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Posted: Jan 03, 2011 09:31 PM
Its a shame!
Its a shame to see a roof like this in the profession that I have chosen.

This is the third roof that I saw from the same Louisiana Company that looked the same. No Foam stop flashing installed, ponding all over, coating running off of the walls below, blisters.

Shouldn't we require better from our industry?


I just happened to be doing a repair on a built up roof next door this afternoon and was shocked at what I saw.
quentin
Posted: Jan 04, 2011 08:13 AM
Find out who there suppliers are and ask them to look at the work being done. Hopefully the suppliers will require they fix it all and do better or just cut them off.
Doug Commette
Posted: Jan 04, 2011 08:36 AM
It really is a shame. This already occurred and some would say wrecked, in the SPF roofing sector too, back in the 70's. The industry was poised for huge growth, and was growing, until this very same issue started occurring. Everyone was getting into the business to make a quick huge buck. SPF roofing started failing and getting a bad name and actually lost momentum, share and growth. I am now concerned the issues will continue and begin to affect the res/com SPF insulation markets as well.

I think one way out is for the good and experienced guys/companies to reinvest (sorry to have to spend more-but hopefully it is a short term barrier to entry that gets created by necessity) in training and certification standards for both roofing and insulation. SPFA has done a decent job at trying to create them, but the manufacturers dont practice what they preach to maintain and enforce good work. It used to be that warranties were issued upon inspections of successful work. There is no reason "we" cannot create this HIGHER standard. In a lot of cases it is already been created, just not set-up and enforced by the manufacturer and "selected" by the consumer. ASU/Dean K was on the right path years ago, but that seems to have fizzled.

But SprayFoamMagazine.com and our affiliates have the consumer reach to teach the BUYERS that yes foam is a great, BUT only if done right. There is so much we can do "right here" to fix these problems and separate the capable from the inexperienced. But we now need a team.

We are hosting a major training event in Orlando in May 2011. But this is only the start and a very small step toward the solution. The real solution will be for "those who want to play" to separate themselves via VERY PUBLICLY KNOWN and accreditation, training, and certification and SprayFoamMagazine.com / National Media awareness. This is where your longer term investment will pay you back, when we educate the BUYERS that there are less expensive roofing alternatives by paying more $ up front for a trained, accredited and capable SPF contractor.

Driving membership to be accepted IS NOT The answer. Forcing certification to be accepted and selected IS!! I am looking for help. I have MANY ideas. Who is with me?
Doug
quentin
Posted: Jan 04, 2011 06:51 PM
Great idea Doug and one of the reasons I gave up on the SPFA. They want money but no real benifits for the contractos and a ton of money for claimed certification that makes no business sense or means anything. A consistant set of standards across the board by all suppliers with certification available through the different manufactures and suppliers so you can get certified without having to go to only one of 4 classes a year held in only one or two states. even having the standards won't do any good if only the big companies can afford to send someone across the nation, put them in a hotel and etc since it will just shut most out and be ignored then too.

I know manufactures may not like the idea but would they rather fight eachother or Owens Corning and the fibercrap companies who don't demand only THEIR company be the one who can provide acceptable training to install their product like it is somehow different than other brands of foam in a huge degree that we can't understand and figure out.
Posted: Jan 04, 2011 07:02 PM
Guys, I use to get so mad everytime Brazo's got me kicked off a job because I was not SPFA. You know SPFA may not be the best one around, but at least there is some sort of accreditation that the overall public can adhere to.

Did they teach me to spray better? Absolutely not, most of the guys on this page and Mason did more for my ability than anyone else around.

My first manufacturers warranty probably did as much as anyone on cleaning my act up. You will not see overspray anywhere on my job, exposed foam, base coat won't show through the topcoat and I pride myself on how flat I can get that roof to look.

Believe me, the guy next door will be paying $4.50 to $5.00 a sq ft for my roof rather than $3.00 for the same roof that his neighbor purchased in that picture.

SPFA reminds me of college though. If you took the time and made the commitment to do it right and made it all the way through, chances are you paid attention.

If you guys can come up with a better accreditation to weed yo-yo's out like this (By the way, they are a national insulation company, not a roofing company, that I am sure everyone has heard of) then we need to do it.

I am all ears!

Steve
Posted: Jan 04, 2011 07:16 PM
Hey Guys

I am going to pull that picture from my experiemental site just so the built up guys don't try to pick it up to show people as an advertising tool.

If it wasn't for the built up guys, I wouldn't have a repair business....lol


If you want a copy, email me at steve@alphaonespf.com

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