Roof Max & The cost

Roof Max

The Business Model

Selling and applying product is extremely lucrative. The contractor is essentially selling product and paying a few applicators an hourly wage for a few hours of work. The liability is very low and you can do multiple jobs in a single day so yes, this business model beats out traditional roofing hands down.

The roofing contractor has to charge thousands for material, dump fee’s, labor costs and profits are not as high. On top of that the roofing contractor takes 100% more risk than the company applying chemicals since the contractor is removing the roof. Furthermore, the contractor is now on the hook if the new roof system they install fails.

Why don’t roofing contractors switch to chemical applications?

Why take the risk being a roofing contractor? Because buildings will always need new roofs. New buildings will always go up and people will not always want the same roof and may want to switch from asphalt to metal or tile. Also, with many roof installs that fail repair work will always be a necessary service. But the question remains, why don’t more roofing contractors offer chemical solutions? The simple truth is we don’t believe in them. The chemical applicator companies like to say that they are saving their customers thousands while roofers like to charge for high profits, this simply isn’t true. We have already shown how the company that simply applies chemicals has the better business model.

DEEP DIVE

The most common reasons for premature roof failure are from improper installation. Flashings done incorrectly are many reasons why roofs leak but those don’t often cause entire system failure like improper nailing. Several pipe flashings, a wall and a valley can easily be repaired but if the nailing wasn’t done according to specs, then the entire system will fail after half the shingles life has passed. Keep this in the front of your mind as we proceed.

Common reasons for premature roof failure.

1.      No ventilation.

2.      Nailing specs not fallowed

3.      Flashings done incorrectly that cause leaks and substrate failure

4.      Manufacture defects.

Roof Max website question & answer link. “Can Roof Max make my asphalt roof last forever?” The answer they give is not the simple honest no. This would be bad marketing. Instead, they say, “Nothing lasts forever.”

This article will then inform you that Ohio State University has tested shingles that are 17 years old and proved that Roof Max did indeed ad flexibility back into the shingles. Keep in mind that flexibility is their whole selling point. They will also claim that most roofs only last for 10-15 years! The only shingles that have a life span of 15-20 years is 3-tab shingles. 3-tab shingles are a single layer mat and long before Roof Max was around these simple roofs lasted the term of their life and some even longer. Today’s architectural shingles are double layered with heavier thicker matting that has doubled the life expectancy of asphalt to 30 years. It’s the industry standard in shingle manufacturing to offer a 30-year roof. We tear off 30-year roofs all the time that lasted 30 years with no issues and no chemical spray applications.

So, when Roof Max says that they treated a roof at year 17 as long as the nailing was done according to specs the roof would have lasted to year 30 with or without the product.

Roof Max Claims

1.      Tearing off is the old way and that you can save thousands by using their product.

2.      Shingles only last for 10-15 years.

3.      Using Roof Max can add 15 years into your 15-year-old roof.

Proof: Ohio State University has proven that roof max added flexibility in a 17-year-old roof.

Is it worth the price?

Roof max recommends treatment’s every 5 years. If your roof is at the half way point of 15 years then you would need 3 treatments to get the “EXTRA 15 YEARS”. Let’s do the math using their figures.

The Roof Max website says that the average cost of a new roof is $15,000. They claim they can save you 80% of that cost with their treatments. We will use these figures so that each treatment costs $3,000. Let’s look at the numbers of two customers for comparison.

Roof Max Customer

Year 15 1^st treatment + $3000

Year 20 2^nd treatment +$3000

Year 25 3^rd treatment +$3000

Year 30 need new roof + $15,000

Total$24,000

Non-Roof max Customer

Year 15 no treatment $0

Year 20 no treatment $0

Year 25 no treatment $0

Year 30 need new roof +$15000

Total $15,000

The only way Roof Max yields any real value is if asphalt shingles only lasted 15 years and they could extend the shingles life by 15 years. Instead of what Roof Max is doing is adding cost to something that was already paid for.

On a 30-year roof at $15,000 the annual amount paid is $500 but when you add Roof Max in the mix you inflate that cost to $800 per year for the same result.

Roof Max can only add up to 15-years of life in your roof is the claim, so on a roof that is 30 years old tearing off the old roof is still required the “New Way”, gives way to the “Old Way”.

The fact is that the insurance company for your home owner’s policy will require you to put on a new roof if the age of the roof has been reached. The insurance companies will not renew your policy even if you tell them that Roof Max has been applied. They wouldn’t risk the liability neither should you.