The case for cedat shakes

IX/ITH SO many different types Y V of products in the roofing and siding market, helping your customers make an informed choice among them becomes critical. Cedar shakes and shingles have been around for hundreds of years, but the quality and performance achieved through continual improvements in production and treatment might surprise you-and your customers.

Wood is a favorite among a highend clientele who values its combination of traditional look and modern performance. These include remodelers who want to maintain the visual integrity of historic homes, homeowners in new developments that increasingly impose appearance standards, and builders and architects serving increasingly environmentally conscious customers.

Here are some key points that will help you inform your customers and capture a quality-oriented clientele:

Performance Cedar shakes and shingles are built to stand up to the elements-both through short-term extremes in weather and through long-term existence. Wind tunnel research shows that properly applied cedar roofing will withstand winds exceeding 130 mph. The Haag Engineering test shows that wood roofing is also more resilient to hail than other materials. Long-term protection against the elements is available through Cenrr-Last shakes and shingles which have been pressureimpregnated with wood preservatives to give 30 years of warranted protection against moss and fungal growth.

CERTI labels provide everything you need to know lo sell cedar shakes and shingles.

Story at a Glance

Selling cedar for roofing and siding making sense of Cenn labels.

Fire Retardant Fire protection can be a priority with consumers who are building or remodeling a home, especially in fire-prone regions like California and Texas. With proper treatment, cedar shakes and shingles fulfill even the most stringent building and fire codes.

CBnu-Guard shakes and shingles provide excellent fire protection and meet the rigorous testing standards for Class C, B or A fire resistance and weathering set by the Uniform Building Code and National Fire Protection Association. Cem-Guard products are pressure impregnated with fire retardants and thermally cured for years of protection, and are the only fue-treated shakes and shingles to successfully pass 1O-year weathering tests. They carry the FTX lifetime warranty and are the only ones to have received approval from the California State Fire Marshal.

Envirosmart Wood roofing has a number of environmental qualities which make it a good choice for "green" consumers. According to the USDA Forest Service, wood roofing and siding have higher insulation values than equivalent products, reducing the amount of energy required to heat or cool homes and offrces, saving homeowners money on their energy bills. Wood roofing also is made from a renewable resource and uses much less energy to produce than comparable products. Old wood roofing, moreover, is biodegradable and can be safely disposed of without fear of environmental harm.

Quality The blue Cenrl labels (Cenu-Guard, Cenrt-Last, CenrrSawn, etc.) are a mark of quality awarded by the Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau to several hundred mills in the U.S. and Canada who participate in a stringent quality control program. In order to use the Cenrr label, mills must meet quality standards established by the Bureau and undergo regular inspections and audits by independent ICBOapproved quality control agencies. The Bureau offers a 20125-year Czxrt label warranty on qualifying member materials applied by approved installers.

How to Read a Cpnrr Label

Cenrt labels show the key information that consumers need to be confident that they are purchasing a quality product. They tell how the product was made, how it was inspected, and who made it. Knowing how to read a Cenr label will help you to understand the differences in products, and to provide your clients with the best product for their need.

Here are some things to look for on your Cenn labels: co Identification of the quality auditing company (the independent quality control auditing firm which has inspected the product) located in the left of three small boxes running horizontally across the label;

"e An ICBO ES Evaluation Report number, showing that the mill produces under a total quality program, located in the right of the three small boxes: ce Manufacturing mill name, address and phone number on the center left; co Product grade, found at the top of the label; ce Product size, at the bottom of the label:

"s The Cnnn product registration mark, the assurance of a quality product, at the upper right ofthe label.

Knowing the qualities of wood roofing and siding and understanding what a CBnn label means will enable you to help your customers select a product that meets their needs and provides the quality they expect.

A FTER seven at-times-difficult Ayea.s, the employees of County Lumber Co., Santa Barbara, Ca., have mailed in their last check and now own the company. The challenges have been relentless, but in turn have made the company-and its new owners-stronger.

Using an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) due to its tax advantages for both buyer and seller and the company's concern for its work force, County Lumber was sold to its employees in 1989. But the new company, under the direction of Jack Gibson and Bob Blanchard, has been forced to change to meet a new set of demands. New target markets were needed to generate additional revenue. Despite a decline in the national economy and the subsequent poor building industry, the company continued to show a profit. Locally, overcoming "no growth" politics, water moratoriums and even two devastating floods in 1995 would prove to be the real test of survival.

Established in 1972 with a single yard, the company has grown to three locations with about 65 employees. The departments include hardware, plumbing, electrical, cabinets, countertops, hardwoods, moulding, framing lumber, finish lumber and milling capabilities. County Lumber also has a sash and door department, a redwood division and. among its most competitive assets, a rail spur.

More than 25Vo of the employees have been with the firm for over 12 years, some with more than 20 years of service. Employees include Teamster Union and Carpenters Union members, high school students