The ancient Mesopotamians had it right when they began using asphalt to waterproof temple baths and water tanks. The Phoenicians later found asphalt useful in caulking the seams of their merchant ships. And when they needed to seal their baths, reservoirs, and aqueducts, guess what substance the Romans relied on? Thousands of years later, asphalt has a proven track record documenting its ability to resist water penetration.
You work hard for nearly two decades building a business that, while boasting of considerable past success, continues to thrive. What do you do for a second act? Ron Newton of Atlanta is taking a key component of his operation and is re-engineering it to form a completely new enterprise.
Tile, that 4,000-year-old roof, has always had some high-performance features. From a venerable and reliable roofing material to an energy-saving, storm-resistant material, tile roofing is undergoing something of a makeover. While there are a fair amount of new products and styles, many of the recent developments in the tile market are simply the result of measuring and quantifying the properties there were there all the time.
The landscape was already in place: rich soils, sloping hills and a climate ideal for producing wine. The plans for the winery itself were almost perfect: a state-of-the-art, five-level gravity flow facility, designed to move wine through its stages of production. But the Nicholson Ranch Vineyards and Winery needed something to top off its location in the southern foothills of the Sonoma Valley: a variegated slate roof.
Take a stroll or a ride in virtually any neighborhood in the country and the popularity of today’s heavyweight premium shingles will be evident. Savvy homeowners are opting for premium shingles for appearance and style, while other knowledgeable consumers are thinking about product longevity and lifecycle costs. The following product roundup offers the details on some of the premium shingles offered by the industry’s top manufacturers.
Metal
roofing may have a relatively small portion of the residential market,
but growth has been solid in that niche, and manufacturers of metal
roofing products expect to increase market share in the future. Part of
their growth strategy involves giving homeowners options beyond
standing seam roofs, including metal shingles designed to capture the
look of cedar shakes, barrel tile and natural slate.
The makers of Instacoat are quick to point out
that their water-based seamless waterproof membrane has some unique
characteristics, and point to product testing and real-world applications as
proof of a promising future.
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