5 Common Installation Mistakes When Venting Attics

GAF is expanding its footprint with new manufacturing facilities, increasing its plant network to over 30 locations nationwide.Summer 2024 is kicking off with the construction of a 275,000-square-foot residential shingle plant in Newton, Kansas—the first GAF location in the state. In Peru, Illinois, the new polyiso plant recently sent out its first shipment of GAF EnergyGuard™ Polyiso Insulation, the new TPO plant in Valdosta, Georgia, is gearing up to begin production this year, and in Avon Lake, Ohio GAF partnered with a third-party plant to support the research, development, and production of silicone products.New state-of-the-art facilities such as these allow GAF to continue innovating and "meet growing customer demand for our market-leading roofing product," says GAF CEO John Altmeyer. These developments also offer benefits to the surrounding areas. For instance, regional plants can help shorten product haul times (benefiting customers and the environment) as well as bolster local economies and support the communities where GAF employees live and work.Expansion to Help Meet Increasing Customer DemandThe Newton, Peru, and Valdosta plants will help meet ever-growing residential and commercial market demand, enhance best-in-class GAF service to customers, and help strengthen the overall construction industry by increasing manufacturing capacity.Currently, one in four US homes is protected by a GAF roof. To better meet residential demand, the GAF shingle plant in Newton will produce Timberline HDZ®—America's best-selling roof shingle—and Timberline® AS II shingles. Timberline HDZ® offers homeowners a high-definition look with patented GAF features like the StrikeZone™ nailing area, GAF Time-Release algae protection, and LayerLock™ Technology. For hail-prone markets, the Timberline® AS II is a UL2218, Class 4 impact resistant shingle that can also help protect roofs from wind, and algae discoloration.To better meet commercial and residential demand, the GAF plant in Valdosta, Georgia will manufacture TPO, one the most popular products for low-slope roofs. Nearly 2 billion square feet of TPO are installed annually, making up over 50% of single-ply roofs installed today.Meanwhile, the plant in Peru is helping to better serve commercial customers by manufacturing a full line of EnergyGuard™ Polyiso Insulation and EnergyGuard™ NH Polyiso Insulation. Additionally, the plant will soon offer new composite polyiso insulation boards. Polyiso Insulation is used on more than 70% new and retrofit commercial buildings, and is the highest R value per inch of any board stock insulationThe Opportunity for Economic and Social BenefitsGAF expansions can generate local, good-paying jobs and empower surrounding areas through meaningful community involvement. These benefits have been seen in the locations where GAF currently manages its workforce of 4,800, and the organization hopes to continue its progress. GAF actively invests in community resilience through its Community Matters initiatives. Community grants, in-kind donations, and hands-on support through employee volunteer efforts allow GAF Community Matters to build meaningful area relationships and help address the area's unique needs.Another benefit of adding manufacturing plants closer to end markets is the potential to reduce operational carbon emissions. Shipping products shorter distances and with fewer packing materials could positively impact energy efficiency and further support GAF sustainability commitments.Here's a look at how GAF is having a positive impact on its newer communities with the expansions.Newton, KansasIn the city of Newton, Mayor Rod Kreie notes the greater region is "excited about the significant economic and community impact this GAF expansion will bring." In addition to the jobs created through the investment GAF is making in Newton, the plant is anticipated to stimulate broader growth."We believe that this [plant] could possibly spur more development," says Erin McDaniel, director of communications for the city of Newton. "GAF is going to be a high-quality corporate partner for Harvey County and make a big positive difference in our community."The Newton plant is expected to have far-reaching impacts across the state. "The career opportunities this [plant] will provide for Kansans right now—and for future generations—will help us continue our unprecedented economic growth by keeping more of our young talent right here at home," notes Kansas State Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland.With construction work underway, shingle production is anticipated to begin in 2027 and reach full capacity by mid-2029.Valdosta, GeorgiaGAF commercial roofing operations continue to grow alongside the residential roofing business. In Valdosta, GAF has committed to purchasing 130 acres for a future GAF thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) roofing manufacturing plant. The plant will bring 135 jobs to Lowndes County over the next six years—adding to its Georgia operations in Savannah, Statesboro, and Cumming that collectively employ 225 residents."We are dedicated to creating a more innovative future for Georgians," says Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson. "GAF is a great partner and addition to our community, creating new opportunities for residents and the region for years to come. We deeply appreciate the collaboration from Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority and Georgia Power on bringing GAF to Valdosta.""GAF strives to become an integral part of the communities in which we operate, and supporting the city and its residents is a top priority for GAF," explains Daniel Duston, plant manager at the Valdosta facility. For example, during the 2023 Thanksgiving for Thousands, 22 GAF employees volunteered with Second Harvest Food Bank to help distribute pantry boxes to over 865 cars and direct traffic to help keep everyone safe. Many local residents were greatly impacted by Hurricane Idalia in 2023, and participating in the food bank distribution alongside other community volunteers helped local folks who were still "displaced from their homes or recovering from the damage," Duston says.Peru, IllinoisGAF bought over 100 acres of land for the facility site in Peru and ensured over 70 advanced manufacturing and engineering jobs new to Bureau County, Illinois. Today, the 450,000-square-foot polyiso plant in Peru manufactures EnergyGuard™ polyiso products. These polyiso products have all received GREENGUARD Gold certification, verifying they have low emissions of volatile organic compounds."As a leader in modern manufacturing, we know GAF will be a great asset to this community bringing high-quality jobs and a true commitment to innovation that will benefit the city for years to come," Peru Mayor Ken Kolowski notes."GAF is dedicated to becoming a proud member and employer within the community and is excited to support the positive work happening in Peru," says Gary Ashley, plant manager at the Peru facility. One way GAF has demonstrated its commitment is through a donation to Maitri Path to Wellness in October 2023. Wellness and Recovery with Maitri is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to providing individualized, quality care for individuals struggling with addiction and mental health issues. GAF donated all the roofing materials needed for the installation of new roofs for the facility and its addition."GAF's involvement is catalyzing profound change in the lives of those on their recovery journey," explains Kelly Jones, LCSW CADC at Maitri Path to Wellness. The new roofs will help protect the facilities where the organization "offers individuals the chance to access support, cultivate relationships with peers, secure employment, pursue education, and flourish within their own community," says Jones.GAF team members in Peru have also hosted meet-and-greet community events with local nonprofit organizations within the community and continues to explore future partnership opportunities.Silicone Production in Avon Lake, OhioGAF recently partnered with a third-party plant in Avon Lake to support the research, development, and production of silicone products, expanding GAF roof coatings manufacturing capabilities. In addition, GAF is creating a CARE Training room at the site to help equip participants with hands-on skills, product knowledge, and business expertise.As North America's largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer, we are committed to our brand promise to protect what matters most in the communities where we live and work. "Bringing world-class manufacturing plants online strengthens our ability to deliver best-in-class service and innovative solutions across the country," said John Altmeyer, CEO of GAF.Learn more about the products we manufacture, the culture of our people, and the communities we call home with this interactive map.

Protecting what matters most includes promoting the career growth of roofing industry professionals like you. That's why GAF offers a wide range of learning opportunities, including CARE courses, online training, in-person training, and roofing summits and expos.Recently, third generation roofer, Jeremy Simpson of Simpson Roofing Company, spent a day at the GAF Northeast Roofing Summit and Expo to learn more about the latest updates in the residential roofing industry. While the majority of the work the Simpson Roofing Company does is commercial, they are always looking for ways to expand their knowledge by learning about innovative ideas, new products, new software, and new technology in the residential space.Simpson attended breakout sessions on topics including Principles of Ventilation, AI in CRM, and Sales. "I love coming to these GAF summits, because they really line up all the pertinent info for your business to succeed" says Simpson, "I promise you it's worth its weight in gold!"To learn more about on demand, hands-on, and in-person training opportunities through GAF, visit our CARE Contractor Training Center.Video TranscriptMy name is Jeremy Simpson from Simpson Roofing Company. We are out of Vernon, New Jersey, and Patterson, New Jersey, two locations. Today, I'm here at the GAF Summit, and I'm looking to just learn new things. We are a third-generation roofing company. We predominantly do commercial, but all throughout the years, we've done residential. That's why we're here today at this event. We're trying to get updated on the new stuff that's coming out, specifically from GAF. Innovative ideas, new products, new software, new tech. So follow me along today as we explore the GAF summit.[00:00:45]Today, we're going into the principles of ventilation. Designs change, architecture changes, and you need new ways of ventilating. And I don't know all of them. So I want to get some info and see what GAF has to offer as far as new products and new thoughts on how to move the air around. So we just got out of our first breakout session about ventilation. A lot of math, a lot of numbers going into the calculations of moving air around in your attic space to have a really good performed roof system. I didn't know all those details. Now I know, got to use it going forward from there.[00:01:19]I just got out of the AI CRM breakout session there. A little bit of an information overload, and that was a good thing because it really showed me how much I was missing the CRM and AI, it's the future. It's coming.[00:01:37]So I just got out of the third and final breakout of today's GAF Summit, and it was about sales, and it was very interesting to see the different dynamics that take place in the residential market when you're dealing with a homeowner versus something commercial, where oftentimes you don't even get to see who you're selling to. So to find out those little intricacies inside that process was super insightful. The best part of today was everything. I love coming to these GAF summits because they really line up all pertinent information for your business to succeed.[00:02:11]Thank you so much for tagging along today. It was super fun for me. I hope you got a little bit out of it as well. And if you ever find a time to come out to one of these GAF summits, I promise you it's worth its weight in gold.

If you're like many roofing contractors, you might avoid insurance restoration work due to the expense, hassle and complication of creating an estimate. That is, until now. The GAF ScopeConnectSM service simplifies the creation of an insurance scope of work so you can take on restoration work with more ease.Using Cutting-Edge Technology to Facilitate EstimatesGAF is committed to making tools available that help roofing contractors succeed. The GAF ScopeConnectSM Service addresses some of the challenges many contractors face with insurance restoration work.The service delivers a complete insurance scope of work prepared by Symbility trained and Xactimate certified estimators. Any contractor—GAF-certified or not may use the service and receive an estimate within 24 hours*. You don't need specialized training, dedicated personnel, or a subscription.Putting Insurance Restoration Work within ReachAs the country continues to see more severe weather events, contractors have the opportunity to expand into the insurance restoration market. The GAF ScopeConnectSM Service removes some of the barriers that typically have made it difficult to enter this space.To use the service, you simply provide a property's address and answer a few questions. Within a day, you'll receive the scope of work needed for the job in an insurance industry standard format (e.g., Xactimate or Symbility).The GAF ScopeConnectSM Service has enabled GAF Certified Contractor* Owen McKinney, who owns Rodger That Home Improvement LLC in Fayetteville, North Carolina, to do more insurance restoration work. He had previously walked away from these jobs due to the complexities involved with estimates.Leveling the Field for Roofing ProfessionalsSince preparing estimates in an industry-standard format yourself requires special software and training, McKinney was at a disadvantage. He didn't have the budget to pay for the license or the spare time to learn the program. As a result, he resorted to searching for specialists familar with the software on social media and paying them to develop the estimates. While this method worked, it was inefficient and not cost-effective for him.McKinney's GAF territory manager first showed him the new service over lunch. On the day it launched, McKinney happened to be working on an insurance restoration job, so he decided to try it. McKinney shared that on the first project that he used it on, the GAF ScopeConnectSM service accurately estimated the job.Removing Barriers through Ease of UseThe intuitive design and functionality provided by GAF ScopeConnectSM impressed McKinney right away. He notes that it feels difficult to make errors while using the service."Essentially, you just type in the property address, note that it's got X amount of pipe boots, X amount of vents, one or two layers of shingles, and it gives you a breakdown."McKinney says that, in his opinion, the accuracy has been spot-on. And thanks to the success he's had, he plans to use the GAF ScopeConnectSM service for future insurance restoration jobs. "And the fact that they can do it within 24 hours,** that's fantastic."Growing Your Business's Restoration WorkloadIf you've been thinking about expanding your operations and adding more jobs through insurance restoration work, now is the time. The GAF ScopeConnectSM service provides the detailed estimates you need to succeed so you can take on these jobs with confidence.Curious to learn more? Visit gaf.com/scopeconnect to see a sample scope of work.*Contractors enrolled in GAF certification programs are not employees or agents of GAF, and GAF does not control or otherwise supervise these independent businesses. Contractors may receive benefits, such as loyalty rewards points and discounts on marketing tools from GAF for participating in the program and offering GAF enhanced warranties, which require the use of a minimum amount of GAF products. Your dealings with a Contractor, and any services they provide to you, are subject to the Contractor Terms of Use. Visit www.gaf.com/gaf-contractor-terms-of-use for details.**Terms and restrictions apply. Visit gaf.com/scopeconnect for details.