Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1408886
MacGregor Potato Storage Building, Macgregor, MB S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1 | 25 Metal Roofing/Cladding P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E SY B EH L EN I N DUS T R I E S Metal roofing and cladding face high prices and short supply, but new solutions continue to be highly sought A sk anyone in the metal roof- ing and cladding business how 2021 is unfolding now that the pandemic is in retreat, and the response is a classic good news/ bad news scenario. The good news is that demand for product and services is intense; the bad news is that demand is exacerbating an already seri- ous supply issue. According to Doug Wells, RRO, one of the Roofing Contractors Association of British Columbia's (RCABC) RoofStar technical advisors, members are busier than ever thanks to projects now underway that were post- poned during the lockdowns. "However, materials shortages – even raw materials – are a problem and due to a variety of factors, including the lockdowns as well as the cold snap in Texas earlier this year causing manufacturing delays," he says. Wells cites a recent BC BEC webinar whose pan- elists of contractors, distributors, and salespeople described how pricing, availability, and lead times are changing as a result, for everything from metal and plywood to caulking and sealants. With regards to metal roofs, Wells says, "Our sec- tor is scrambling for insulation, and orders placed now probably won't be fulfilled until the first quar- ter of 2022. Also, the resins that make insulation foam are in short supply." Wells' concern is that the problem could esca- late later this year to the point where the RCABC will be asked to modify the requirements of its RoofStar Guarantee program. "That scenario hasn't yet hap- pened and we're working to develop acceptable alternatives if it does come to pass, but the fact is the incredible rate of demand recovery coupled with sup- ply shortages is a perfect storm that we will have to work through until the market achieves equilibrium – which I suspect will happen sometime next year." Meanwhile, the RCABC continues to improve stan- dards in roofing, its latest example being enhanced architectural sheet metal roof (ASM) Standards for low slope sheet metal panel roofs that, due to their extremely modest pitch, require advanced water- proofing in order to perform as intended. Wells' advice to architects and developers moving forward: "Rationing is taking place, so for the time being you'll not get what you want, but you'll likely get what you need." It follows that the same challenges are affecting the metal cladding industry. Vlad Sobot, president of Sobotec (the first company in Canada to design and develop the SL-2000 Rainscreen Wall Panel System for the metal composite material Alucobond), says, "Our sales group can't keep up with demand when it comes to pricing and proposals, and that's great. However, to take just one example, deliveries for gal- vanized steel or even sheet steel that we order now won't be fulfilled until next January." Sobot adds, "All of this requires judicious plan- ning, and I suspect prices will level off towards the end of this year. As long as stakeholders understand each other, work together, and are flexible, we can get through this." Meanwhile, Sobotec continues to receive considerable interest in wall systems that are envi- ronmentally friendly and energy efficient. "Again, these systems cost more, but one thing the pan- demic has done is compel people to think in the longer term, and they are more than ever willing to invest in quality," says Sobot. The use of Alucobond for its MCM panel sys- tems is part of the reason Sobotec's products meet the most stringent building code requirements. Plus, Sobotec's thermal break SLT-Clip is a framing clip that minimizes and reduces thermal bridging caused by wall assemblies and their components. The clip stands out as one of the cladding industry's most cost-effective and economical options, allow- ing wall assemblies to meet and exceed ASHR AE 90.1 energy-efficiency goals. Geoff Bernstein, director of marketing at Vicwest, says high steel prices "have impacted the industry in a number of ways but we have a diversified prod- uct strategy and our residential business is in a very good spot." Vicwest is seeing success in growing metal's aware- ness among homeowners and there is a noticeable shift in the market away from asphalt and into metal for reroof projects and new construction builds. Thanks to Vicwest's True Nature metal roof tiles, whose Cedar Creek Shake series provides all the esthetic bene- fit of a genuine shake roof without the degradation (two other True Nature varieties, North Ridge Slate and Coastal Wave, approximate the appearance of slate and terracotta barrel tiles respectively). TESTING TIMES by ROBIN BRUNET