved, what needs to be replaced, and how to create a system that performs reliably moving forward.

Dealing with a complex or aging roof system? Let’s find out the best solution for your building. Contact us today!

Hear Tim’s Thoughts

Video Transcript: "Hey Tim Yates Ridgeline Roofing and Solar. I'm here with Jeremy. We're just up here on this roof taking a look at this. It's not your everyday roof. So this roof is a, it's very interesting. It's got a concrete deck and it's got a hot applied, it's either four or five ply roof above the concrete and then they graveled it as a UV protectant and then they went and I imagine when they started
having trouble with that. They went and started a closed cell spray foam on it and to UV protect the spray foam they put an acrylic on it. It's a water-based acrylic and honestly this is why I don't sell acrylics to people but it's an interesting roof. It's framing on this building is really really good shape. We're trying to come up with the best
scenario financially and warranty wise for this roof to give him the best bang for the buck and I'm not sure which way we're going to go with it yet but you can see how the foam is visible and then you get here and they, what they did here was this is a sealer and they sprayed a sealer over that acrylic.
to try to preserve the roof a little bit and if you look at this part of the roof compared to this part of the roof it actually did help it a little bit I would say and then there's no modified on this. This is just a hot applied, you know, hot mop underneath this and then you get over to the parapet caps and they wrapped the parapet caps and modified. And yes, that's something they could have done after the fact but
they're wrapped everywhere and of course they went ahead and spray foam and acrylic the rest of that too. So, um, and then the walls themselves really on this part really aren't in that bad of shape.
but that's because they're not in the sun. And then, uh, that was an old skylight and that's your elevator shaft there.
So, we're going to put some stuff together for Jeremy and, uh, we'll see what we can figure out on this. Thanks for watching."