Material choice can attract labor

Whether their roofs have to withstand extreme high temperatures or snow loads, contractors from all regions of the country can, unfortunately, agree on the fact that it has become tougher to attract — and keep — workers in the roofing industry. This point has been driven home in recent years as the construction economy has picked up.

Compounding the usual difficulties of finding new employees is the fact that people outside the roofing industry are often unfamiliar with the dramatic changes that this technology has gone through in the last 15-20 years. As the nature of products that a roofer works with becomes more high-tech and user-friendly, perhaps the trade’s reputation with the general public will likewise improve. Already, the details on a flexible roof membrane installation call for a greater degree of skill than previous types of roofing, elevating the job to more of a craft or an art.

Products also continue to be introduced that have been revamped to eliminate labor steps, enabling a contractor to accomplish more with the fewer man-hours now available.

Typically, flexible membrane roof systems, which make up nearly 60% of the nonresidential market, require less manual labor to install. Bigger rolls of flexible membrane, for example, reduce the amount of material to be seamed in the field.

Seam tapes, which are gaining in popularity, also streamline that critical process, increasing productivity. Granular modified bitumen cap sheets eliminate an arduous step and still provide a gravel-surfaced system. And new EPDM membranes that are provided free of talc, thereby eliminating the need for rooftop cleaning, save labor and time. Furthermore, a number of installation tools, like stand-up fastening tools, have been re-designed with ergonomic considerations in mind. Plus, availability of pre-assembled screws and plates enables work to be done by one person instead of two.

Flexible membrane systems are also generally safer than hot BUR systems, creating a better learning environment for new workers. Furthermore, the industry has also seen the introduction of low VOC-containing products, as well as cements with reduced solvent levels, which can make for a more user-friendly arena.

And since many flexible membrane roof systems are seamed with adhesives, tapes or hot-air welders, they are often much cleaner than earlier systems. Some modified bitumen systems are torch-welded, so again the application is somewhat cleaner. And, when hot asphalt is mopped in a typically two-ply SBS system, there is typically less to apply than would be the case with a four-ply hot built-up roof.

Safer, cleaner, less labor-intensive and quicker to install — surely strong selling points. How does your company help get the word out about today’s changing roofing industry?

Some contractors, associations and locals have begun speaking with area vocational or technical high schools, reaching that key audience before they choose other jobs.

For the last three years, Mark Wolf, vice president of contract operations at Midland Engineering Co., South Bend, IN, has given talks to students about both summer and permanent job openings at the company. Wolf reports Midland, which earned SPRI’s 1996 Contractor Achievement Award, has recruited 10-15 employees this way.

"We explain that with single plies, the quality of workmanship is more important, so it’s a thinking man’s roof," Wolf notes. "We point out that we want intelligent people because these seams and details have to be done right. We use the single-ply benefits, since single ply is such a major part of the market today, as a way to get people at least interested in the roofing trade. Most people we’ve spoken to never thought that roofing could be this varied, so it opens up their eyes to the whole array of roofing options.

"And we point out the importance of this trade — after all, a doctor can’t operate with water dripping in on him. We don’t sugarcoat it, but we explain that in roofing, they can make a good living doing something important with their time."

Once hired, new employees' in-house training can be supplemented with educational programs offered by suppliers.

So it would seem, in this case more than most, the bottom line is the bottom line. And because flexible membrane systems can create more attractive working conditions, they can help you combat the labor shortage