Major increases in roofing adhesive prices for the northeast

Many building owners are not aware of the activities of various state governments concerning the use of solvent based roofing adhesives and products. Various state governments in the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States have formed the OTC or Ozone Transport Commission. The group is tasked with affecting smog levels in those states that are a part of the commission through regulation of substances believed to contribute to smog and smog formation.

Roofing adhesives and other products related to the roofing industry have been targeted as a contributing factor and as a result have fallen under the regulation of the OTC. Member states including New Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Washington DC have implemented a timeline for the complete phase out of VOC based roofing related solvents. The time table requires that those manufacturing, purchasing and installing those products stop the use of those products between May 1st and September 30th of 2010 and 2011. A complete phase out of these products will take place in 2012 forward.

In response to these state government mandates, the roofing manufacturers have developed substitute materials to allow products to be installed and projects to be completed should they fall into these timelines. These products qualify as a low-VOC product and meet the requirements of the state governments and the OTC. However, these products come with a major price increase. In most cases, the pricing premium on these products may be as much as a 100% or more price increase. This leaves the building owner scrambling to fund the cost of roof repairs and replacements should those projects fall into that timeline. Costs per square foot for roof replacements may increase as much as $.30 per square foot depending upon the type of system used. Applied over a 100,000 square foot roof area and you will be looking at increases of $30,000.

Building owners have some level of control that they can exercise in this situation. They are in control of their schedule and when they decide to implement roofing projects. By properly planning or acting on roofing projects, building owners can save a lot of money. A difference of days or weeks in a project can impact the overall bottom line of a roofing project and can impact the return on investment for a project.