A Minot man with a lifetime of construction experience has decided to strike out on his own and start a new roofing company.
Blaine Eurich has founded New Tech Roofing, providing standing seam metal roofs for business and residential structures alike. The roof panels are made of high-quality 24-gauge steel, come in widths ranging from 1 to 2 feet, and have standing seams ranging from 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Eurich also has 35 colors to choose from, so there shouldn't be too much of a problem getting the steel panels to match the home or business
"I have a (SSQ roof panel) machine I bring right to the job site, it rolls off any length panel you want," Eurich said. "I can do commercial, I can do residential, I can pretty much do anything."
About the only type of roof Eurich can't do is a radius. Other than that, it's fair game.
"Businesses downtown with the rocks and the tar on top of it, I can reroof them if I needed to," Eurich said.
The metal panels have a hidden fastener system so no screws are visible except right on the eave. This not only makes the roof look more attractive, but also cuts down on any chance for leakage because the screws aren't punched through the panels. Eurich also has a machine that mechanically presses and bends the seams together, creating a watertight seal.
Although using steel panels to cover a roof is more expensive than shingling it, Eurich said the steel panels last about twice as long on average.
"Shingles have a 12- to 15-year life expectancy, where this you get a 30 year paint warranty on the product," Eurich said. "It's about twice the life expectancy."
Replacing shingles with a metal roof also nets the owner a 30-percent tax credit, up to $1,500. This is because metal panels are a greener, more energy-efficient product.
Along with the longer life expectancy and tax credit, a metal roof also withstands inclement weather, such as hail, better than shingles.
"Shingles in a pretty-good-sized hail storm will come off and break apart," Eurich said.
A metal roof also sheds snow much better than shingles due to its slippery surface, which is particularly important to area residents because the last few winters have been pretty brutal. Eurich said some snow will still remain, which an owner would want to use a roof rake for. He advises against climbing on a metal roof to shovel snow because of the higher risk of slipping and falling compared to a shingled roof.
Another cold-weather advantage for a metal roof is that Eurich can install it more easily than shingles can be installed.
"The wintertime is no big deal for me," Eurich said. "I'll work outside up to 10, 20 below. I don't care."
He said shingles need to be installed above a certain temperature, otherwise there is a chance they will crack or not lay down properly.
"You need a warmer, sunnier day to do shingles in the wintertime," Eurich said.
He also believes his product is better, and less expensive, than a corrugated metal roof. Eurich said a corrugated roof has fasteners that go right through the metal, which could lead to problems later on.
"And that just leaves open the chance of a lot more leakage, because the screws will eventually wear away a little bit," Eurich said.
He's also seen snap-together corrugated panels with hidden fasteners that don't punch through the metal, but Eurich said the seams on those can pop apart, making them less durable than the standing seam system he uses.
"It's mechanically seamed together so there's no chance of it coming apart," Eurich said.
For more information about the benefits of a metal roof, call Eurich anytime at 721-8522. He doesn't currently have a website, but is looking at adding one in the future so customers can see the product for themselves.
Eurich opened New Tech Roofing in August after working construction most of his life. When he lived in Valley City he worked for a company that did standing seam metal roofs. In Minot he worked for a couple of different contractors for 13 years doing whatever needed to be done, including concrete work.
"When I went to work for the one company here in town, I saw how they were doing their metal roofing," he said. "So I thought, well, I can do a little bit better of a job, I think, and supply better product."
Eurich, who has one full-time employee and might look to add more in the future, said he's been busy since opening his doors and has gotten all his customers through good word of mouth. Although he was nervous about starting his own business, something he'd never attempted before, Eurich believed in the product enough to take a chance.
The gamble he took has paid off, as customers have been saying good things about the product and Eurich has been having fun working for himself for the first time in his life.
"Personally I think that standing seam is the best product for metal roofing out there. And with that, nobody else has a machine like mine that will run off any length," Eurich said. "I just thought it was a pretty good investment."