Drips On Cold Mornings
Warm, moist air inside a heated shop hits the cold underside of the panels and condenses. The drips fall in rows between fasteners, which tells them apart from roof leaks. Foam warms the panel underside and cuts the dripping.
Foam Over Metal
Lexington Spray Foam Roofing
Our spray foam roofing in Lexington puts closed-cell foam and a topcoat over commercial metal roofs to insulate the building, cut condensation drips, and cover every fastener.
- Closed-cell foam, about R-6 per inch
- Every screw buried under foam
- Fewer condensation drips
- New edge details at gutters
Is This Roof A Fit?
Foam is the bigger job. It pays off on buildings that need insulation or drip under the panels.
Foam Plus Coating
- Insulation
- Thin, wet, or missing under the panels
- Inside
- Drips on cold mornings
- Space
- Heated or cooled shop space
- Roof edge
- Room to raise gutters and trim
- Our call
- Foam, then a protective topcoat
Coating Alone
- Insulation
- Dry and doing its job
- Inside
- Dry except at known leaks
- Space
- Unheated storage
- Roof edge
- Edge height has to stay put
- Our call
- Prime, seal, and coat the metal
The R-6 per inch figure comes from a U.S. Department of Energy Building America spray foam guide.
Signs A Metal Building Needs Foam
These conditions point toward foam over the metal rather than a coating by itself.
Heating Bills For Shop Space
Little insulation under a metal roof lets heat through in winter and bakes the space in summer. Closed-cell foam adds about R-6 per inch on top of the panels, so a few inches change how the building feels.
Thousands Of Screw Heads
Every exposed fastener is a possible leak on an R-panel roof. Foam buries them all under one continuous layer, so the screw lines stop depending on rubber washers.
Ribs That Trap Water
Between the ribs, foam fills and levels the surface, which removes the low laps where water used to sit.
Barns With Livestock Below
Ammonia and moisture from stalls rust panel undersides faster. Foam over the top keeps the panels warmer, and rusted purlins or undersides get repaired before any foam goes on.
Edges That Have To Rise
Foam raises the roof surface, so gutters, eave trim, and flashings need new details. We plan those edges before spraying, since they decide how water leaves the roof.
Commercial Roof Coating Options for Lexington
Foam always gets a protective topcoat. These are the builds we spray on Lexington metal buildings.
Foam With Silicone Topcoat
Silicone over foam handles low spots and standing water well, and later recoats stay silicone.
Foam With Acrylic Topcoat
On well-drained roofs, an acrylic topcoat over foam keeps a bright, reflective surface at a lower recoat cost.
Urethane At Traffic Zones
Granules or a urethane layer protect the foam on paths to rooftop units, where boots would dent it.
Edge Metal And Gutter Rework
Raised edges get new eave trim, extended gutters, and flashing at walls and curbs to match the added thickness.
Benefits of Coating Your Roof
How a metal building changes once foam and a topcoat replace bare, screw-down panels.
Before Coating
- Undersidedripping condensation on cold mornings
- Screw lineseach washer a possible leak
- Panel ribsholding water at low laps
- Interiorhot in summer, hard to heat in winter
After Coating
- Added insulationclosed-cell foam adds about R-6 per inch over the panels
- Warmer panel undersidefewer condensation drips in heated buildings
- One continuous surfaceevery fastener and lap sits under foam and coating
- Simpler upkeeplater care means a fresh topcoat and small foam repairs
Drips Inside Or A Bigger Upgrade?
How Spray Foam Roofing Goes On In Lexington
Foam work moves in sections, and every section is dry, clean, and repaired before the rig starts.
Inspect Your Roof
We check the panels, purlins, and insulation from above and below, read moisture where stains show, and measure the edges to plan new gutter and trim details.
Repair The Steel
Rust-through sheets are replaced, loose screws tightened, and rusted purlins repaired, since foam over weak steel only hides the problem.
Clean And Dry
Panels are washed and left to dry fully. Foam needs a dry surface and the right weather to bond, which we confirm with a surface thermometer.
Spray The Foam
Closed-cell foam goes on in passes to the planned thickness, filling between ribs. Intakes on rooftop units are shut down and cars moved off the downwind side.
Protect It With Coating
A topcoat goes over the foam the same week, with granules or urethane on walk paths and new edge metal at the gutters.
When Foam Is More Than You Need
Some Lexington buildings do better with a coating alone. These are the systems we use instead or on top.
Metal Roof Coating
Unheated buildings with dry insulation usually skip foam and take our metal coating system: rust primer, sealed screws, fabric at the laps, and a topcoat.
Metal roof coating in Lexington
Silicone Roof Coating
Silicone is the topcoat we choose most often over foam, because it handles any low spots left after spraying.
Silicone roof coating in Lexington
Acrylic Roof Coating
Foam on a well-drained roof can take an acrylic topcoat instead, at a lower cost when it is time to recoat.
Acrylic roof coating in LexingtonSpray Foam Questions
What Lexington owners ask before adding foam over a metal roof.
Is Foam Better Than A Coating Alone?
It depends on the building. Foam adds insulation, about R-6 per inch for closed-cell according to a Department of Energy guide, and levels the ribs into one layer over every lap and screw. A coating alone fits roofs whose insulation is already dry and working, and it keeps the edge at its current height.
What Weather Does Foam Work Need?
Dry panels, mild temperatures, and no rain during the cure window. Each product lists limits for temperature, humidity, and dew point spread. Kentucky panels collect heavy dew on clear nights, so we wait for them to dry, and panels baking in afternoon sun run too hot, so summer work starts early.
Can You Foam A Horse Barn In Fayette County?
Yes, once rust, fasteners, and ventilation are checked. Fayette County's Purchase of Development Rights program has protected more than 33,000 acres of farmland, which keeps many working barns in use. Ridge vents and cupolas stay open and masked, horses stay out until fumes clear, and rusted purlins get repaired first.
How Thick Does The Foam Go?
Thickness is set by the insulation the building needs and the slope we want to keep for drainage, measured with a probe as we spray. Thicker foam raises the edge more, so gutter and trim details are planned around the final number.
Do I Need A Permit For Foam Over Metal?
Often, yes. Foam that raises the roof edge or changes the fire-rated assembly tends to draw review. In Lexington, that review goes through the LFUCG Division of Building Inspection; tell them the planned foam thickness and the topcoat.
What Happens To Rooftop Units During Foam Work?
Units near the active section are shut off at their disconnects, and their intakes are covered so fumes stay outside. Curbs get foamed up their sides and flashed, and condensate lines are raised so the foam seals underneath.
Price Foam For Your Metal Building
Send the roof size and whether it drips inside, or call and talk it over.