The right way to restore

By Anna Lockhart.  

Restoration work has gained traction across the roofing industry, and as more customers look to restoration work as an alternative to traditional roofing options, it’s time for contractors to learn how to get in on the action! 

In a recent episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Karen Edwards sat down with Andrew Fickinger from Sherwin-Williams Roofing Solutions and Joe Sorrentino from Joe Sorrentino LLC to discuss the appeal of roof restoration work across the commercial roofing sector. Roof restorations can be a great alternative to complete tear offs, offering building owners a reprieve from the steep costs of full replacements and restoring their faith in the existing roof. Andrew and Joe also share their thoughts on what the current state of the industry means for restoration work and how contractors can successfully enter the restoration space.  

“There’s been some misconceptions and misunderstandings about what roof restoration projects entail,” Joe began, recalling the various encounters he’s had over the years with curious roofing professionals and customers who didn’t quite grasp the concept of restoration work and why it was important. “But you have to have what it takes to understand the process and value of the good things that can come from restoration work. It’s really blown up in recent years.” 

For decades, restoration work has been a common practice across the roofing industry. For roofs that were tired and needed rejuvenation, restoration offered a second chance at life, extending its expected durability and lifespan. Now, the work done to roofs in restoration efforts has shifted some thanks to technology changes, and in doing so, it’s also seen a rise in popularity across the market as news spread.  

“We’ve gone through such a new construction boom across the last few decades, which means tons of new generations of roofing systems and technology are available. Because of this technology, we can now look at all of these different options and find the right one for each specific customer need,” he explained. This new realm of protection options means better savings and alternative actions for building owners, which is key in bringing the option of restoration work top of mind for other owners too.  

Joe noted, “The new generation of warranties allows building owners to have the flexibility for a sustainable option because of the fluid applied systems. And the longer a company or product has been around, the more interest it gains over time. That really has driven interest in recent years.” As contractors, those years of proven quality and reliability these systems offer can help in selling restoration work to customers. There’s an appeal to the possibility of renewing, extending and overall saving money on a roof, and it is a promise few can ignore!  

Today, one of the hardest parts of selling restoration projects is the miscommunications out there. Andrew shared, “Some come up and will say that coatings are just Band-Aids. But that’s not true. It’s not a ‘spray and pray’ kind of situation. Today, coatings are sophisticated, engineered fluid applied systems that can provide a lot of value to a roof and for building owners.”  

As building owners continue to look for solutions that provide protection while also having an economical efficiency, budget-saving cost attached, nothing can compete with coatings. As Andrew emphasized, these modern restoration products are getting the job done. Not just the bare minimum, but efficiently and to great satisfaction from customers.  

Listen to the conversation to learn more about the modern restoration process and how to bust the myths!