Roof Coating Adhesion Test

Why Test for Coating Adhesion?

Roof coatings may have excellent physical properties (elongation, tensile strength, etc.) but for the coatings to work, they must adhere to the substrate on which they are applied. The common methods of adhesion testing are performed with a knife, tensile test with fabric or with a pull-off adhesion tester.

How much adhesion is enough?

The more adhesion the better. Since this is a qualitative test, a frame of reference is valuable, if possible. For instance, measure adhesion of a coating to a substrate with and without a primer; or compare two different cleaning methods; or compare two or more different products (perhaps a polyurethane and an acrylic).

After any test, determine if the bond failure was adhesive (between coating and substrate) or cohesive (within the coating film).

Field Adhesion Testing with Polyester Fabric

To perform adhesion tests in the field, we recommend the tensile test with fabric. The initial adhesion measured in this test does not mean that long term adhesion is assured but it does provide a strong indication of adhesion performance.

Roof Coating Adhesion Test Procedure

1. Clean test area thoroughly and let dry.
2. Do not perform an adhesion test on a rusted surface without rust treatment or primer. Silicone coatings should be mechanically removed from substrate.
3. Apply 15 mils of roof coating on the prepared or primed surface (min 6″x6″).
4. Embed a 2″x6″ swatch of polyester fabric into the roof coating. Allow 2″ of the fabric to hang free.
5. Apply another 15 mils of roof coating on the fabric until it is completely concealed.
6. Allow roof coating to dry and cure for at least 3 days. (10 days recommended to avoid false positives.)
7. Test for coating adhesion by pulling the fabric at a 90° angle to the substrate surface.
8. Some roof coating should remain on the substrate (see picture above). A clean pull indicates weak coating adhesion on the tested substrate.