Roofing Road Trips Podcast: DaVinci Roofscapes' Zach Stopyro

By Lauren White, RCS Reporter.

Learn the ins and outs of building product performance testing.

As hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and wildfires continue to ravage different regions around the United States, home and building owners are faced with significant property damage.  Zach Stopyro, DaVinci Roofscapes Technical Services Manager, speaks with Heidi J. Ellsworth, RoofersCoffeeShop® partner, about the importance of performance testing on building products to ensure maximum performance and protection.

As a teenager, Zach worked as a labor/grounds guy for a family-run company, which is when he first got introduced to the roofing industry.  And for over 30 years, he has remained in the industry.  Throughout the years he has worked as a “co-owner of a company, head of technical services for various manufacturers and installation teams and companies on the contracting end,” he shares. “I’ve installed roofing of all types all over the world and one of the things that I’ve done more of in the last 10 to 15 years is help manufacturers specifically improve existing specialty products or the installations of those products.”

In 2009, Zach started at DaVinci Roofscapes, a company that has been in business for over 20 years.  As a leader in polymer and synthetic roofing, their product lines and strong warranties are what set them apart from others.  Zach explains that their warranties are “the strongest in the industry.”

DaVinci works with a few labs to test their products.  Throughout the country and around the world, there are hundreds of labs that perform different tests for building products.  Zach urges contractors to visit a lab in person and watch the testing happen in real-time.  He shares that it can be difficult to “appreciate the testing until you’ve seen it...it’s a totally different atmosphere to actually go to one of these labs and see the different fire and wind testing that’s out there.”

When product testing is done, the whole system is tested, not just individual tiles and shakes.  “You could buy the best shingle or the best tile out there, and if it’s not put on with the correct fasteners and the correct underlayments, those things can still break down or not perform as well as the main product for that installation,” according to Zach.

In order for roof systems to get their fire, wind and hail ratings, they must be able to withstand the various tests that are conducted, which Zach explains in detail.  Burning brand tests, spread of flame tests and intermittent flame tests determine a products’ fire classification.  Roof systems have winds of up to 110 miles per hour blown at them, known as a straight-line wind test, to determine if it’s sealed down.  In order to replicate hail, steel balls of various weights and sizes are dropped onto the roof to see what damage is caused.

It’s crucial for roofing products and systems to go through this testing so people know the roof over their head is safe and will protect their families, their homes and their businesses.  Zach provides information that contractors can use as a sales tool to share with their customers to help them make an informed buying decision.

Listen to the podcast to hear more about product testing from Zach.  Check out the RoofersCoffeeShop® podcast page for even more.