Interest in More Durable Roofs Spurs Demand For Roofing Accessories

Most roofing contractors and other construction professionals realize that the use of more durable roofing materials can minimize the effects of severe weather on a building.

However, roofing accessories – the ancillary products used when installing a roof, for which demand is expected to grow 3.6% through 2023 – are perhaps equally important for protecting roofs from moisture, impacts, and high winds.

Underlayment Can Guard Against Leaks & Ice Dams

Roofing underlayment was traditionally thought of as a means to provide supplemental leak protection to roof decks. However, roofing professionals are now realizing the key role that underlayments can serve in protecting roofs.

By using a waterproof underlayment instead of a water-resistant one, contractors can provide roofs with a nearly impermeable water barrier, preventing leaks that might cost home and building owners hundreds – if not thousands – of dollars to repair.

Furthermore, roofers increasingly use waterproof underlayments to prevent the formation of ice dams, which arise when improperly drained water (such as snowmelt) accumulates in gaps (such as at the eaves of a home) and then freezes. Waterproof underlayments can be used to cover these potential problem areas and ensure that excess water drains away from the structure.

Cover Boards Protect Roofs from Punctures & Tears

Cover boards are not widely used in many roofing assemblies, and when they are, they are mainly regarded as a substrate to which a roofing membrane can be attached. However, cover boards can play an integral role in protecting roofs against many forms of damage, such as:

• puncture damage from hailstones and other impacts, which cover boards minimize by imparting stiffness to low-slope roofing membranes
• the uplift or tearing of membranes, which cover boards prevent by providing a heavyweight substrate to which to attach them
• fire damage, which they reduce by increasing fire resistance (when using gypsum or fiberglass cover boards)

While many contractors may balk at the time and cost of installing cover boards, laying them down is far more economical than replacing roofing membranes.

Fasteners, Sealants, & Other Compounds Secure Roofing in High Winds

High winds can cause damage to roofing materials in a number of ways. In addition to the risk of a complete uplift, high winds can dislodge roofing from its fasteners, which can cause the materials to break, tear, or – in some cases – puncture the roof deck.

To prevent winds from damaging roof decks, contractors are increasingly harnessing roofing accessories to better secure roofing materials, including by:

• using more fasteners or applying coats of adhesives and primers when installing roofing to ensure that materials remain attached to roof decks
• applying sealants to the seams between membranes to keep out moisture and prevent uplift
• using caulks and mastics at the eaves and around roof protrusions to fill gaps and reduce potential for the formation of leaks and ice dams

Want to Learn More About Roofing Accessories in the US?

For more information about the size and growth of the US roofing accessories market, check out The Freedonia Group’s new study, Roofing Accessories.  

About the Author:

Matt Zielenski is a Senior Analyst at The Freedonia Group, where he covers trends in the use of building materials and related construction products in the US market.