What Is a Shingle Starter Strip?

The roofing industry has long been a competitive space for contractors, but that healthy competition has helped drive innovation and lift up independently-owned businesses across the country. BYLTup, Inc. is one such business, and CEO Trevor Leeds is committed to elevating the greater roofing industry through everything his company does.After many years in roofing, Trevor partnered with his brother, Brady Woodside, in 2022 and co-found BYLTup, Inc. in Southern California. The pair started from scratch with a blank slate, allowing them to create a culture and brand experience that raises the industry bar, which is important to them.Trevor knew GAF would be a part of their success from the start. He experienced GAF-certified contractors'* support through his previous company and knew the organization's vision and innovation would be key to building the business.Enhancing Roofing Professionalism and SafetyTrevor is passionate about the roofing industry and believes everyone—from manufacturers and distributors to the contractors performing the installations—should work together to create a professional and positive customer experience. Even more importantly, Trevor advocates for the industry's employees and their experiences; safety is an area he wants more people to consider."We need to be making sure that we are taking care of employee safety," Trevor says. "Everyone should be focused on that. Everyone should be concerned about their employees going home safe and sound every single night. When an accident happens in the industry, it's devastating to the business owner and the individual, but it impacts the industry too. We all feel that in some form or fashion."Guiding the Next Generation through GAF Roofing AcademyTrevor's concern for employees and the industry's future led to his involvement in the GAF Roofing Academy. While he didn't have an immediate need for labor in his business, he recognized that taking action now could contribute to building a pipeline of skilled workers that would benefit the roofing industry as a whole.Trevor observed the pool of talent and skilled workers dwindling during his time in roofing. "You have the baby boomer generation that is retiring and a younger generation that wants to get into tech and doesn't want to get into the trades," he notes. "We've got to be able to hire and attract young talent back into the industry or we're all going to suffer."Training Students at the SoCal Roofing AcademyTrevor first learned about the GAF Roofing Academy at a regional conference and stepped up to assist. His company was involved in the first SoCal Roofing Academy, which had three tracks: residential roofing, commercial roofing, and sales training. BYLTup hosted the training's residential portion, and Trevor was impressed by the students' interest and engagement."I was blown away at how engaged they were. GAF had certainly done a very good job screening and prepping these individuals coming in, but they were green," he says. "The trainer was fantastic. The students were shingling after three days."Once the groups completed the tracks, they were brought back together for their graduation ceremony, which was a life-changing experience for many. "I realized that many of these people had probably never been recognized like this before," Trevor says. "They were very proud, holding their certificates and sending photos to their families."Making an Unexpected Hire at BYLTupJust before hosting the SoCal Roofing Academy, GAF Roofing Academy Operations Manager Erick Osuna reached out to Trevor and shared recent graduate Jose Navarro's resume. Jose had completed the commercial roofing training program and stood out to Erick, so he connected with Trevor about possibly hiring him."At that time, I wasn't looking for someone on the commercial roofing side. We weren't really expanding that crew, but we were looking for a production role," Trevor shares. "Long story short, we loved him. He was going to be a great fit for the company, and we hired him as our assistant production manager."Jose excelled on the job. BYLTup quickly moved him into a full production manager role, hiring an assistant to work with him. Trevor says Jose was a great hire. "He's young, he's hungry, he wants to learn. I've never seen another individual in the industry that just wants to learn roofing, and he's a sponge."Committing to Supporting GAF Roofing AcademyTrevor has seen the caliber of students attending and graduating from the GAF Roofing Academy, inspiring his commitment to support ongoing trainings. "I was pleasantly surprised at the overall outcome of the [Roofing Academy] event," he notes. "It encouraged me to the point that I said, 'I want to do this, whether we benefit from it or not, I want to support this at least twice a year, and we want to get more contractors involved in it.'"Want to get involved in supporting the future of the roofing industry? Learn how to participate in a future Roofing Academy and discover the training opportunities available to your team through GAF CARE.*Contractors enrolled in GAF certification programs are not employees or agents of GAF, and GAF does not control or otherwise supervise these independent businesses. Contractors may receive benefits, such as loyalty rewards points and discounts on marketing tools from GAF for participating in the program and offering GAF enhanced warranties, which require the use of a minimum amount of GAF products. Your dealings with a Contractor, and any services they provide to you, are subject to the Contractor Terms of Use. Visit www.gaf.com/gaf-contractor-terms-of-use for details.

If you're like many roofing contractors, you might avoid insurance restoration work due to the expense, hassle and complication of creating an estimate. That is, until now. The GAF ScopeConnectSM service simplifies the creation of an insurance scope of work so you can take on restoration work with more ease.Using Cutting-Edge Technology to Facilitate EstimatesGAF is committed to making tools available that help roofing contractors succeed. The GAF ScopeConnectSM Service addresses some of the challenges many contractors face with insurance restoration work.The service delivers a complete insurance scope of work prepared by Symbility trained and Xactimate certified estimators. Any contractor—GAF-certified or not may use the service and receive an estimate within 24 hours*. You don't need specialized training, dedicated personnel, or a subscription.Putting Insurance Restoration Work within ReachAs the country continues to see more severe weather events, contractors have the opportunity to expand into the insurance restoration market. The GAF ScopeConnectSM Service removes some of the barriers that typically have made it difficult to enter this space.To use the service, you simply provide a property's address and answer a few questions. Within a day, you'll receive the scope of work needed for the job in an insurance industry standard format (e.g., Xactimate or Symbility).The GAF ScopeConnectSM Service has enabled GAF Certified Contractor* Owen McKinney, who owns Rodger That Home Improvement LLC in Fayetteville, North Carolina, to do more insurance restoration work. He had previously walked away from these jobs due to the complexities involved with estimates.Leveling the Field for Roofing ProfessionalsSince preparing estimates in an industry-standard format yourself requires special software and training, McKinney was at a disadvantage. He didn't have the budget to pay for the license or the spare time to learn the program. As a result, he resorted to searching for specialists familar with the software on social media and paying them to develop the estimates. While this method worked, it was inefficient and not cost-effective for him.McKinney's GAF territory manager first showed him the new service over lunch. On the day it launched, McKinney happened to be working on an insurance restoration job, so he decided to try it. McKinney shared that on the first project that he used it on, the GAF ScopeConnectSM service accurately estimated the job.Removing Barriers through Ease of UseThe intuitive design and functionality provided by GAF ScopeConnectSM impressed McKinney right away. He notes that it feels difficult to make errors while using the service."Essentially, you just type in the property address, note that it's got X amount of pipe boots, X amount of vents, one or two layers of shingles, and it gives you a breakdown."McKinney says that, in his opinion, the accuracy has been spot-on. And thanks to the success he's had, he plans to use the GAF ScopeConnectSM service for future insurance restoration jobs. "And the fact that they can do it within 24 hours,** that's fantastic."Growing Your Business's Restoration WorkloadIf you've been thinking about expanding your operations and adding more jobs through insurance restoration work, now is the time. The GAF ScopeConnectSM service provides the detailed estimates you need to succeed so you can take on these jobs with confidence.Curious to learn more? Visit gaf.com/scopeconnect to see a sample scope of work.*Contractors enrolled in GAF certification programs are not employees or agents of GAF, and GAF does not control or otherwise supervise these independent businesses. Contractors may receive benefits, such as loyalty rewards points and discounts on marketing tools from GAF for participating in the program and offering GAF enhanced warranties, which require the use of a minimum amount of GAF products. Your dealings with a Contractor, and any services they provide to you, are subject to the Contractor Terms of Use. Visit www.gaf.com/gaf-contractor-terms-of-use for details.**Terms and restrictions apply. Visit gaf.com/scopeconnect for details.

A newly renovated basketball court at Chambers Park Community Center in Kissimmee, Florida, is a slam dunk for local children and families. GAF is proud to have partnered with the Orlando Magic, AdventHealth, and the city of Kissimmee to make this community's hoop dreams come true.The Chambers Park Community Center is a focal point of the Kissimmee community. The facility offers after-school programs, community events, and camps. It also features a popular neighborhood playground and basketball court where friends and families gather.The collaborative work involved in upgrading the sports court—which reopened on January 10, 2024—is just one example of how the GAF Community Matters program supports and celebrates neighborhoods nationwide.Renovating the Court's Coating and DesignThe inspiration for this project came from wanting to enhance the quality of life for the residents of Kissimmee and provide a safe, vibrant place for families to play outdoors. GAF understands the importance of building resilient communities, so the company donated cutting-edge materials and covered the cost of installation labor to ensure the Chambers Park Community Center's new sports court was a perfect outdoor place to play. To make the asphalt court as safe and durable as possible, GAF used StreetBond® solar-reflective, durable pavement coating with Invisible Shade™. The product can help reduce pavement surface temperatures by an average of 10°F while also helping to protect the pavement from premature degradation due to heat and UV rays.In areas where heat collects, also known as "urban heat islands," there tend to be few trees and minimal shady vegetation, so blacktops and hard surfaces—including parking lots, roadways, concrete recreation areas, and roofs—absorb and release heat well into the evening. Over time, these excess temperatures may contribute to heat-related health effects and negatively impact quality of life for local area residents. This wasn't the first time GAF deployed pioneering cooling strategies to enhance a community's experience. As part of the GAF Cool Community project in Pacoima, California, StreetBond® was used to help diminish urban heat island effects. GAF quickly completed the work in Kissimmee and the facility was opened to the public shortly afterward. The sports court's vibrant design uses custom-made colors inspired by the blue retro logo honoring the Orlando Magic's 35th anniversary court.Celebrating the Court's OpeningCurrent and former Orlando Magic players and Kissimmee's Mayor celebrated the court's unveiling. Team mascot STUFF the Magic Dragon joined the festivities to the crowd's delight.Sixty youth from the Chambers Park Community Center after-school program also attended the court's reopening. The students were thrilled to join in a fast-paced basketball skills clinic. The newly launched court was their chance to meet their sports heroes up close, take photos with them, and enjoy their new playground.Investing in Communities of the FutureThe Chambers Park Community Center's sports court is an important gathering space where youth and their families can safely play, build relationships, and develop their skills.With this project, the GAF Community Matters initiative continues its longstanding partnership in neighborhoods across the country. GAF is committed to making a positive difference by offering roofing expertise, resources, and products to help build more resilient communities.Providing safe, high-quality sports courts where residents can gather helps build resilient communities while promoting active, healthy lifestyles—and GAF is proud to play a role. To learn other ways GAF supports communities across the country, visit www.gaf.com/communitymatters.