Education
Cool Roofs
Cool Roofs? No, it’s not a spinoff of MTV Cribs or a new series on HGTV! Rather, it is a term that refers to roofs that have both a high-solar reflectance (SR) and high-thermal emittance. If a roof has a high‑thermal emittance, it means that the roofing material does not retain a great deal of heat. A high SR means most of the sun’s rays are sufficiently reflected off the surface of the roof. Why is this important? The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) states on their website that while a conventional roof can reach 150°F or more on a summer day, a “cool roof” can be more than 50°F cooler! Furthermore, the DOE reports that having a “cool roof” can translate into a 10 to 15% energy savings. So equipping a building with...
read moreJune Roofing Conventions Recap
June 2016 was a busy month for roofing conventions. Both the east and west coasts had noteworthy tradeshows and expos. FRSA Celebrated its 94th Convention The Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (FRSA) held its 94th annual convention and expo on June 16–18th this year at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL and the Hyatt Regency Orlando. According to FRSA, this was the largest regional roofing show in the country with more than 200 exhibitors in 350+ booths. Included as part of the event were auctions supporting the FRSA Educational and Research Foundation, multiple sporting tournaments, and educational seminars. GenFlex Sales Rep, Chris Newell, had a positive impression. He said it was a...
read more2nd Half of 2016 Roofing Industry Outlook
Economics: The U.S. Census Bureau reported in May that during the first three months of this year, construction spending equaled $240.4 billion, 9.1 percent (±1.5%) above the $220.3 billion for the same period in 2015. Housing is steady, non-residential cools off after big March gains: Using the numbers available from the Census Bureau, we computed that the seasonally-adjusted average number of building permits for privately-owned housing units for the first four months of 2016 were very close to last year’s numbers, with a slight increase in the Western United States. However, April’s 2016 building permit numbers were lower than last year. Dodge Data & Analytics is reporting in its May 18th press release that...
read moreNational Roofing Week
Every year the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) organizes National Roofing Week to highlight the importance of roofing professionals in quality construction and building performance, as well as the role of proper maintenance. It is also an opportunity to spotlight the industry’s positive impact in the form of charitable projects, along with contributions to energy savings and sustainable buildings. This year, the week begins on June 5 and ends June 11. This is a great occasion for our GenFlex authorized contractors to tell your stories. Let’s face it: Roofing is overhead, but rarely top of mind – unless something goes wrong. National Roofing Week is our chance to talk about how professional roofers and...
read moreGo Green to celebrate Earth Day
April 22 marks Earth Day and all through April, Earth month is celebrated as a time to be more conscious of the environmental footprint we leave in our daily lives. In the construction industry, the move towards “green” buildings is becoming increasingly popular, especially as we see agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) leading the way with new guidelines and training materials. For those of us in the roofing sector, we think of being “green” with the products we use and the practices we follow. Here are a few tips to help keep you “green” this month and through the rest of year: Use environmentally friendly products. This year, you...
read moreStay dry this spring, with preventative roofing maintenance
Spring is near, and with the warmer weather also comes higher amounts of rainfalls and storms. Before the rainy season sets in, you will want your roof in top condition and ready for whatever weather you might face. One of the best times to perform a roofing inspection is after the worst of winter is over. It is a safer time to get out on the roof, without the fear of slipping on ice, and inspect it for any damage brought on by heavy snowfall or high winds. Some areas of the country experienced record snowfalls this winter. These areas should pay extra attention to their spring roof inspection. Generally, a minimum of two roof inspections should be performed every year, one in the spring and one in the fall. Before you can...
read moreEnergy-saving tips for Energy Action Month
The roof is often times your building’s first layer of protection against environmental elements, but it is also indispensable to your building’s overall energy efficiency. Energy consumption rates continue to climb, making it more important than ever to focus on ways to reduce a building’s energy needs. Selecting the best roofing materials for the project can greatly improve a building’s overall energy efficiency. While a cool roof membrane will work to keep a facility’s cooling cost lower during the summer, many parts of the country find great relief with a product more conducive to heat reflectivity. Read more about how GenFlex is doing its part to stay up-to-date with energy-efficiency standards in our recent post,...
read moreJust how strong is your commercial roof
The roof is often times your building’s first layer of defense against the weather elements, standing up to extreme UV light, heavy snow, and rain. Even a regular maintenance trip to the roof can result in something being dropped on the surface. Common punctures to your roof can happen in a variety of ways with objects hitting the roof at high and low rates of speed. Single-ply membranes do not have a hard exterior layer, so they may seem less resistant to damage on the surface, but many factors go into selecting the right roofing membrane that will stand the test of time. To help ensure your roof is up to par, your roofing contractor will generally work with their roofing distributor, the general contractor, and the...
read moreProtect yourself from summer heat
Summer temperatures are quickly drifting north of what most of us consider comfortable working conditions. And while all of us would rather enjoy summer at the beach (or just in the air conditioning), it’s also the busiest season for construction. This means long days on the jobsite – and for roofing crews, little relief from the sun (or the pressure of tight project schedules). The Weather Channel is predicting much higher than average temperatures for the West Coast and above average temperatures for much of the South. Many areas will also deal with the added stress of high humidity. This combination can be a dangerous one for those of us working outside this summer. According to OSHA, 84 heat-related deaths were...
read moreGenFlex launches “GenFlex University” – Online, Interactive Roofing Education Tool
GenFlex launched of an exciting new resource: GenFlex University / an online education resource available through the GenFlex website. GenFlex University is offered free to roofing industry professionals – at GenFlex.com/university. New courses are available including EPDM Roofing Systems, Thermoplastic Roofing Systems, and Roofing Insulation and Cover Boards. Each interactive course features audio and text, graphics, animation and videos to help users work through hypothetical situations and answer questions about product options and recommended installation methods. As a dedicated partner to the roofing industry, GenFlex saw a need for an online educational resource, and delivered an interactive online...
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