Today’s blog post takes a look at the ins-and-outs of turning to a national roofing company for your commercial roofing needs. Companies with a national presence have specialized resources or operations for providing top-grade commercial roofing services.

Before examining how a national roofing company offers value, though, it is helpful to take a brief glance-over what makes up the American roofing industry today.

The American Roofing Market and Its Influence

Nowadays, there are thousands of local roofing companies across the country. These roof companies vary in size, from small, one-man operations to bigger-scale companies that cover many states with dozens, if not hundreds of personnel. According to a 2014 market research report from the industry research firm IBISWorld, there are 99,958 businesses in the American roofing industry. These companies are reported to employ a little over 286,200 personnel. For companies with large-scale operations, a multi-state market presence, or big warehouse buildings that require savvy roofing expertise, there are clearly many service providers they can choose. But which is best for what they need?

In terms of their resource availability, a multi-state roofing services provider, or even a nationwide roofing contractor firm, may be a good fit for their needs.

Here are a few things that a national roofing company offers that may bear consideration.

Advantages of a National Roofing Contractor Firm

• Service availability. For building owners or companies that need roofing services now, a nationwide roofing company can be a great answer. A roofing company with national capabilities will be able to quickly dispatch a qualified service provider to the customer’s location. If required, it could even bring in roofing contractors from other areas to handle the work. This service provider availability can be invaluable when inclement weather or recurring, out-of-the-ordinary climate patterns make getting timely bids from roof contractors challenging.

For instance, in some parts of the United States, a long, harsh winter period will delay an area’s construction cycle and limit the time in which roofing contractors can actually do work. If construction logistics or coordination in a given area become compressed or stretched thin, bringing in a roofing expert from another region will ensure timely work completion all the same.

• Resources, resources, resources. A national roofing company will have resources that are often unavailable to local, one-man roofing businesses or even some multi-state roofing companies. A national company will have a developed infrastructure for making sure a customer’s needs are addressed quickly and effectively. It is also likely to have relationships with vendors that provide third party services at reduced rates or are swiftly accessible. Those resources are not always found in the hands of smaller companies.

For example, say a large building with a 40,000-square-foot roof takes extensive damage in a storm. Getting funds for building repairs will require filing a claim with one’s insurance carrier, and bigger-amount claims can take a long time to negotiate. A larger-scale roofing company may have partnerships or “preferred vendor” relationships with providers such as professional public adjusting firms for helping someone navigate the maze of the insurance claims process. More established or professional vendors, such as a multi-state public adjusting firm, will then be available to help the customer with his or her situation. In a nutshell, the scale of the nationwide roofing company’s operations gives it access to partners or vendors which can extend customer value.

• Services from providers backed by a nationwide reputation for credibility. A roofing contractor that a nationwide company sends out will be a qualified expert in his tradecraft. Because national roofing companies have infrastructures in place for ensuring their service providers are top-notch, they carefully vet and then vouch for contractors they let into their national contractor networks.

A national company will have also built up its reputation over the years. It will be careful with whom it associates its reputation of credibility and expertise.

• Accountability for rendered services. Because it is a bigger-scale operation, a national company will be more accountable to its customers for its service-providing. Reputation is paramount in the roofing industry, and larger-scale companies that offer poor customer service or workmanship over time will suffer.

Particularly, a national roofing company could be impacted in a number of ways:

o   Unsatisfied customers that feel moved to post reviews of their negative experience online (more likely to happen if a roofing company is nationwide)

o   National or multi-state partners that choose to slow down or cut off business ties

o   Impacted business relationships with roofing material manufacturers with which the roofing company has aligned itself or uses

o   Drop-offs in the numbers of customers who engage that company’s services in the future

o   Lost opportunities for further business build-up or expansion due to a poor reputation

In short, a national roofing contractor firm can offer the promptness, expertise, professionalism, resource availability, helpful partnerships, accountability, and infrastructure needed to deliver exceptional results for your roofing needs.

The National Roofing Partners You can Trust

Choice Roof Contractor Group represents a nationwide network of professional, quality-minded roofing experts who specialize in commercial roofing services. All of our members are carefully vetted for professional capability, impeccable ethics, commitment to excellence, and a ‘customers-first’ mindset. They also all go through the warranty certification program for Conklin roofing products, which they use because of this product brand’s exceptional 35+ year reputation for lasting protection and energy efficiency.

Should you be interested in learning more about how our members are prepared to take on any roofing challenge, give us a call today at 800-670-5583.

Today’s blog post covers common roofing problems, building on top of previous blog posts about when to inspect a roof and why regular roof maintenance is essential. Our overview of some common roofing problems also complements a recent post about hiring the right roofing contractor.

Roofing is an expensive investment. Ongoing roof maintenance or repairs can be a hassle. Additionally, since roofing is so costly, it often does not stay at top-of-mind for many building owners. But a roof will have problems at some point, and when those issues do arise, catching the damage early can help you avoid pricier roof repairs or even roof replacement. Doing so can also help keep your roof warranty going strong. From that standpoint, it can be helpful to know some common problems your commercial roof will likely face.

Naturally, some roofs will have problems that are proper to their type of roofing system. For instance, a metal roof can have costly, ongoing battles with rust. Flat roofs will be at greater risk to damage from ponding water than low slope roofs. But all roofs have some issues that they will experience in common.

Typical Roof Problems Effecting Commercial Building Owners

• • Leaks and moisture. All commercial roofs are prone to the damaging effects of leaks or moisture infiltration. In fact, if even a small roof leak is left alone, it could lead to much bigger problems that could be avoided if the leak were addressed. Roof leaks can spring up from many causes. These can include a roofing system not being properly installed, poor adhesion, an appropriate moisture barrier not being properly installed under certain kinds of roofing such as modified bitumen roofing, or moisture seeping under a roof surface. Aside from water falling into a building space, roof leaks or moisture infiltration under a roof surface can lead to rotting, mold, or other problems depending on the underlying material composition.
  • Lack of roof maintenance and roof repairs, when they are needed. All industry experts agree on the importance of having your roof regularly inspected and maintenanced. Like other valuable things that experience wear-and-tear over time, a roof will have fewer problems if early-stage damage, problems, or signs of trouble are headed off quickly. A regular roof maintenance program will keep your roofing problems at bay and be a strong preventative against big roofing issues or needs making an unwelcome appearance. Elsewise, a roof will encounter problems, have those problems remain untended and become even more damaged and impacted, and eventually fail or be destroyed.
  • Ponding water. This problem is a common headache on virtually all commercial flat roofs. It is also noticeable sometimes on sloped roofs that have flatter slope configurations around their perimeter or that “flatten out” in certain areas. Ponding water can be a sign of deeper trouble: debris build-up on a roof, improper drainage from HVAC units or gutters, or overall poor-quality configuration design. Over time, as water gathers into an existing pool of water on a roof, the pool of water exerts stronger and stronger pressure on the roof surface. If left untended, the pooling water’s pressure can be strong enough where the roof surface is compromised and water infiltrates into the roofing components below. Other factors, such as thermal shock and heavier precipitation, can speed up a roof’s decay or exert more powerful, downward pressure on the roof surface, making it more likely for water to infiltrate and do its damage.
  • Roof shrinkage and cracking. For virtually all roof types, thermal shock can be one of the most common roofing problems over time. Roofs such as EPDM rubber roofs can be at greater risk than other roof types, though. Thermal shock refers to the deteriorating effects of the sun’s powerful, harmful UV rays upon a roof over time. In temperature extremes, the sun becomes even more extensive in how much it affects a roof. The sun’s energy causes the roof to expand in hotter periods, and causes the roof to contract once it starts to cool down. A roof that has a dark-colored surface will also absorb heat from the sun than its lighter-colored counterparts, which further contributes to deterioration. In time, thanks to the sun’s influence, a roof can experience shrinkage, cracking, surface crazing, loosened roof flashing, and even more exposed seams, depending on the roof’s type.
  • Various forms of surface erosion or breakdown. Some common instances of surface erosion or breakdown include blistering, splitting, ridging, and other conditions. They can lead to other problems such as accelerated roof aging or breakdown if left unheeded. In many cases, roof surface erosion or breakdown can be pinned down to roof weathering that has been caused by outdoor extremes. However, on roofs that are made up of sheet products, poor installation or workmanship can lead to these problems or others such as roof wrinkles or fish mouthing.

• Roof blow-offs, punctures, or wind uplift. When a commercial roof is poorly installed or gets poor servicing, it becomes at risk for blow-offs, billowing, puncturing, wind up-lift, or other forms of severe roof damage often caused by powerful storms or outdoor hazards. Roofs that are made of sheet products or can be at risk for exposed seams or open laps can be strong candidates for this sort of damage. If a roof experiences partial blow-off or tearing, it can be at greater risk for moisture penetration and then resulting, damaging leaks.
• Poor product installation or workmanship. Naturally, one of the most common roofing issues is not tied necessarily to the roof’s performance itself, but how a contractor installed the roof or serviced it. Poor installation, roof installation in less-than-ideal climate or temperature conditions, use of wrong products for a particular roof type, and other contractor-related issues are just a few ways of how shoddy contracting work can be blamed. Poor contractor performance can lead to accelerated roof aging, premature roof wear, roof leaks, rapid roof deterioration, or more immediate roof failure. Making sure a qualified, reliable contractor works on your roof is essential.

National Commercial Roofing Company for Your Needs

With Choice Roof Contractor Group, you can be sure that your roofing problems will be handled with care and precision every time. Our members must commit to quality before they join, and they go through Conklin’s in-depth warranty certification program for strengthening their expertise.

Choice Roof Contractors use Conklin roofing systems, which have been a staple in the commercial roofing industry for over 40+ years. Here are a few signs of how Conklin products can be a good fit for your needs:

• Installed on 2+ billion square feet of roofing in the United States
• Only roof products to be backed by non-prorated warranties for up to 20 years
• Provides 100-percent seamless, waterproof, and adhered roof protection for decades
• ENERGY STAR®-certified roofing systems
• Can pay for themselves in 5-7 years with tremendous energy savings
• Highly reflective of sun’s rays and beats back deteriorating effects of the outdoors
• High thermal emittance value and hurricane-force wind resistance
• And so much more

For more information on how our preferred contractors stand out with these high-performance roof systems, give us a call at 800-670-5583. We will be happy to give you a free local roof estimate.

In this blog post, we discuss how to hire a commercial roofing contractor. Our previous blog post featuring five tips for hiring a roofing contractor could also be helpful.

In the face of tight economic conditions, effective cost management is a top priority for any real estate owner. Roofing is already an expensive investment, but even when it requires only simple repairs, due diligence is still advisable. Letting the wrong contractor onto your roof may not take care of your problems, but actually compound them. Poor workmanship or improper product application could leave a roof at risk for greater damage—and by extension more expensive roofing work.

Hiring the right roof contractor then becomes a balancing act between affordability and contractor quality. What are the things that a building owner should look for? Below, we offer a checklist of things to consider when you are hiring a roofing contractor for your needs.

Checklist for Choosing a Commercial Roofing Contractor

• Does the roofing contractor have any business listings? Reputable roofing contractors will have some form of legitimate business listings, whether online or in print, such as in the local phone directory. Even though it is not always the case, more dedicated or established roofing contractors tend to have a website where you can see their work and testimonies from satisfied customers. A reputable roofing contractor will also have a permanent address. It is wise to never accept the bid of a roofing company that does not have a business or permanent address listing as proof of their business legitimacy.
• Is the roofing contractor approved and have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau? Not all roofing companies are listed with the Better Business Bureau, but it does provide another layer of documentation by which you can assess a roofing contractor’s reputation. It is important to note one thing, though. The Better Business Bureau does not provide ratings of a roofing contractor’s services or reputation, but how well a roofing contractor has resolved customer complaints. Factors such as the roofing contractor’s product quality or service competency are not gauged. Nonetheless, the Better Business Bureau does provide another solid means of checking out a contractor’s reputation.
• Does the contractor meet requirements for roofing contractors in your state? The requirements for becoming a roofing contractor vary from state to state. Be sure to check with your state’s licensing board or relevant licensing agency for information on state requirements. Things to watch out for include:
  • Contractor licensing that has not expired
  • Workers’ compensation insurance coverage
  • General liability insurance coverage
  • Relevant bond certification or holding
  • Local building permits, if required

• Does the roofing contractor have references? Reputation is the backbone of the roofing industry. Reputable contractors will be happy to share references from satisfied customers with you. It is important to be aware, though, that any references you receive will only be from satisfied customers. They will not be representative of any customers who had neutral or negative business dealings with the contractor, or are not people who are likely to negate your decision to accept the contractor’s bid. Be sure to get at least three references and contact them to confirm they are legitimate. More references are better, if possible.
• Is the roofing contractor certified by the manufacturer of the product he installs? There can be tremendous consequences if a roofing contractor installs a product that he is not certified to apply, and then the product has problems. For instance, you can encounter difficulties in getting manufacturer warranty coverage. It is essential to check that a roofing contractor has certification from the manufacturer to install his particular roofing product brand.
• What type of training does the roofing contractor provide to his employees? Making sure that a roofing contractor’s employees are fully-trained and certified to work on your roof is another critical step. Doing so will be an indicator of a worker’s skill level and professionalism. Another thing to look for is if the contractor’s workers are versed in job safety measures. That helps cut down on potential for accidents occurring at the job site.
• What does the roofing contractor offer in writing? Make sure the roofing contractor will be offering you a written contract. Proper documentation will convey the terms of your business agreement, detail work to be done, and lay out the terms of payment. More specific details will be the roofing job’s scope, roofing materials to be used and their specifications, project beginning and completion dates, and itemized listings for material and labor costs. Asking for a written copy of the contractor’s warranty is not a bad idea, either.

Choice Roof Contractor Group’s Strong Reputation

These are a number of things to keep in mind. Members of our nationwide network have been carefully vetted for strong commitment to excellence in workmanship and servicing.  Should you want to work with carefully-vetted, professionally-trained roofing contractors, give us a call at 800-670-5583.

Today, we will take a brief look at the definition of sustainability and how it has grown in popularity in mainstream American society. Then we examine its influence in the construction industry as well as in the commercial roofing marketplace.

The Concept of Sustainability in the American Marketplace

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “sustainability” refers to public and private sector efforts to bring social and business conditions in line with quality standards for environmental well-being. Parties that involve themselves in these efforts include the general public, small businesses, large corporations, not-for-profit organizations, and agencies at all levels of government. They strive to improve how they conduct themselves or do business in a way that “sustains” the environment and promotes human health.

From a consumer point-of-view, sustainability has become a key buzzword for how businesses of all sizes portray themselves to their customers. As consumer interest in environmental well-being has increased, other buzzwords including “going green”, “sustainable business”, and “environmental advocacy” have become all the rage.

These words’ growing popularity has been an indicator of another factor and how it has grown: consumer interest in companies that offer “green” products or services. In recent years, consumer surveys have shown this to be the case. Check out a couple of studies, at national and global scales, below that show this.

• In a consumer survey from Ipsos, 51 percent of American consumers report they care about companies that are doing their part to help the environment.
• On a global scale, consumers are interested in “green” company brands as well. The Fifth Annual Tork Sustainability Study found that 78 percent of global consumers purchase green products or services
• In the Tork Study, that was a nine-percent increase from 2012.

In other words— the efforts a company takes to promote environmental protection have become a dealbreaker for many consumers in which products and services they purchase. This influence has grown in the construction industry, too.

Sustainability in American Construction

Consumer interest in environmental sustainability has driven many innovations in the American construction industry as well. “Green” building materials, construction products that are environmentally-friendly, and other “eco-oriented” building products have come to the fray. The foundation of environmentally-minded construction was first put down in the early 1900s during the Industrial Revolution. But it really became mainstream in the 1970s, when the United States struggled with its energy supply due to tense global economic and socio-political conditions. Demand for alternative energy sources to fossil fuels surged. The tangible beginning of what has become known as “green construction” emerged as a result.

Since then, green construction, or green building, has established a firm foothold in the construction industry. Just consider the following statistics from the U.S. Green Building Council:

• According to McGraw Hill Construction, by 2015 around 40-48 percent of new nonresidential construction will be green.
• By 2015, that means that new, green nonresidential construction will be a $120-145 billion market.
• In a 2012 survey by McGraw Hill Construction, 58 percent of American responders said they expect 58 percent of their construction to be green in 2015.

This shift extended to the roofing industry as well.

Sustainability in American Commercial Roofing

In the 1970s, the American roofing industry was strongly impacted by the appearance of high-performance, earth-friendly acrylic roof coatings. These elastomeric roof coatings made it possible for building owners to have strong energy savings and make their buildings more environmentally-friendly. In other words, the arrival of acrylic roof coatings was groundbreaking for American roofing.

Conklin was the company responsible for bringing the first highly energy-efficient, white acrylic roof coating to market. With the appearance of roof coatings on the scene, the roofing industry shifted toward a greater focus on more energy-efficient applications for roofing. As a result, today some popular, environmentally-friendly applications for roofing are white roofs and green roofs.

Sustainability’s Impact on Today’s Commercial Roofing Companies

For existing and new commercial roofing companies of all sizes, the concept of sustainability has tremendous implications. Consumers are now likely to use products or services from a company that promotes green initiatives or offers green product or service offerings. In the roofing industry, this has a twofold impact—the products that a roofing company uses have a direct impact on how a roofing company is perceived. Plus, roofing products have a heavy, day-to-day impact on the lives of consumers, as they provide protection from outdoor elements or other hazards. The drive for commercial roofing companies to use environmentally-friendly roofing products, whether they help save energy or reduce energy usage, truly has never been greater.

Because reputation is so important in the construction industry, our nationwide network of commercial roof contractors exclusively use products from Conklin. Should you be interested in learning more about why Conklin roofing products stand out aside from their reputation of 40+ years of proven performance, give us a call at 800-670-5583.