Commercial spray foam roofing in Lexington: we cut out wet sections, spray closed-cell foam over metal or flat roofs, and coat it for sun and foot traffic.
Foam needs a clean, dry, attached surface to bond to. Here is how we sort a Lexington roof into ready now or repair first.
Metal roofs and flat roofs leak in predictable places. These five details get extra prep on almost every job.
Screws loosen as panels expand and contract, and cracked washers let water follow the shank. We tighten or replace loose ones before any foam goes on.
End laps hold dirt and stay wet, so rust starts there first. Crews wire-brush or power-wash each lap, then apply a rust-inhibiting primer.
Curbs added after the original roof often sit on loose flashing. Foam is sprayed up all four sides and over the base so the curb joins the roof surface.
Water leaving the roof runs over the eave into the gutter. We mask the gutter, detail the edge, and keep foam out of the flow line.
Bare panels drip on cold mornings when warm indoor air meets cold steel. Foam on the outside keeps the underside warmer, which cuts that dripping.
Every foam roof gets one of three topcoats. The choice comes down to drainage, foot traffic, and what is already on the roof.
| Coating | Holds Up Best Against | Watch For | Common Fit In Lexington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silicone | Standing water and UV | Collects dirt; later coats are mostly silicone | Flat roofs with slow interior drains |
| Acrylic | Sun, with a bright white finish | Weak under ponding; needs a warm, dry cure | Well-sloped roofs with clear scuppers |
| Urethane | Foot traffic and impact | Solvent odor while it goes on | Walk paths and equipment areas |
A small adhesion patch confirms a new coat will bond before the whole roof is coated.
Foam and its topcoat go over most dry roofs without a tear-off. These are the gains we can point to, and what each one depends on.
Removing a dry roof means dumpsters, crane picks, and an open deck exposed to Kentucky rain.
When cores show dry insulation, the old roof stays as the base layer, so less material goes to the landfill and the deck stays covered.
Tear-offs push noise, debris, and open-deck risk onto tenants for weeks.
Spraying runs section by section with intakes covered, so most buildings stay open, and tenants get the schedule ahead of time.
A worn single-ply roof has to come off when its seams give out.
A foam roof is renewed by cleaning and recoating the topcoat while the foam underneath is still dry and firm, so the insulation stays put.
Uninsulated steel decks let summer heat and winter cold move freely through the roof.
Foam adds continuous insulation and air sealing at the deck. Savings track the existing insulation, HVAC equipment, and hours of use, so we quote no number.
Tell us which unit, what the roof is made of, and roughly how big it is. We can look at it on the same walk as the rest of the roof.
(859) 204-7918Each step below is a real stage on a Lexington foam job, split between roof work and the building-side planning around it.
Expect a full roof walk with a moisture meter, cores cut where readings jump, and photos of each drain, curb, scupper, and parapet cap before any plan is written.
Lexington addresses go through the LFUCG Division of Building Inspection, and H-1 overlay roofs need approval for visible changes. We sort both before ordering material.
Wet board is cut out and replaced, loose gravel vacuumed, blisters opened, and rusty laps primed. Every intake, skylight, and edge gets masked against overspray.
Spraying waits for dry panels and light wind. Dew on metal is checked with a surface thermometer each morning, and cars are moved off the downwind side.
Foam rises in passes to the planned depth, tapered toward drains, and a probe confirms it. The topcoat follows, with granules along walk paths to rooftop units.
The same foam system goes on roofs in six nearby towns, each with its own permit office.
Jessamine County retail roofs crowded with rooftop units.
Church and school roofs timed around services and classes.
Tapered foam and crickets on long Clark County roofs.
Rust priming on older metal shops before foam.
Several barns and sheds on one Bourbon County farm.
Brick parapets and coping on older downtown buildings.
Answers to what owners ask once foam is on the table.
Two layers: closed-cell polyurethane foam and a protective coating on top. The foam starts as two liquids mixed in a heated proportioner, sprayed through a hose, and it rises into rigid foam within seconds.
Passes are stacked until the depth matches the slope and insulation plan. The coating is what you walk on: it blocks sunlight, sets the color, and takes foot traffic.
Often, yes, when the old roof is dry, firmly attached, and the structure can take the added weight. Core cuts and a moisture meter find wet areas around drains and along low edges, and that board comes out first.
The building code also limits how many layers can stack on one deck, so we check with the permit office before work starts.
A dry surface, moderate temperatures, and light wind. Each foam maker publishes limits for surface temperature, humidity, and dew point, and crews follow that data sheet on the day.
In central Kentucky, morning dew on metal panels in spring and fall is the usual delay, since foam sprayed on damp steel bonds poorly and can blister later.
Yes, for exterior changes in an H-1 overlay. Lexington has 15 historic districts, and work there needs a Certificate of Appropriateness; staff approve minor changes and the Board of Architectural Review takes larger ones.
A flat roof hidden behind a downtown parapet rarely shows from the street, while changes to parapet caps or cornice flashing draw a closer look.
Intact closed-cell foam handles it well because so little water gets in. Damage starts where the coating wears thin or birds peck the surface open, and water freezing in those holes widens them over a winter.
Lexington saw minus 7 degrees on January 21, 2024 and 64 four days later, so we check parapets and drain bowls each spring.
Hail usually leaves small dents, called hail pocks, that get sealed during routine repair, since firm foam absorbs the hit. What matters is whether the coating split at each dent.
After a storm, look for pocks, lifted edge metal, and debris piled against curbs, and have the damage photographed before repairs.
Roof size, roof type, and condition are enough to start a ballpark number.
