Prep, prime, patch and protect with the proper training

By Dani Sheehan. 

Don’t miss this powerful presentation to learn the importance of training and how it can make all the difference in your roof coating projects. 

Proper training empowers your employees, makes them more efficient and productive, and saves you time and money. When it comes to roof coating projects, the right training also means getting the job done the right way the first time. In the first episode of CoatingsTalk, Heidi J. Ellsworth met Johnny Walker from APOC for a deep dive discussion on the importance of training in the roofing industry. With specific examples, Johnny shared what works and what doesn’t, passing along valuable information to take back to your training programs.  

When it comes to waterproofing and applying roof coatings, there’s so much to learn about the various products your crew is using. Johnny explains, “You have acrylics, you have silicones, you have asphalt, you have urethane, you have PMMAs, you have all these different types of systems out there. And each one of them has its own unique application situations, things that are specific to it. And to really get our industry on track and doing good quality work, we've got to make sure that everybody gets fully trained.” 

Unfortunately, in this industry, contractors don’t often receive the right training before using or applying a product. They purchase a product after minimal research, apply it on a roof and immediately the building owner experiences problems. You need to help manage expectations from the start, which comes from understanding the system completely. Johnny continued, “I talk about the four P process. Prep, prime, patch and protect. Well, the fifth P is the most important. That's profit. When we educate, that's why we're all in business, right? When we educate, we try to educate so they get to keep their profit. They don't have to worry about the liabilities and the callbacks, and the failures, and all those types of things.” 

Providing training for your crews gives everyone confidence. The contractors are confident in their ability to explain and apply the product properly, and the building owner can be confident that there won’t be problems immediately after the restoration is completed. You protect your brand reputation, the crews that are working for you and the industry overall because the culture of training ensures safety, knowledge and craftsmanship. 

APOC offers a variety of training programs for contractors to learn about new technologies and products, application techniques and industry updates around roof coatings. 

Read the transcript, Listen to the podcast or Watch the webinar to learn more about investing in training for your company and how APOC can help.