Why You Need High-performance Sealant for Metal Roof Jobs

By Colin Sheehan, RCS Reporter. 

Learn about these WeatherMaster products that provide a weathertight barrier between the metal roof and the home. 

Now more than ever, homeowners are demanding stronger and more sustainable roofing options. They also want enhanced curb appeal, making both the performance of sealants and their color matching abilities critical to a contractor’s success. 

Darci Kunard is an experienced marketer with a demonstrated history of success working in the building materials industry, and in Season 3, Episode 57 of Roofing Road Trips, she shares what is happening with their performance and color matching initiatives for roofing, siding and other roofing products.   

Darci has been in the sealant industry for over 10 years and started working with Franklin International/Titebond as a product manager before moving into a full-time sales role. Franklin International has been especially busy this year launching four new products and preparing to launch even more in 2022. They also recently expanded into a new facility where they manufacture their high-quality caulks and sealants from raw materials to the final product. 

“We're doing an expansion of our caulks and sealants line, and it's just been really exciting,” said Darci.  

Established in 1935, Franklin International is among the largest privately held manufacturers of adhesives and sealants in the U.S. and is well known for their Titebond and WeatherMaster brands. Their products come with an incredible selection of colors and are designed to be used with any surface. Their advanced polymer sealants, better known as WeatherMaster products, recently came out with a metal roofing sealant designed to meet the rising demand for metal roofs and consequently, the demand for sealants that perform well with metal. 

“Adhesion on [metal roofs] is extremely important because metal does expand and contract and those metal roofs move a lot,” explained Darci. “So, you need a great sealant that can really hold on.” 

As opposed to water-based sealants, this product can be installed in freezing temperatures, as well as in rainy or wet conditions and can even be applied in standing water. WeatherMaster products also come in over 100 colors and can be matched to any type of metal. The products are also low in VOCs and doesn’t have any shrinkage properties that don't perform well when paired with metal. It is these little nuances that put Titebond’s umbrella of products above the rest. 

“Especially for homeowners, they are very concerned [that the product] is going to work. And, I think as a contractor, if you can reassure them that you only use high-quality products and [that your] installers know what they're doing, I think that adds much more peace of mind for that homeowner.” 

Listen to the entire podcast to hear more from Darci and the technology behind Franklin International’s high preforming sealants.