From the lab to the roof: How standards shape the roofing industry

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn about the science and testing necessary to ensure roofing materials are safe and durable! 

While construction and laboratory science don’t necessarily seem like two peas in a pod, testing is a crucial part of the industry that ensures roofing products, materials and systems meet strict safety, performance and durability standards. Labs are what establish a foundation of quality assurance and safety compliance for the industry. The data they collect not only helps contractors, homeowners and building owners trust their roof, but also helps manufacturers create clear warranties and building codes regulate the industry. In this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Megan Ellsworth sat down with the founder and CEO of one such lab, Erick Sharp. 

Erick founded ACE Laboratories almost a decade ago and they focus on offering comprehensive products and material testing for the construction and roofing industry. Erick shared an example of the tests they run, saying, “Let's say we're testing an alternative filler and a vegetable plant-based oil to go into a roofing membrane. We first evaluate how the product is made. So, in the lab we would mix the raw stock to make the membrane to see the processability of it.” Ultimately they are trying to determine that if a manufacturer is given the processing instructions to make the membrane that it will turn out the same every time. Then, after performing these tests, the lab moves into testing the end application. Erick explained, “We are in ISO/IEC 17025 accredited labs, so we do all the certification testing for all these types of products. We are also accredited with Miami-Dade, as well, so we're able to know what specifications that we should be putting these things through the paces to compare and ensure it would meet customer needs.” 

Overall, Erick estimated that the lab receives around 10,000 work orders in a year, with some of these orders having 10-12 products included in them. He elaborated, “The number of products coming through the lab on a regular basis is exciting. Because we are an independent lab, we get to see everything come through here, all the different types of technologies, applications, things that we never even knew existed before.” One trend he noticed as these products move through their lab is the increasing emphasis on sustainability. He explained, “Just over the 10 years that we've been around, we've seen a dramatic increase in products that are more focused towards sustainability. And the roofing industry, the polymer industry, they're both kind of old industries and so they're slower to move, but it seems like the momentum that we've seen over the last five years has been exponential over what we've seen in previous 15 to 20.”  

An example of this sustainability-focused work is what ACE has done for the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC). Not only do the products CRRC sends to the lab improve the sustainability of the building they are installed on, but they also make the environment around the building more energy efficient. Erick shared that this work is some of the most exciting to him personally and that the lab on a whole is pushing to support this type of sustainability effort. He shared, “We have the most trained technicians that are certified by the CRRC out of any labs out there. We've made it a priority to make sure that we have the staff capacity, the equipment capacity and the understanding needed to be the top choice for any CRRC testing.” 

Read the transcript or Listen to the podcast for more about how ACE Laboratories and the CRRC are pushing sustainable systems, products and initiative forward in the contracting industry!