The truth about wide-width rolls

By Jesse Sanchez. 

Are wide-width rolls really saving you time and money or is it all just marketing hype?   

In this Read Listen Watch® (RLW), host Karen Edwards sat down with Jason Stanley, CEO of IB Roof Systems™, to discuss the misconceptions surrounding wide-width rolls in commercial roofing. With over 40 years of experience in the industry and a role on the board of the National Roofing Contractors Association, Jason isn't afraid to challenge the status quo, especially when it comes to practices that may put workers at risk without delivering the promised benefits. 

Jason began by addressing a common belief in the industry: that using wider rolls — those stretching up to 16 feet and weighing over 600 pounds — saves time and labor on the job site. “There’s a saying that’s been thrown around ad nauseam: ‘40% fewer seams, 40% faster,’” Jason remarks, noting how the idea has permeated the roofing industry. However, he quickly dismantles this notion by unpacking the real-world implications. 

Jason refutes the claims that fewer seams lead to significant labor savings. He points out that despite the belief that fewer seams would result in fewer trucks, the number of trucks remains the same. Additionally, the idea that more crane lifts are required is also incorrect. He clarifies that the number of lifts depends on the crane's load capacity and how much can be set on the deck at a time, not the number of seams. 

One of Jason's key points is the increased difficulty and safety risks associated with handling these massive rolls. While proponents argue that cranes, lifts and dollies can mitigate these challenges, Jason points out that, in practice, roofers often end up maneuvering the rolls manually, leading to a higher incidence of soft tissue injuries. He cites industry data showing a 300% increase in such injuries over the last decade, largely attributed to material handling. 

Jason’s critical examination doesn’t stop at safety concerns. He also expresses how the math behind the purported time savings doesn’t add up. For instance, the labor saved in welding fewer seams often gets offset by the additional time and effort required to handle the heavier rolls and install extra fasteners — sometimes 25% more. 

Ultimately, Jason urges contractors to reconsider the use of wide width rolls and challenges the industry to prioritize worker safety over perceived efficiency gains. “If you do the labor trial on installing 25% more fasteners, you spend two man-hours more putting in the additional fasteners… are these rolls really any faster?” 

Read the transcript, Listen to the podcast or Watch the webinar to learn more about the evolving dynamics of commercial roofing!