CertainTeed® to share commissioned low-slope roofing labor study during Western Roofing Expo

CertainTeed, a leading North American manufacturer of building materials, commissioned national roofing and waterproofing consulting firm Trinity | ERD to conduct a five-year national study on the factors impacting the labor and costs associated with low-slope roofing projects. The results of the study will be made available during the 2018 Western Roofing Expo, taking place June 10-12 at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

CertainTeed’s display at booth 303 will give attendees an opportunity to engage with members of its roofing group about the study, as well as the range of commercial and residential roofing products available to CertainTeed customers in southwest U.S. markets.

The study is one of the most comprehensive of its kind to date, analyzing labor efficiency-impacting, and ultimately profitability-impacting factors associated with the installation of 45 different roofs with six different roof covers in 18 different configurations across the United States. According to CertainTeed Commercial Roofing Product Manager Abby Feinstein, the intent of the study is to help commercial roofing contractors generate more earnings from their existing roofing crews through a deeper understanding of the impact product selection, project profile and project management have on labor efficiency.

“Commercial roofing contractors are faced with the challenge of delivering a quality, watertight low-slope roof system, profitably and with limited labor resources,” said Feinstein. “This study provides a benchmark analysis of labor associated with the installation of popular bituminous and single-ply roof covers across the country and summarizes observed best practices and opportunities to reduce labor across all roof coverings.”

Challenges securing and retaining labor has impacted the construction trades for decades, and roofing is no exception. According to a recent National Roofing Contractors Association poll, 92% percent of employers reported that the skilled labor shortage is negatively affecting productivity, employee satisfaction and turnover.” As such, it is incumbent upon roofing contractors to arm themselves with information to help their crews work smarter, improve job management and decrease labor costs.

Roofing contractors who utilize the study will:

• Understand the typical labor requirements for common multi-layer and single-ply roof coverings
• Learn how labor efficiencies compare across various popular roof systems at a task level, such as field application, drain details, base flashing, etc.
• Understand the impact that project parameters such as climate and roof design/features have on labor efficiency across multiple roof coverings and improve the ability to adjust estimates appropriately
• Learn common mistakes low-slope roofing contractors make that have major impacts on labor expense and profit—and how to avoid those mistakes

To learn more about the commercial labor study, visit www.certainteed.com/laborstudy.

To learn more about CertainTeed Roofing’s complete line of product and service offerings, visit the Western Roofing Expo booth 303 or www.certainteed.com.

About CertainTeed

Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed®, headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, has helped shape the building products industry for more than 110 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm's slogan "Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed," inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed is a leading North American brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, fence, decking, railing, trim, insulation, drywall and ceilings.

A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain®, one of the world’s largest and oldest building products companies, CertainTeed has more than 6,300 employees and more than 60 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. The group had total sales of approximately $3.7 billion in 2017. www.certainteed.com.