The Flat Roof Coating That Bonds to Rubber, Asphalt & Tar Roofs
Free Shipping Direct To Your Location • 15-Year Leak-Free Guarantee
ArmorGarage Roof Shield is a modified butyl rubber epoxy flat roof coating that rolls or sprays onto EPDM rubber, asphalt, modified bitumen, torch-down and built-up tar roofs, flat or low-slope, to seal leaks and reflect solar heat for 15 years. Because it is made with a butyl rubber epoxy formulation it outperforms other roof coatings by orders of magnitude. This is an industrial grade coating with the lowest moisture-vapor transmission rating, 500% elongation and 99.9% memory retention, and it's the same chemistry the U.S. Air Force chose for its roofs. The only thing more watertight would be a pool liner.
Don't buy a flat roof coating on price or name recognition alone. Many customers often end up buying retail grade or water based products that are prone to premature failures and then get stuck in an endless recoating/patching doom loop. ArmorGarage flat roof coating may cost more initially but it's a once and done product.
What Roofs Can You Use This Flat Roof Coating On?
EPDM rubber, asphalt, torch down, modified bitumen and rolled roofing — flat or pitched — on commercial & industrial buildings, homes, trailers, RVs and mobile homes. It bonds to the roofing material and previous roof coatings that are not silicone or delaminating, rather than just sitting on top of them. For metal roofs use our Metal Roof Coating, the same chemistry modified for metal's expansion and contraction. For areas that hold standing water longer than 48 hours, use our Ponding Water Roof Coating. Not sure which you need? Start at our roof coatings overview.
Why Does This Rubber Roof Coating Stop Leaks Other Coatings Can't?
Vapor transmission (permeability) is how much moisture passes through a coating over time. As a roof or coating ages, molecular bonds weaken and pores open from stretching and UV exposure — and water starts passing through the roofing material or coating itself, not just through cracks.
That's why some flat roof leaks can't be found no matter how many flashings, cracks and pits you patch. Water is seeping through the pores over a large area and running to the first opening it finds. Patching becomes expensive and futile. Most flat roofs start leaking this way — they stretch and wear out from UV and weather rather than failing at one spot.
So start with the lowest permeability rating and the highest rubber content you can get and as the coating ages and its pores begin to open, it still repels water. Start with a coating with a high permeability rating and little or no rubber, and it takes surprisingly little aging before the coating fails by passing moisture right through its stretched-out pores. The type of rubber matters too — we use butyl, the highest grade of rubber there is, which is why this is a true industrial grade rubber roof coating and not a latex paint with "rubberized" on the label.
Rubber Roof Coating for EPDM: Leaking Roof Made 100% Leak-Proof, Guaranteed 15 Years
EPDM rubber is one of the most common flat roofs we coat, on buildings and on rubber-roofed trailers and RVs. Most products sold as rubber roof coatings are water-based acrylics that sit on top of the EPDM and peel the first time water gets behind a seam. ArmorGarage Roof Shield bonds to the rubber itself. The roof below was a chronic leaker; it has been dry since two coats went on.
How Can We Guarantee a Flat Roof Coating for 15 Years And Lasts 20?
ASTM G53, 9,000-hour accelerated weathering test: under that extreme UV and temperature-swing cycle, Armor Roof Shield showed no degradation and no loss in permeability. It already has by far the lowest vapor transmission rating; after 9,000 hours it still did. High-grade epoxy polymers and butyl rubber make the difference.
That's why we offer a 15-year guarantee and many others can't. Some brands print longer numbers, then add that results aren't guaranteed, that you can't walk on the roof, that the warranty is void unless a professional installed it — or that you have to renew (and pay) every 10 years or you have no warranty at all. There may be longer guarantees than ours, but there are none better — because it's a guarantee you'll never have to use.
15-Year Leak-Free Guarantee with No Ifs, Ands, or Buts
Cover your entire roof with two coats of ArmorGarage Roof Shield and it's guaranteed leak-free for 15 years. It flows into every crack, crevice and pinhole and forms a barrier water can't pass through. The best part is that 15-20 years down the road if and when your roof needs a recoat, apply one single new coat for another 15 years of guaranteed leak-free service!
How Tough Is It? Put a Fire Hose on It.
When we say Armor Roof Shield is the toughest flat roof coating, we mean it. This is our Light Gray coating under extreme performance testing. Don't try this with a water-based elastomeric or silicone coating — the force and abrasion would rip ordinary roof coatings to shreds.
Military-Proven: Beale Air Force Base
The Security Building at Beale Air Force Base is coated with our Metal Roof Coating — the same chemistry as Armor Roof Shield, modified for the extreme expansion and contraction of metal. There's a reason the Air Force chose ArmorGarage, and you get the same performance from Armor Roof Shield on a flat asphalt or rubber roof.
What Happens to a Coated Flat Roof in a Hail Storm?
One of our residential metal-roof customers lives in a historic neighborhood where a severe hail storm destroyed over 80% of the roofs; his came through with minor cosmetic damage. And here is Patricia, a year after coating her flat roof:
"Here is our review of ArmorGarage Flat Roof Coating. It's great! This review comes a year after we used your product on our roof so it's more a testament to the quality of your product than merely getting the job done."
"We've had several heavy hail storms and rains and of course, we had to go up and check out the roof. There were no dents, no peeling or lifting of the product, no pooling and no bubbling or stretching. It looked perfect. My husband says, 'That stuff really works.'"
"The Flat Roof coating bonds to the roof and is not merely a latex coating that will eventually peel when water gets under it from a crack, dent or hole produced from hail. It doesn't peel off gloves or boots either. We also noticed right away that the solar coating aspect of the product helped to cool the interior by at least 10-15 degrees. Great product. Our roof size required 22 buckets which we consider an investment."
"Your product is beyond belief. You should see what it accomplished on my rubber roofed trailers, just incredible."
Coverage, Versions & Colors
Coverage: 100 sq ft per gallon per coat — one 5-gallon pail covers 500 sq ft per coat, or 250 sq ft with the two coats required for the 15-year guarantee. Apply with a roller or squeegee at roof temperatures of 50°F and above; no special equipment required. For large flat roofs, it can be sprayed with a commercial sprayer with 3000 psi and 1 gpm capacity.
Rubber granule version: for roof decks and walkways around roof-mounted equipment. Trowel-applied (or roll it if thinned slightly with xylene). Base coat with standard Armor Roof Shield, then the granule version on the high-wear areas.
Colors: Black, White, Light Grey, Medium Grey, Beige. Custom colors on orders of 50 gallons or more.
Application & Warranty Details
- 15-Year Guarantee: two coats of Armor Roof Shield, applied to the entire roof, are guaranteed leak-free and severe-weather resistant for 15 years.
- Proper repairs first: remove failing previous coatings and patching materials; repair defective flashings and seams with ArmorGarage Roof Seam Mastic before coating. Do this whichever coating you buy.
- Annual maintenance: clear debris and keep drains open so water doesn't pond. Any area that holds water more than 48 hours after rain should be coated with the Ponding Water version.
- Free shipping direct to your location on all orders.
What the guarantee covers: delamination or erosion of the coating during the warranty period. Every lot is tested before it ships. If you believe the product has failed, email us a description, photos and the nature of the failure; once our quality-control team substantiates a product defect, ArmorGarage supplies sufficient replacement product to repair all affected areas.
Exclusions: failure to apply per instructions or to the entire roof; natural disasters and acts of God; shifting or swelling of the roof structure from building defects; exposure to destructive chemicals; accumulated organic material, debris or ponding water; failure of previously applied coatings or patches; negligence or misuse; cosmetic changes that don't affect performance.
Flat & Rubber Roof Coating Questions We Get Every Week
What is the best coating for a flat roof?+−
The one with the lowest vapor transmission and the highest rubber and polymer solids content, because that's what decides whether the coating still repels water after five years of UV exposure and thermal expansion/contraction.
Thin water-based acrylics and elastomerics are cheap per pail but typically need recoating in 3–5 years at best as their pores open or their coating is actually worn off the roof by hard rain and severe weather. ArmorGarage Roof Shield is a butyl rubber epoxy flat roof coating that showed no degradation after a 9,000-hour ASTM G53 accelerated weathering test. That's why it routinely lasts 20+ years.
What is the best rubber roof coating for an EPDM roof?+−
One that bonds to the EPDM instead of sitting on it. EPDM is one of the most common roofs we coat, on buildings and on rubber-roofed trailers, and the failure we see most is an acrylic "rubber roof coating" peeling off in sheets after water gets behind a seam.
ArmorGarage Roof Shield is made with a butyl rubber/epoxy formulation that has better performance specifications than your original EPDM roof material. It bonds to any rubber membrane, and doesn't peel, crack or wear off like many lower quality roof coatings do.
What's the best coating for a flat roof that keeps leaking?+−
If you've patched the obvious spots and it still leaks, water is almost certainly migrating through the stretched-out pores of the roof over a wide area and running to the nearest opening. Patching won't fix that; in fact continued patching with retail grade roof cement and coatings creates bigger problems down the road that lead to a forced roof replacement.
ArmorGarage Roof Shield flows into every crack and pinhole and forms a continuous barrier that stays 100% watertight through the most severe weather conditions. Low quality roof coatings always end up being the most expensive products you can apply to your roof.
Can I apply roof coating over an existing coating?+−
Over a sound, well-bonded coating, yes. Over a coating that's peeling, decomposing or lifting, no — anything loose must come off first, and defective flashings and seams need to be repaired with ArmorGarage Roof Seam Mastic before you coat.
ArmorGarage roof coatings will stick to just about any coating except silicone; nothing sticks to silicone, not even itself many times. It's one of the major drawbacks of silicone coatings.
It's also why applying one low-quality roof coating after another and patching with retail-grade roof cement is the worst thing you can do to a flat roof. Sooner rather than later you end up with a pile of defective, peeling, often incompatible products that can require a complete roof replacement to fix.
When it comes to coating your roof it's always best to apply the best coating the budget allows so that you have a worry free application that doesn't need constant redoing and avoids damage to your roof insulation and interior assets.
Rubber roof coating vs. silicone — which is better?+−
Silicone resists ponding water the best but is soft, easily abraded, hard to recoat (only silicone sticks to silicone, and not always) it also attracts dirt causing them to lose most of their heat reflectivity. ArmorGarage butyl rubber epoxy coating is far tougher — Shore D 60 against silicone coatings you can scratch with a fingernail — bonds to asphalt and EPDM, and can be walked on and recoated as many times as you like.
For a flat roof that ponds for days, use our Ponding Water version; for everything else, this is the more durable choice.
How many coats do I need, and how do I apply it?+−
Two coats, over the entire roof, applied with an 18" roller and/or squeegee — no special equipment required; a sprayer can be used for large roof areas. Clean the roof, make repairs with Roof Seam Mastic, apply the first coat, let it cure, then the second. Coverage is 100 sq ft per gallon per coat, so one 5-gallon pail does 250 sq ft with both coats on. Apply in dry weather with roof temperatures of 50°F and above.
Can I walk on the roof after it's coated?+−
Yes — unlike some brands whose warranty is void if you walk on the roof. ArmorGarage Roof Shield cures to Shore D 60 and shrugs off foot traffic and is hail resistant. For roof decks and the paths around HVAC units that see constant heavy traffic, use the rubber-granule version on top of a standard base coat.
Will a flat roof coating lower my building's temperature?+−
In the lighter colors, yes. White, light grey and beige also reflect solar heat instead of absorbing it the way a black tar roof does. Patricia in New Mexico measured a 10–15°F drop inside after coating her flat roof. Choose white if reducing interior heat matters; black if you want the roof to shed snow faster.
Coat Your Flat Roof Right The First Time
Send us the roof type, square footage and a couple of photos. We'll tell you what prep it needs, how many pails, and quote volume pricing on 5,000 sq ft and up — usually within an hour or two.
How to Apply Flat & Pitched Roof Coating
Complete step-by-step guide for tar, rubber, and flat roofs — clean, prep, mastic, and two coats to a leak-free finish
Coverage Calculator
Coverage is 100 sq ft per gallon and two coats are required. Use these formulas to determine how much product you need:
Real-World Roof Coating: Start to Finish
The following photo series perfectly illustrates how to do a proper roof coating job. Even though these are smaller roofs, the concept is exactly the same no matter how large the roof is: clean the roof, mastic seams and flashings as needed, and roll or spray on two coats.
See the Difference: Notice the roof to the right in the first photo — it has an aluminum fibered roof coating that is failing after only 3 years. That's the reason the owner chose Armor Roof Shield for this leaky roof and all remaining roofs.
Inspect & Clean the Roof
Product is applicable down to 40°F. Temperature must remain above 40°F for a minimum of 24 hours after application. Do not let freeze.
Surface Prep Checklist
- Clean all dirt, debris, and residues from the entire roof surface
- Scrub mold or mildewed areas with a chlorine or bleach solution
- Power wash if possible for best results
- Visually inspect all flashings and seams for debonding, cracks, or pit holes
- Check all roof penetrations — vents, HVAC units, pipes
Important — Check Inside Mechanical Equipment: Water often penetrates the inside of roof-mounted equipment and other flashings, finds its way down to the roof deck, and runs to an opening far from the original leak source.
Repair & Apply Mastic
Patch any damaged areas, visible cracks, punctures, or areas that have completely worn through using our Roof Patch Mastic for best results.
What Needs Mastic
- Seams that have split apart or cracked (tight seams do not need mastic)
- Curb flashings with cracks or pit holes
- All roof penetrations — vents, pipes, HVAC curbs
- Any area with prior patch material — remove as much old residential-grade roof cement as possible, then coat over the rest with our mastic
Ponding Water Areas
- Apply two coats of Roof Mastic to ponding areas
- Embed roofing mesh into the first coat, then apply the second coat over it
- Let mastic dry, then coat with Armor Roof Shield
- Areas that hold water more than 48 hours after last rainfall should be coated with our Ponding Water Roof Coating
Armor Roof Coat is very forgiving — it will cover up many types of small mistakes. But a little extra time and effort in prepping your roof will result in a much higher quality job.
Roofs prepped with mastic on all seams and flashings — once the coating was applied, it's impossible for it to leak
Apply the First Coat
Roof Shield requires no special skills or experience. The main objective is to get an even coating over the WHOLE roof. If you do that, Roof Shield will take care of the rest.
Mix the coating in the can with a paddle mixer on low speed. Use a high-quality brush to coat hard-to-reach areas first.
The 500 sq ft Grid Method
On large roofs, after cleaning and prepping, mark out 500 sq ft sections and place a pail in each section. This method makes it easy and foolproof to get the coating applied evenly at the proper spread rate — simply roll or spray one pail per square!
500 sq ft sections marked out — one pail per section for foolproof even coverage
Application Tip: You can use a calibrated squeegee to spread the coating out first — it makes it easier since the coating is so thick that a roller sometimes slides across the top initially. Then back-roll with your roller.
Proceed section by section until the entire roof is coated, maintaining the 100 sq ft per gallon spread rate. Roof Shield can be applied from the roof right up parapet walls.
Apply the Second Coat
Allow the first coat to dry 24–48 hours until dry and hard to the touch, then apply the second coat.
Pro Tip: Apply the second coat perpendicular to the first coat for best results. Make sure to cover every inch of roof surface — as long as you get coating on 100% of the surface, there is no possible way water can leak through.
Flexible Timing: If needed, you can wait several days or even a week or two between coats. The second coat will reactivate the first coat and the two will bond together, curing into a single monolithic rubber surface.
Finished roof after two coats — close to 20 years later and still hasn't needed a recoat
Spray Equipment Specs
Armor Roof Shield cannot be sprayed with light-duty sprayers designed for water-based products. Use a commercial airless sprayer with these specifications:
- 3,300 psi with 0.75–1 GPM minimum
- Tip size: .027–.031
- Hoses: 3/8" ID (use 1/2" ID for hose lengths over 60')
- Recommended: Graco Ultra Max 795 or higher
- Thinning: Depending on sprayer, 4–8 oz of Xylene per 5 gallons may be needed for proper spray pattern
Maintain the 100 sq ft per gallon spread rate regardless of application method.
Rubber Granule Version: Applied by trowel with average coverage of approximately 25 sq ft per gallon. A base coat of the standard coating topped with one coat of the granule version on walkways or around mechanical equipment is acceptable. Always do a test patch first when applying to any type of rubber roof to ensure compatibility.
Weather & Application Conditions
- Do not apply if temperature will fall below 40°F during the curing period
- Do not apply if rain is forecast within 24–36 hours
- Temperature must remain above 40°F for a minimum of 24 hours after application
- Do not let freeze
Questions About Your Roof Project?
Whether you're coating a small flat roof or a 100,000 sq ft commercial building, we're here to help. Our techs have helped customers install millions of square feet of this product.
Talk to an expert at 866-532-3979 — info@armorgarage.com or Request a Quote for project pricing and volume discounts on large roof jobs.
Armor Roof Shield — Technical Specifications
Used for flat or pitched roofs, all rubber-type roofs, and all asphalt-based roofs. Can also be applied to wood decks and roofs.
Color: White, Light Gray — See Color Chart for Other Roof Coating Colors
Performance Specifications
Surface Compatibility
Compatible with all asphalt-based and rubber-type roofing systems:
- Modified bitumen
- Built-up roofing (BUR)
- Granulated cap sheets
- Tar and gravel
- Torch down
- All rubber-type roofing — does not cause swelling and debonding of rubber sheets from decking as other products do
- Flat or pitched roofs
- Wood decks and roofs
Technical Resources
Ordering & Delivery Notes
Custom Colors: Colors other than White or Light Gray — allow an additional 5–7 days for delivery.
California Orders: Due to EPA regulations, this product is only available in White for all CA orders. A 20% state surcharge is added to the original order total.
Roof Coating Comparison Chart
Armor Roof Shield vs. popular water-based, elastomeric, and silicone roof coatings — the specs don't lie
Why Armor Roof Shield Is Different
Armor Roof Shield is NOT an elastomeric. It's made with a Copolymer Epoxy Rubber formulation designed to provide a much longer useful life span than lower-cost, retail-grade products.
Retail-grade roof products use water and/or silicone as their main component — much lower-grade materials versus our epoxy rubber base. Water-based and silicone coatings always break down prematurely, regardless of how exaggerated a guarantee may be marketed.
ASTM Verified: Almost no other roof coating company provides ASTM Accelerated Weathering test verification — meaning any claims to longevity are just marketing hype. Armor Roof Shield passes the ASTM 9,000 hour accelerated weathering test with no signs of degradation.
Armor Roof Shield is an industrial-grade coating that can be applied by even first-timers with professional, energy-saving, leak-stopping results that will last. Our coating assures you one of the lowest costs of ownership (cost per years of useful life) over the long term.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Click the chart to enlarge for easier reading
Important Notes on Competing Products
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Gaco — Coverage & Guarantee Issues
Coverage: On textured surfaces such as all asphalt-based roofs, Gaco requires 3–4 coats. Actual coverage on textured surfaces is only 33 sq ft per gallon — you will need substantially more product.
Guarantee: Gaco does not guarantee their product unless installed by an authorized Gaco installer. Furthermore, Gaco does not guarantee results of application such as stopping leaks. Guarantee is void if the roof coating is walked on or strict maintenance is not performed. Gaco does not provide any ASTM Accelerated Weather Testing to verify longevity. Guarantee is non-transferable.
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Gaco — Performance Limitations
Tensile Strength: Very low — should not be walked on.
Hardness: A Shore A rating of 50 is exponentially softer than Armor Roof's 60 rating. Armor Roof can be walked on; Gaco cannot.
Elongation: Very low — may be subject to cracking in extreme conditions.
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Vapor Transmission (Permeability) — The Most Important Factor
The lower the rating, the better the coating resists water and vapor transmission. Armor Roof Coat is four times less permeable than Liquid Roof and multiple times better than the rest.
Simply put, Armor Roof Coat is far superior at preventing water and moisture transmission through your roof. Some coatings have ratings barely below the threshold where moisture will penetrate — just a tiny bit of wear causes them to start leaking.
Note: Black Jack 1000 is not approved for use on flat roofs.
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Application Temperature & Cure Time
This is the temperature at which a coating stops curing and becomes vulnerable to rain or the curing process not restarting. Until the coating is fully cured, it is vulnerable to being washed away. We receive many calls from customers who had other popular brands just wash right off their roofs.
Additional Notes:
* Guarantee — 10-year only when applied by a certified Lexis applicator.
~ EPDM Coatings, Liquid Roof, and Pro Guard are the same product and therefore have the same specifications.
Ready to Protect Your Roof?
Talk to an expert at 866-532-3979 — info@armorgarage.com or Request a Quote for project pricing and volume discounts.
Copolymer Roof Coating Color Chart
Click any swatch to zoom in. Colors are computer generated and may vary from actual product colors.
Colors are computer generated and may vary from actual product colors. Request a sample for exact color matching.
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