06.16.05
In the Northwest and Southeast areas of North America, construction growth remains strong. Economic upswings in Mexico and Latin America appear to be contributing to the growth in the Americas as well. In Western Europe, sales are expected to remain flat for the near future, while business continues to climb in Central and Eastern Europe. In China, significant growth is ongoing and is expected to stay steady for the rest of the decade. The Middle East and India are also emerging as significant growth regions. In terms of market trends, a growing interest in green roofs is requiring specialized systems and non-traditional materials, including nonwovens, to meet requirements such as water proofing, soil separation layers and moisture holding layers. Products that allow better moisture resistance, such as facers on wallboard or foam insulation, are also in demand. More applications using glass and polyester in different parts of the building are also gaining in popularity. Customers are also looking for better noise absorption characteristics, and there are many new coated products being introduced in the market. Clearly, we are seeing a beginning of the end of paper/organics as a means of moisture resistance in construction materials. We expect this trend to continue and accelerate over the next decade, predicted Zain Mahmood, vice president and general manager, construction materials and systems for Johns Manville, Denver, CO. In roofing applications, self-adhered products are gaining over more traditional mopped-down or torched-on products. Also becoming more popular is the use of cold applied systems such as asphalt liquids, urethane and other spray-on materials. Driving such market trends are safety/fire risks, environmental concerns, profit improvement (reducing costs/creating products with added value) and globalization. We expect more pressure to reduce applications with so-called open fires, like BUR and torch-on, commented Don Brown, product manager, Colback products for Colbond. For this reason, we already see a shift to applications without the use of fire, like peel-and-stick (cold self-adhesive), cold applied and liquid roofing. In Europe, mechanical fixation is also popular, especially in one-layer systems. Open fires are said to be causing safety and fire risks as well as air pollution, said Mr. Brown. Up On The Roof
DuPonts new vapor permeable Tyvek roofing membranes were shown at this years IBS show and will be launched in early 2006. The concept offers a complete, continuous building envelope around the house by sealing the attic and applying an airtight system to the roof. This idea is the basis for DuPonts Tyvek homewrap system for walls. We are applying the concept of airtight walls to the roof, said Mr. Horta. A breathable underlay allows moisture to escape by diffusion. Attics are unvented, so warm air stays in the house. This concept is 20% more energy efficient than conventional vented roofs and offers additional weather protection. Water is deflected to the gutter so there are no more roof leaks. In Europe, DuPont has had breathable roofing systems in place for two decades, with more than 100,000 European homes featuring this type of roofing concept. In North America, the challenge for DuPont is to convert a market currently dominated by asphalt roofing shingles, which are fundamentally different than the open slate or tile roofs used commonly in Europe. To adapt to the North American market, DuPont redesigned the Tyvek roofing underlayment system to create a product that is water- and air-tight, yet breathable. Meanwhile, the attic underneath is unvented and sealed by a roofing membrane. These sealed, non-ventilated, breathable roofing systems will reshape the roofing industry in North America, predicted Mr. Horta. This is not just a new product, it is fundamentally different than the status quo. At DuPont, we believe that buildings, like people, must breath, and we help them do so. Another company concentrating on the issue of breathability in the roofing sector is Colbond, a specialist in reinforcements for modified bitumen products. The company has introduced a new waterproof breathable membrane, Enkaroof Vent 7008, with a nylon-6 entangled ventilation net bonded to the nonwoven membrane. This new product provides waterproofing and a ventilation airspace to prevent corrosion and rust from developing on the backside of metal roofs. It also controls sound noise up to 15 db. The membrane by itself will also have applications as a housewrap, window tape and anti-fracture mat for the tile industry.
Industry leader BBA Fiberweb was an early pioneer in the development of synthetic roof underlayments and has capitalized on those efforts through its Typar housewrap line for construction applications. The synthetic roofing category is growing at a rapid pace due to the fact that builders are seeing the advantages that these products offer, remarked Patrick Marcouiller, director sales and marketing, construction products for BBA. They are lighter weight and easier to install, offer superior moisture-resistance, can be exposed to the elements longer than traditional products and offer the homeowner a longer lasting roof, particularly when used with tile, shakes, architectural shingles and metal roofs. Innovation Leads To Expansion For its part, Johns Manville has invested heavily in innovation and commercialization of new products during the last two years. Under the DuraForce name, the company has launched a new fiberglass products featuring enhanced properties for the residential shingle market. This fall JM expects to launch a new synthetic underlayment product, DuraBase, for the residential shingle market. On the European front, JM has introduced its DuraSpun Premium product, which combines the best characteristics of glass and polyester nonwovens. Commenting on the evolving requirements driving these innovations was the companys Mr. Mahmood. The market continues to demand new products and reinforcements that provide enhanced fire rating, moisture barrier and strength. Fiberglass provides an excellent base on all three of these characteristics. Mr. Mahmood added that polyester nonwovens provide superior thermal dimensional stability. Speed and processing characteristics clearly appear to be important to our customers. We are continuing to change the game with new technologies and applications that allow our customers to provide higher fire resistance, better processability, superior moisture barrier and enhanced strength, he said.
Looking ahead, JM expects more conversion of paper to synthetics (glass and polyester) or hybrids for construction material applications. Health, safety and well being are themes that JM strongly believes will influence the buying decisions of construction customers, stated Mr. Mahmood. Another company underway with strategic expansion plans is Freudenberg Politex, headquartered in Novedrate, Italy, a world leader in the production of high tenacity staple and spunbond polyester nonwovens mainly used as reinforcements for bituminous roofing membranes. The company operates seven production locations: two in Novedrate and one in Pisticci, Italy; one in Colmar, France; one in Lodz, Poland; one in Macon, GA as Freudenberg Texbond LP and one under construction in Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia. Freudenberg Politex offers a complete range of nonwoven polyester products for bituminous roofing membranes, with both staple and spunbonded technologies, traditional or reinforced with glass filaments. According to Riccardo Sollini, president and CEO of Freudenberg Politex, the construction market has to be considered in its broad sense, including every aspect related to building, from the ground to the roof. And, this is exactly why Freudenberg Politex enlarged its product range and launched a new Building Materials segment in 2004. The new range includes polyester nonwovens, in some cases coupled with other backings such as aluminum and synthetic films, which meet protection and safety requirements in applications such as sound absorbents for flooring, waterproofing layers, underslating products and reflecting screens. Mr. Sollini added that specialty products are increasingly required by the construction market, which has evolved to become more demanding. One example of this trend is the use of acoustical and thermal insulation products both for the construction of new buildings and for the refurbishment of old ones. Our Ecozero polyester panels for thermal/acoustic insulation offer an alternative to traditional rock wool and glass wool; they grant higher performances and are environment friendly, he said. Overall, Freudenberg Texbond is concentrating its efforts on increasing process efficiency and flexibility, improving product quality and customer service and being able to offer a variety of nonwoven products suitable to the different requirements of worldwide markets. Therefore, investments are aimed not only at launching new products or increasing production capacities, but also, and above all, at improving technological content of polyester nonwovens with first class performances, commented Mr. Sollini. This is the case with the companys new line for reinforced spunbond nonwovens that is currently ramping up in Pisticci, Italy. Also included in its global expansion program this year is a new line for laminated products in Novedrate, Italy.
Freudenberg Politex has been selling its roofing products on the Russian market for more than 10 years with very positive results and for this reason production will be mainly sold to Russian customers and neighboring countries, commented Mr. Sollini. We should not forget that Russia, generally considered only in its European part, is a huge territory that flows into the Asian continent. For us, a production location in this country is a strategic bridge for future developments. A Key Concern Despite recent innovations and expansions within the roofing and construction sector, raw material pricingnot surprisinglyremains a significant challenge that suppliers must face every day. In the roofing sector, escalating raw material costs have translated into an increased spread between traditional underlayments and synthetics. Echoing this worry was Freudenberg Politexs Mr. Sollini. The rapid and huge increase of raw material prices and the remarkable rise of all other costs are strongly affecting the global scenario of nonwovens, where newcomers are also contributing to create a highly competitive situation.
|
