Roofers plan for spring thaw

Winter months spent on training, ice dams

February 7, 2015 | 6:00 pm

CEDAR RAPIDS While the cold temperatures and an abundance of snow are keeping workers off rooftops, Corridor roofing contractors dont sit idly by as we all wait for the weather to warm up.

Rod Manson, president of Tri-County Enterprises Inc. in Cedar Rapids, said that the busy season will kick off this March. But he and his company of about 22 employees at the height of the season are working diligently now to be fully prepared to launch into roofing mode.

With any warm-ups, they are able to do a few roofs here and there during the winter.

Roofs seal better when its warmer, so weve always got an eye on the weather, Manson said. Truly right now we are working on an emergency basis, helping out customers with ice dams and leaking roof issues ...

In the winter months, we do a lot of service to our equipment and work on our vehicles, he said.

They also use the slower weeks to review products, work on training and familiarizing themselves with updates to codes and safety procedures.

Tri-County has been operating in the Cedar Rapids area for 19 years. And while they do sell other exterior products such as gutters, siding and windows, about 70 percent of their business is in roofing, and mostly residential.

Manson noted that they will get really busy in March and stay that way until the Christmas season. During the peak period, his crew could be working on eight to 10 roofs per week.

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Roofers plan for spring thaw