Bill Hippard, president of the Metal Roofing Alliance, expects metal roofing to gain market share. “Residential metal roofing is a $13 billion industry,” he said. “Current statistics show that the U.S. has 75 million single-family homes. On average, about 7 percent re-roof each year. Over 5 million new roofs are installed each year. MRA research and audience segmentation studies demonstrate that 47 percent of all households are ready to consider metal roofing. We can map the densities of metal-friendly households to hyper-target media and drive growth where it must come: in suburban applications.”
“Our data shows there are enough people similar to existing metal roofing buyers to support 20 percent market share,” he noted. “In short, we don’t need to develop an entirely new target; we just need to get our fair share of the homeowners already in the market. Keeping all of this in mind, I think the residential metal roofing market is poised to do very well in 2013.”
Todd Miller, president of Isaiah Industries, Inc., and chair of the Metal Construction Association (MCA), agreed. “There is a definite trend toward metal. Increasingly, property owners are realizing that their steep slope roofs incorporate a great deal of visual ‘real estate’ when it comes to their structure’s beauty. For that reason, they are investigating a wider variety of looks and products before making decisions. They are also taking a greater look into the energy efficiency of roofing systems.”
“I believe that we will continue to see advances made in the aesthetics of metal roofing, with more textured and multi-hued finishes becoming available,” he continued. “We will also see advances made toward even greater energy efficiency from metal roofing systems.”
Ray Smith, managing director, AppliCad USA Inc., pointed to metal retrofits as a market with a lot of potential. “Instead of building flat roofs, maybe jack up one end and stick a metal roof on it,” he advised. “The benefits are well documented. Flat-to-pitched conversions are a growing sector and metal roofing makes this easy and cost effective,” he said, noting that approximately 95 percent of all commercial buildings in Australia and New Zealand have a low-slope metal roof. “Perhaps it would be a good question to ask why,” he said.
Andy Kireta Jr., vice president of the Copper Development Association (CDA), pointed to the advantages of roofing with copper. “Copper continues to be a popular roofing material with builders, contractors and property owners because it offers a character and durability that no other metal roof can match,” he said. “As we’ve seen for many centuries, copper’s beauty and appearance can complement any style of building, from the traditional to the modern. In recent years, new tools and installation methods have been introduced that aid in the quick and proper installation of copper roofs offering a long-term, economical solution. Its low life cycle costs are attributable to the low maintenance, long life and salvage value of copper.”
He noted the ductility and malleability of copper make it an easy material to form over irregular roof structures. “What also makes copper attractive is that it doesn’t require painting or finishing, unlike many other metal roofing materials,” he said. “It can achieve an elegant green patina finish through its natural weathering process or through a number of methods that can delay or accelerate the aged appearance.
Ray Rosewall, president and CEO of DaVinci Roofscapes, also forecasts further market penetration for synthetic slate and shake shingles. “At DaVinci Roofscapes, we expect to continue to grow our revenue and market share in 2013 by double digits,” he said. “More and more of our customers are opting to create a personal color blend for their projects, which we deliver at no additional cost. Savvy roofing contractors have used this as a differentiator and separate themselves in the market.”
