Roofers plan for spring thaw

CEDAR RAPIDS - While the cold temperatures and an abundance of snow are keeping workers off rooftops, Corridor roofing contractors don't sit idly by as we all wait for the weather to warm up.

Rod Manson, president of Tri-County Enterprises Inc. in Cedar Rapids, said that the busy season will kick off this March. But he and his company of about 22 employees - at the height of the season - are working diligently now to be fully prepared to launch into roofing mode.

With any warm-ups, they are able to do a few roofs here and there during the winter.

'Roofs seal better when it's warmer, so we've always got an eye on the weather,” Manson said. 'Truly right now we are working on an emergency basis, helping out customers with ice dams and leaking roof issues ...

'In the winter months, we do a lot of service to our equipment and work on our vehicles,” he said.

They also use the slower weeks to review products, work on training and familiarizing themselves with updates to codes and safety procedures.

Tri-County has been operating in the Cedar Rapids area for 19 years. And while they do sell other exterior products such as gutters, siding and windows, about 70 percent of their business is in roofing, and mostly residential.

Manson noted that they will get really busy in March and stay that way until the Christmas season. During the peak period, his crew could be working on eight to 10 roofs per week.

But autumn can be a very busy season as well, he added.

'People remember that they wanted to get roof work done during this year and call to try to squeeze it in,” he noted.

Nichole Lynch, vice president of Lynch Brothers Roofing in Cedar Rapids, said some customers are calling now for estimates.

'We just did three estimates today,” she said. 'We get them on the calendar for when it's warm enough for us to start work.”

Lynch and her husband, Dan, took over running Lynch Brothers in the past year from Dan's father, Larry, who started the business in 1976.

'Our crew has been working with us for years. They are master elite roofers - the highest standard the suppliers will give allowing us to offer lifetime warranties on our roofs,” she said.

Lynch Brothers also works mainly on residential properties and she said a huge factor in running the business is maintaining insurance requirements.

'It can be a very expensive business to run insurance-wise,” Lynch said.

The Lynch Brothers business model involves subcontracting the company's crew to help keep some of those costs down.

Manson noted that, 'A new roof is not usually a want, but rather a need. 'It may not been what homeowners are excited to spend their money on.”

After all, he said, 'Homeowners need to remember that everything you own is under your roof.”