To say this year has been tumultuous for the low-slope
polymer-modified bitumen industry is understating the obvious as
anyone directly involved with the industry knows. A few things come
to mind: crude oil sources and prices, changes to the NRCA/MRCA
Certified Roof Torch Applicator (CERTA) program, cool roof
initiatives and innovations, refineries intermittently going down
for various reasons, raw material allocations, FM 1-52, and asphalt
sourcing and consistency.
Unless you have been away from the planet for the past year, you
are well aware the single biggest effect on our bottom
lines—personal and professional—was and is crude oil
pricing. The volatile crude oil market has left an indelible mark
on the pricing structure of asphalt and related materials. For that
matter, the same can be said of any material derived from crude
oil, including plastic and rubber components used to manufacture
roof membranes, insulation and roofing accessories. Furthermore,
steel prices affected the cost of deck materials, fasteners, pails
and more.
Raw material costs skyrocketed across the board in 2008. Whether
they were a result of diesel and gasoline prices and subsequent
shipping and delivery costs, natural gas driving up costs of
manufacturing or simply the escalation of crude oil prices,
virtually every raw material was affected. Crude oil pricing
compounded by a worldwide shortage of butadiene exacerbated SBS
polymer prices and led to supply shortages. Asphalt supplies ran
short in some parts of the U.S. and caused long lead times
in...
Log in or register for FREE access to this article and other Professional Roofing online content.