Roofing Market Insights
When it comes to your house, insulation is key. A great way to get insulation is with roofing. Roofs are more than just a place for your air conditioner and chimney; they need to be insulated in order for the house to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Insulation is created by trapping pockets of air that act as an insulator, reducing heat transfer into and out of a home. It also prevents heat from entering through windows, walls, doors or any other openings that are exposed to the outdoors. Roofing has many benefits as it takes away most likelihood of ice dams forming on top of roofs which causes attic moisture issues (which can cause mold growth). Air leaks are also very common in most houses.
As the roofing industry continued to develop, so did the products available. The old wood shakes and shingles were replaced by vinyl and metal roofs, which could be installed in a few hours. The many different styles of roofing now available include asphalt, clay tile, fiber cement tile, metal sheet, metal shingles and wood shake. There are vinyl covers that are made from a variety of materials including polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), polyurethane (PU) and rubber-coated porcelain enamel on steel or aluminum sheets. There are also specialized paints that have an added polymer in them which can improve their durability.
The first major Roofing manufacturer was Sears Roebuck. The founder of Sears, Richard Warren Sears (1863-1913), said, "You can't sell anything if you can't [sell] roofs" and the company grew by 40% each year for over a half century. The majority of materials used in today's roofing industry is made from recycled materials, such as wood shingles, slate tiles, and iron shingles. Metal building materials like galvanized steel are still used in homes built before 1940. Metal roofs have many common names including corrugated steel sheets or tinplate sandwiched between two sheets of asphalt; the layers are also called gutters or valleys flashing below the valley.
The roofing industry has been dominated by big companies such as Owens Corning, GAF, CertainTeed, and Aspen. The top three companies in 2015 were Owens Corning, GAF, and CertainTeed. These companies are the biggest in the world and made over $13 billion off of roofing sales alone. The average cost of a roof in America is $7,000 which includes labor costs. In 2014 some of the major issues regarding how much a new roof will cost is having an idea of what you want done to your home and how soon you want it done.
Rising materials prices, a growing population, and more homes and businesses to service are just some of the challenges that can make it difficult to succeed as a roofing contractor. But there are also great opportunities in this industry.
These include:
-the need for better access to financing;
-the need for continual training on new materials and methods;
-the opportunity for entrepreneurs who create their own niche market.
Materials for roofing systems are more expensive now than a few years ago. Certain kinds of asphalt are selling at prices that are as much as $20 per ton higher than in 2002, for example, and steel prices have increased even more. Plus, shingles and other products made from rubber and PVC (polyvinyl chloride) typically contain more expensive petroleum-based resins than they did a decade ago.
