Companies naturally seek efficiency in business operations as a matter of staying profitable and surviving. Efficiency is generally achieved by the automation of processes with machinery and equipment. It is important for business managers to remember, however, that safety is just as important to the success of your business, and that good safety practices can even contribute to your overall efficiency.
The metal roofing industry continues its forward march. Recent articles in Roofing Contractor authored by the Metal Roofing Alliance (a not-for-profit coalition of metal roofing manufacturers, paint companies, coil coaters, associations and contractors formed to introduce homeowners to the many value benefits of metal roofing) note that over the past seven years, the residential metal roofing market has grown at double-digit rates, doubling the market share from 3 percent to 6 percent. The MRA also cites a report from the Freedonia Group Inc., a Cleveland research firm, which predicts that the residential and commercial metal roofing market will grow 25 percent in five years-from $2.4 billion in 2003 to $3 billion in 2008. In other words, the firm estimates that metal roofing will make up at least 8.4 percent of the overall roofing market by 2008.
How long have you been in business? Diversified Roofing has been in business for 10 years. We started as an exteriors company until we came upon fairly new metal roofing
On Aug. 25, Hurricane Katrina crossed the Florida peninsula as a Category 1 storm and entered the Gulf of Mexico. When it next struck ground in Louisiana near the Mississippi state line on Aug. 29, it was a Category 4 storm that left a wide swath of death and destruction in its wake as it moved inland. As the country is beginning to absorb the human cost and the scope of the devastation, once again the roofing industry is in the vanguard of the recovery.
What's in store for metal roofing in the years to come? Of course, no one can predict the future with 100 percent certainty, but anyone who's been paying attention will almost certainly agree that cool roof technology will be a major factor in the metal roofing industry for the foreseeable future.
Building Materials Corporation of America ("BMCA" or "GAF Materials Corporation") today announced that its President and CEO, William W. Collins, will take a six-month leave of absence to serve as Senior Vice President, Katrina Recovery and Industry Alliances, at Habitat for Humanity International starting in mid-October. Samuel J. Heyman will serve as acting CEO during Collins' leave of absence. Heyman served as CEO prior to Collins' election to the Company's top post.
Roofing Contractor recently did a survey to find out how "wired" our readers are. Do they have Internet access at home? How much do they use the Web for work? What types of work tasks are simplified by software programs?
Within the roofing industry, spray polyurethane foam (SPF) has long been considered a retrofit solution. But increased interest from architects and specifiers has led to a growth in opportunities for SPF in new construction. According to most roof industry studies, SPF's market share is still quite low compared to that of single-ply or built-up roofing, but its retrofit vs. new construction ratio is in the area of 60/40, consistent with the retro/new split across the entire commercial roofing industry. So is it really unusual to see SPF specified for new construction?
In recent years, interest in cold process roofing systems has grown steadily as installers seek to reduce liability while improving productivity. Cold-applied systems reportedly make up 10 percent of the built-up and modified bitumen roofing systems installed in the United States. Cold-applied systems' share of the asphaltic market is only expected to grow as conventional asphaltic systems are impacted by a number of factors including a desire by building owners to reduce exposure to fumes during installation, as well as a need to improve installation economics.
Roofing systems contain treated wood in several applications, such as wood blocking. For many years, wood treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) preservative was the industry standard. Exterior wood is subjected to all kinds of hazards: weather conditions, decay, fungi and insect infestation. Over 80 years ago Dr. Karl Wolman invented a process to treat and protect the wood from the environment. Using a pressurized holding tank filled with wood and preservative, Wolman discovered a way to force the preservative into the wood. This process, which has been coined "Wolmanized," increased the service life of wood used in outdoor construction, such as roofing. Unfortunately, the process hasn't been without its share of challenges and changes.
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