Copper's critical roleLarry E. Peters
Copper, the first metal used by humans, has played a critical
role as a roofing material for thousands of years. For example,
copper roof shingles topped the 162-foot-tall, nine-story Loha Maha
Paya temple built in Sri Lanka in the third century B.C. Centuries
later, copper roofs were the standard of countless pieces of
historic European architecture. Now, 10,000 years after copper was
first discovered, roofing contractors are experiencing a renewed
demand for the "green metal."
Copper is plentiful throughout the world, and despite its
vulnerability to market price fluctuations, it is cost-efficient
during its life span—in roofing applications it can last more
than 100 years.
With use of architectural sheet copper in roofing and flashing
applications on residential and commercial structures at an
all-time high, a huge demand for skilled roofing contractors and
installers now exists.
Lexington, Ky.-based Odessa Roofing, for example, has
experienced this demand firsthand. According to the company's owner
Ken Evans, "Odessa Roofing has experienced a dramatic increase in
customer inquiries regarding installation of copper roofs and
copper decorative accessories. Unfortunately, we've had to decline
a majority of this business due to a lack of skilled copper
tradesmen...
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