Weekly News Briefing – August 4, 2025
Low-slope roofing continues evolving amid increasing climate severity and evolving performance expectations. This week brings fresh insights on resilience-focused design and edge system testing enhancements.
🌪 Climate Resilience Standard: New CSA Performance Criteria
In late July, a collaborative working group released draft provisions for CSA A123.26, a Canadian standard addressing climate-adaptive low-slope membrane systems¹. It mandates project-specific wind uplift and precipitation resistance tailored to field, edge, and corner zones, moving beyond blanket design pressures. This new standard aims to improve performance under severe weather by requiring tailored drainage sizing, moisture control, and wind load calculations on every project site¹.
🧱 SPRI Set to Revamp Edge System Design Standard
SPRI has formally launched the rollback and redevelopment of its ANSI/SPRI ED‑1 design standard for low-slope roofing edge systems, including coping, nailers, and gutters². The update will refine requirements for material thickness, thermal compatibility, corrosion resistance, and wind uplift testing. This advance mirrors input from recent edge failures during high-wind events and aligns with evolving code expectations².
📊 NRCA Index Signals Consistent Low‑Slope Activity
NRCA’s July 2025 Market Index shows stable customer interest in low-slope roofing, with a project contracts index at 50 and inquiries at 57.1³. About 34% of contractors reported increased material usage in Q2 compared to 2024, while 38% saw declines, highlighting regional variability in market momentum³.
🧰 Pro Tips for Contractors
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Integrate Weather Resilience: Start using wind and rain risk calculators that mirror CSA A123.26’s protocols to future-proof roof assemblies.
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Track ED‑1 Revisions: Plan for new edge-metal installation criteria, including securement spacing and corrosion thresholds.
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Monitor Market Activity: Use NRCA inquiry and contract index metrics to align purchasing and scheduling strategies regionally.
📚 Learning Topic: CSA A123.26 — Climate Resilience for Low‑Slope Roof Systems
Emerging from collaborative research, CSA A123.26 addresses climate-driven roofing design in several ways:
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Performance Zones: Assigns separate wind and rain criteria for field, perimeter edge, and corner zones, each designed to match localized worst-case weather exposure.
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Drain Sizing Protocols: Requires specific drainage capacity and layout per NBCC2 criteria or code-equivalent methodologies to prevent ponding.
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Moisture Control Best Practices: Calls for systematic infrared or core-cut surveys post-storms and when installing over wet decks.
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Design Team Accountability: Stresses shared responsibility among designers, manufacturers, and installers, emphasizing proper specification, workmanship, and inspection to avoid failure scenarios¹.
Why it Matters: By aligning low-slope systems with projected severe weather events, CSA A123.26 raises demand for materials and assemblies that can withstand wind, rain, and temperature extremes.
This briefing reflects data as of August 4, 2025, 05:00 MST. Expect coverage next week on code changes and evolving material innovations in low-slope roofing.
Sources:
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IIBEC, “Adaptation of Low‑Slope Roof Assemblies Against Projected Climate Severities: Evaluation of a New Standard,” July 24, 2025.
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SPRI press release, “SPRI Announces Plans to Revise Design Standard for Edge Systems,” March 2025.
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NRCA Market Index Survey Results, July 29, 2025.