Unlock the potential of roof coatings

By Jessica Bravo.  

Learn how sustainability and ease of installation are driving the demand shift towards coatings.

In a recent episode of CoatingsTalk, host Heidi J. Ellsworth sat down with Abby Feinstein of CertainTeed to discuss the expanding opportunities in the roof coatings market. The conversation focused on the step-by-step approach to roof coatings, exemplified by systems like SMARTCOAT™. With roof coatings becoming increasingly popular, it’s now more important than ever for businesses to learn how to implement and offer these solutions.

Abby explained that for the past decade, roof restoration through coatings had been one of the fastest-growing segments within the commercial roofing industry. She said, “For the last decade, coatings roof restoration has been the fastest growing or at least one of the fastest growing segments within the commercial roofing space.” She went on to mention that key factors such as the low barrier to entry, sustainability, ease of learning, labor-efficiency and cost-effectiveness make coatings a highly desirable offering.

One of the primary drivers of this shift is sustainability, a topic Abby touched on several times throughout the conversation. She noted that roof coatings, as a repair solution, significantly reduce the need for tear-offs, which in turn helps reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. The environmental impact of choosing coatings over traditional tear-offs is considerable. Abby explained, “Tear-off contribution to landfill is tremendous. And I’m sure any contractor on this call can attest to just the one roof that you’re on when you’re ripping it off. I live in a single-family home and tearing this off would be gutting for me but I’m a tree hugger.”

She continued, “Just the sheer landfill avoidance that you can do when you're restoring a roof as opposed to tearing it off is tremendous and really limitless. You’re not adding a ton of weight to that roof, so you can coat and coat and coat. If you’ve got that roof tied up and healthy before you start that process, there’s probably no reason to ever tear that roof off, which is great. It’s a labor-saving and sustainability piece for sure.”

Abby also talked about the low barriers to entry for contractors interested in the roof coatings market. With so many benefits to offering these services, she encouraged contractors to dive in and explore the wide variety of coating options available. She said, “If [companies and contractors] are not in coatings yet, this is a time to get involved. If [they] already are, really understand all the different options that you have out there and what’s working.”

The roof coatings market presents significant growth opportunities, particularly in the areas of sustainability and cost-efficiency. Contractors who are not yet offering coatings should consider exploring the market, while those already involved should continue to expand their knowledge and refine their offerings.

Read the transcript, Listen to the podcast or Watch the webinar to learn more about the growing opportunities in the roof coatings market.