Roofing Contractor explores the growth of the roof coatings market and highlights the products that will keep it relevant for years to come in this issue's Roof Coatings Special Section. Be sure to check out these articles in the Special Section:

• Coatings Q&A with the Experts
• Reflecting on Today's Roof Coatings
• Considering Coatings? Here's the Basics

Roof Coatings Special Section

Advances in technology and the increased importance for roofing contractors to improve efficiency while providing sustainable roofing solutions at a lower cost to customers has brought about a new era in coatings applications.

Survey data analyzed for RC’s 2019 State of the Industry Report demonstrated that more and more roofing contractors in markets across the country are beginning to incorporate coatings into their service offerings, and those that have been applying them for years are finding opportunities to innovate and expand. Roughly 67 percent of respondents to RC’s survey said coatings were a part of their business model, and on average said metal roofing and coatings together accounted for a quarter of all sales revenue.

Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of respondents said they expected to see single-ply grow in 2019, followed by coatings (45 percent) and metal (36 percent). It’s at least the fourth straight year that anticipated coatings sales outpaced both metal and steep-slope shingles, according to survey data.

And manufacturers are taking notice. Since 2015, RC has reported on dozens of mergers and acquisitions in the coatings marketplace. That includes industry giants, such as GAF’s acquisition of Quest Specialty Chemicals in 2015, and Firestone Building Product’s acquisition of Gaco Western in 2017.

Check out the features in our Roof Coverings Special Section below.