PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – Drive through any neighborhood in South Florida and you’re likely to see a roofing project underway.
However, a foam shortage has many of these projects stuck in a standstill.
You can think of the foam as the glue that holds down your roof tiles. Right now it’s hard to come by, in large part because of the winter storm that slammed Texas last month.
“Apparently there was a freeze over in the main manufacturer in Houston and that has stopped all production of the foam,” says Junior Morejon of JM Roofing.
Paul Bange of Paul Bange Roofing says foam is the most commonly used option.
“We do have other options. We could nail the tile down or screw them down, but we prefer to use foam. I think it’s a better fit,” Bange says.
So now, all across South Florida and the southeastern United States, roofing companies are scrambling, paying hefty prices for the small amounts of that foam they can find.
And, unfortunately, the roofers say the existing supply won’t last long.
“The supply that we were able to find will last us for about two weeks,” Morejon said. “Two more projects or three and then we’re going to be at the mercy of the manufacturers or the distributors. ... This is a pretty huge deal. All of our peers are currently going through the same situation.”
Says Bange: “It’s a huge deal. It’s going to shut down the tile industry for, I’m hearing, up to two months, maybe longer. I heard April 30, I heard June. I called my supplier a little earlier and he said we should have it sometime in April, but does anyone really know?”
Switching from foam to nails or screws can also require approval by the municipality where a home is located — and that process could take anywhere from a week to a few months.