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Part 3: An Overview of the New Asphalt Roofing PCRs

Repercussions on Consumers

Part One of this blog series took us through the background, goals and scope of the new asphalt roofing PCRs. In Part Two, we touched on their repercussions on roofing industry stakeholders. But what’s in store for the average American homeowner and other consumers?

While the domino effect set off by the release of the PCRs isn’t exactly rapid, the progress will, in time, have a tangible impact on end consumers. Ultimately, they will mean asphalt-based roofing materials and methodologies that are more energy-efficient and sustainable, generate less waste and have a smaller overall environmental footprint. Other anticipated changes include:

Easier product comparison.

Asphalt-based products that fulfill the same function but are produced by different manufacturers will be easier to compare through EPDs developed under unified PCRs. This will allow property owners to make more informed decisions with regard to the roofing products they choose.

Easier compliance with environmental credit-rating systems.

Commercial building projects will have better leverage for acquiring green certifications if the roofing products they use have EPDs. Examples of environmental credit-rating systems with this kind of requirement include LEED Version 4 and The 2030 Challenge, a global call to take steps toward achieving true carbon neutrality by the year 2030.

Better materials and workmanship.

Fortunately for all parties concerned, an environmentally responsible and resource-efficient roof isn’t at odds with what the average American consumer wants.

Homeowners, for instance, want a roof that is durable, long-lasting, easy to maintain, energy-efficient and cost-effective over its lifespan. These are in perfect accord with ARMA’s and ASTM International’s push for materials and practices that consume less energy and fewer resources and generate less waste.

The asphalt roofing industry is still a long way from achieving these lofty goals. That said, the new PCRs are definitely a significant step in the right direction.