Darci Kunard – Color Matching and Metal Roof Sealant - PODCAST TRANSCRIPTION

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of an live interview with Darci Kunard of Franklin International and Titebond. Read the transcript below or listen to the podcast.

Megan Ellsworth:
Welcome to Roofing Road Trips with Heidi. Explore the roofing industry through the eyes of a long-term professional within the trade. Listen for insights, interviews, and exciting news in the roofing industry today.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Hello and welcome to another Roofing Road Trips from Roofers Coffee Shop. This is Heidi Ellsworth and I am on a road trip today heading cross country to be really 100% honest, I'm not even sure where I'm going to find my next guest because she works everywhere. She's traveling. It is Darci Kunard with Franklin International, as you know, Titebond Products and she's their national accounts manager. Hello, Darci. Welcome to the show again.

Darci Kunard:
Hi Heidi. Thank you so much for having me and you cracked me up with I am everywhere. I try to be everywhere.

Heidi Ellsworth:
You are everywhere. We're seeing each other at shows, you're traveling, things are opening back up and so there's just so much to be done with everything that's been happening these last couple years.

Darci Kunard:
It has been and I feel like business has gotten really great and we're getting a lot of people really talking about it. So, it's good to see.

Heidi Ellsworth:
I love it. I'm happy to be back. I'm happy to be back on the road, seeing all of our friends in person. I just saw you at the IRE and there's just so much to be done, so much good business to happen. Before we dive in to some of that business because we got some really cool stuff to talk about in the metal world. First, just for those folks, as many of you know, Darci's been on the show a couple times now, she's one of my favorite guests. But, for those who maybe have not met Darci before, Darci, can you just introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about Franklin and Titebond?

Darci Kunard:
Of course. So I've been in the sealant industry over 10 years and I went to work for Franklin about four years ago and started out doing some product management and then I moved into more of a sales role full time. So, my experience is in sealants. I do live in Denver, even though we are manufacturing all of our products in Columbus, Ohio, but Denver enables me to get anywhere I need to be.

Heidi Ellsworth:
That's right. I love Denver.

Darci Kunard:
Yes. I know. We got to connect there.

Heidi Ellsworth:
So, tell us just a little bit, what's happened? I mean, you've had some product launches, some great things going on with Franklin and with the Titebond brand. What are some of the things that are happening right now?

Darci Kunard:
Yeah. So we have launched, I want to say four products so far this year and we are on deck to launch a lot more next year. So, we're doing an expansion of our caulks and stainless line, we have a couple new glues that'll come out. A couple of adhesives. So, it's just been really exciting. During quarantine, if you will, we were working a lot on our plans of how we were going to launch what and we just purchased a new facility as well to manufacturer our caulks and sealants.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Wow.

Darci Kunard:
Yeah.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Talk about expansion and busy-ness. Wow.

Darci Kunard:
Yeah. So, it's very exciting times for us.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Very cool. Well one of the things I love when I look at all of your products is you have an incredible selection of colors and with Metal Con coming up next week, for all of those who are not familiar with Metal Con it's the premiere metal roofing show. Not just roofing, metal everything show that's happening in Tampa, October 6th through the 8th. But, Darci, I want... So I want to kind of focus in today on the metal and on the selection of colors you have for metal roofing and siding. Can you kind of share with everybody how that works and how all these cool colors?

Darci Kunard:
Of course I'd be happy to. So, Titebond has owned the WeatherMaster brand for over 20 years and what that is. That's an advanced polymer sealant. We actually make the raw material materials for that product. And, what's great about it is it's an all weather product. And, so we have a line that's within the WeatherMaster brand that's called metal roof sealant. And the whole point about that is really bonding to metal because we know metal can be very difficult to stick to. The adhesion on it is extremely important because metal does expand and contract and those metal roofs move a lot. So, you need a great sealant that can really hold on. And, our metal roof sealant is capable of sticking to kynar or any other type of coated metals.

Darci Kunard:
It does pass the in Miami Dade certification. So, it's just a really great versatile product. And, you can use that down to zero degrees, freezing temperatures, rain, standing water, you name it, it's going to work. And, then we offer over 100 colors. We matched to any metal manufacturers. So there are metal siding, there's metal roofing, gutters, whatever you need it matched to, we're happy to match. And then on our website, we have a way you can select your current metal manufacturer and see which color of our line will work for you.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Wow. That's cool because there's a lot out there. And, the thing that... You and I talked about this on our last podcast, really how contractors can expand on looking at more the whole building, the whole exteriors. And, so your metal roofing sealant works across, I mean, signing, anywhere in the building, right? Anywhere there's metal?

Darci Kunard:
Absolutely. It may say metal on it and that was our targeted market for it. But, you can use it anywhere. I mean, I've used it on my James Hardie siding, of all things. I needed a specific blue color and I found it and I was able to put it on and it's been great. And, it'll last a very, very long time. We have a limited lifetime warranty on the product as well.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Wow. That's great. So what are you seeing? I mean, I always find it so interesting when I think about where you're coming from. The sealants and caulking, but what are you seeing overall with the growth of metal roofing? Metal siding? Metal in general in the exterior's market?

Darci Kunard:
I have seen it really take off. There has been a massive demand. I mean, I live in Colorado, we got a lot of snow and metal roof is great for that. I have some metal in my house over an awning by my front door and the snow just slides right off of it. It's great. You've got to kind of worry sometimes and those heavy areas where you get a lot of snow that it could crush your roof in.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Right.

Darci Kunard:
So, I think there's a huge growth towards metal. I believe it's a bit easier to maintain over time. It just seems like the industry has really taken off.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Yeah. That's what I'm hearing too. And, going into next week and talking with some of the leaders in metal, Sherwin-Williams and some of those other folks they're seeing the same thing, the Metal Roofing Alliance has just put out a report on, I think it was 14 to 15% growth in metal roofing just in the last year.

Darci Kunard:
Oh, wow.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Yeah. And, really seeing market share, starting to shift in the roofing world to the metal roofing. Contractors, what are you kind of seeing what the contractors who you're working with as they are kind of incorporating metal into their business? Or maybe they are doing metal all the time.

Darci Kunard:
So I've seen a mix of both. I was just at an event in Denver a few weeks ago and we talked to several metal roof installers and they do a little bit of repair commercially, but they're really focusing on metal. And, then I've seen the other flip of the coin where they're heavy commercial roofing, a little bit of a residential, but they're dabbling in metal. So, it's a very interesting, I think mix of people, there's just a lot of demand, I think for roofing in general.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Yeah, definitely. And, so when it comes to training, I mean, as you were working with both of those types of contractors, right. The ones who are just starting to get into metal and the ones who are heavy metal, the sealant portion of it is so important overall.

Darci Kunard:
It was kind of-

Heidi Ellsworth:
Go ahead.

Darci Kunard:
Oh, so yeah, we use it on any type of implement that goes through the roof. It's just really key to seal those things up because metal is one of those things that's difficult to work with.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Yes.

Darci Kunard:
You're talking about sealants. You've got to install the rivets and then you've had to steal those up as well. So, water will find its way in so you've got to really seal it up and make sure that it's watertight. So, we got a lot of questions about that, especially can it work in lower temperatures? Because, your water-based sealants, aren't going to be good for that at all. And, then there's other issues where people don't want to use a product that has a lot of VOCs or has a heavy odor to it. So, our product doesn't have any of that. You don't want to use a product that has a lot of shrinkage on a metal roof. So it's just those little nuances that make a high-performance product really necessary.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Yes. And, as you were kind of looking at that when you are... As you have contractors using the product on siding and on the roofing, where do you... I know you've told me stories about this before, and I just love some of these that really how by not using high performance or high quality sealants, it really comes back to cause them a lot of problems later on.

Darci Kunard:
Absolutely. I mean, we just had a man who is actually kind of a personal friend of mine, reach out and he was very frustrated because installers on a job of his, and he does those roof windows. If you're familiar with those?

Heidi Ellsworth:
Yes.

Darci Kunard:
Really nice, really nice windows and a great way to get better air quality in your home. Well, unfortunately they used a product that wasn't ours. I won't call out other products, but it caused extensive and we're talking over $20,000 of damage.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Oh my gosh.

Darci Kunard:
Yeah. The roof wasn't sealed properly at all on the inside or the exterior. And I mean, you're talking carpeting and drywall and they had to replace some of the roofing and it was very extensive for him and he just wanted to call and appreciate and thank us because he said your product actually worked. And, we were able to install it, get it fixed before the next rainstorm came and it was fine. So, that was in July of this year.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Wow. And, I think sometimes people and I don't think this is really roofing contractors as much because they know the importance of using a high quality sealant because you can have this beautiful roof, but if it doesn't stay watertight, who cares, right? It just doesn't matter. But homeowners, how contractors are actually kind of using this and talking about first the colors, that the colors can match and that, that's a real sales opportunity. And, then also just the performance and the longevity of the roof when you use the right sealants. What are you hearing on those sides?

Darci Kunard:
Well, especially for homeowners, they are very concerned is, is it going to work? And, I think as a contractor, if you can reassure them that I only use these high quality products. It doesn't have to be ours. We would love it to be, but if you can reassure your homeowner that I am using [inaudible 00:11:43] products and my installers know what they're doing. I think that's much more of a peace of mind for that homeowner.

Heidi Ellsworth:
I need to, and I think this is kind of funny because obviously you and I've been in this industry and in roofing for quite a while. And, but for me when people, or when I'm being sold something, whether it's home improvement or whatever it may be, I wouldn't come to the point where those little details really matter to me because if a salesperson is knowledgeable enough to talk about sealants or ventilation or any of those kinds of things, I know that they are serious about that roofing system. And, I think more homeowners are becoming more educated that way. Not just those of us who've been in the industry.

Darci Kunard:
Absolutely. I mean, I've had neighbors and friends of mine asked me questions, "Is that right? Is that what you would use?" And, that's not even sealant related. They just know that you have a little bit of knowledge of roofing for example, and they want to just pick your brain and make sure that it is the right thing.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Yeah.

Darci Kunard:
In the internet age, you can Google anything. You might not get the best answers, but you can at least look it up.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Yeah. You can look it up and you can ask those questions because it's about we have our new on site along with obviously Roofer's Coffee Shop, but we also have Ask A Roofer, and that's for homeowners and building owners to ask these kinds of questions. And we're seeing those kinds of questions like, "Does it matter? How does ventilation work?" And, just even the articles that people are reading are a lot more about the accessories and the details of the roof than really the main products anymore.

Heidi Ellsworth:
So, it's interesting to hear that coming from you Darci with, on the sealants and caulking side of it too, that homeowners, building owners, people care about the quality.

Darci Kunard:
Yeah. I think they really do and they want to know what's going on. And, I think there are concerns about, does it affect indoor air quality? Especially if you have anyone in your household with allergies. That is something that we have gotten a lot of questions on and we take questions from the public as well. We've got email and phone lines and people ask those questions because they want to know what's in those products.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Yeah. Yeah. It's a whole different world with Google [crosstalk 00:14:02] research.

Darci Kunard:
It is. And, especially when you make yourself, like we have a 1-800 number that you can call it and talk to a live person Monday through Friday. It's just very... And people use it. They want to know.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Well, I want to get back a little bit too, on the colors, just because I think that is so cool that you can match all the major metal manufacturers, the colors. So, from the standpoint of a contractor and as they want to start incorporating this and kind of using that, what's your recommendation? How can they get more involved with you? How can they order those specialty colors? How does that work?

Darci Kunard:
Yeah. So, definitely talk to your distributor and they can all get Titebond products through them and you can order an edge. We're very quick on shipping. It's not anything that's out of stock right now. We know that there's some shortages out there on other products that our sealants are in great shape. You can order as little as one case of a color if you want and they're shipped pretty quickly. We do have our standard colors that we always have in stock white, black, kind of an aluminum gray. We also have a clear, but that one is not paintable. So, if you need to repaint the roof, that would not be ideal but some people like that. So, it's just very easy to figure out which manufacturers you're selling and then have a couple of cases of color for each one, whether they're at your house or at your shop or with the distributor.

Heidi Ellsworth:
And you also have, I know I saw it on your website, but you also have samples or ways that contractors can kind of really look at all those colors too and even share that with homeowners, right?

Darci Kunard:
Absolutely. We have color boards that are available at no charge to you. I think we have 80 colors on that. Those are our most popular and the ones that just kind of traverse the landscape of all the metal roof and siding that's out there. But, those they can sell or show to homeowners, I wouldn't sell them, but you can show this to homeowners. You can do brochures. We've got little bricks that show the flexibility of the product because it is a class 50. So it expands and contracts up to 50% of the joint size. Most of our other metal sealants out there, or maybe a class 25, if that. So, we really built a lot of power performance into that product.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Yeah. When you said earlier Miami Dade, everybody knows if you've passed Miami Dade, that's huge. Very, very big deal. So, well Darci, just kind of give everybody any heads up. I know you have some launches coming up into the new year, any big news or anything you want to share with all of our listeners?

Darci Kunard:
Oh, well, nothing that I can reveal yet, but we're very excited for what is to come. And I know it's been a great year for us. I know it's been a challenge getting stuff done and products and that type of thing, but we're looking forward to a great 2022 as well.

Heidi Ellsworth:
As are we. And, I think as the whole industry is looking forward to getting past material shortages and all the things. So, what a great tip to that you are not experiencing that contractors can get what they need right now by contacting you. And, I have to tell you everybody stay tuned because I know there's some really cool stuff coming up from Franklin and the Titebond brand and WeatherMaster. And, so there's going to be all kinds of constant innovation that's coming your way that you can find on our website and at the Titebond Franklin directory. And also through these podcasts, through the articles, through social media. We just are constantly getting all the great stuff you're doing Darci, out to our listeners.

Darci Kunard:
Yeah. You guys are wonderful and I really appreciate your partnership, Heidi. I [inaudible 00:17:51] Roofer's Coffee Shop.

Heidi Ellsworth:
I tell you, this is the best. I love it. And, I love it... Thank you so much for sharing all this about metal and what's coming up with Metal Con and importance of sealants, and we'll be, hopefully people will be listening to this during Metal Con next week and ask even more questions.

Darci Kunard:
I hope so and definitely hit us up on our website, I'll give you some samples.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Perfect. Get those color samples, impress your homeowners. It's perfect. Darci, thank you again for being here today.

Darci Kunard:
Thank you. I really appreciate it, Heidi.

Heidi Ellsworth:
Thank you. And, thank you all for listening. These podcasts can all be found on the rooferscoffeeshop.com under the Read Listen Watch initiative. But of course, hopefully you've already subscribed to your favorite podcast channel and you're receiving these podcasts and notifications as they're coming out. You don't want to miss a single one. Thank you so much for being a part of Roofer's Coffee Shop and we'll see you on the next Roofing Road Trip.

Megan Ellsworth:
Make sure to subscribe to our channel and leave a review. Thanks for listening. This has been Roofing Road Trips with Heidi from the rooferscoffeeshop.com.