The NRCA Roofing Manual is the latest version of a long-standing series of NRCA publications that provide in-depth, best industry practices and technical information concerning the design, materials and installation of quality roof systems. Using the manual can help you better understand time-tested, successfully performing roof systems.
Background
NRCA published A Manual of Roofing Practice in 1970. This was NRCA's first reference guide developed by roofing contractors to address good roofing practices. The manual was revised in 1971, 1973 and 1976. In its original and revised editions, being consistent with this era in the North American roofing industry, A Manual of Roofing Practice primarily addressed only built-up membrane roof systems.
In 1981, the first edition of The NRCA Roofing and Waterproofing Manual was published. This edition contained best roofing practices information for built-up membrane and steep-slope roof systems and a limited number of construction details. At the time, polymer-modified bitumen and single-ply membrane roof systems were just beginning to gain acceptance in the North American roofing industry. NRCA did not yet consider these roof systems to have achieved NRCA's best practice threshold to be included in the manual.
In 1985, a reformatted, updated and expanded second edition of the manual was published. For the first time, the manual included information about polymer-modified bitumen and single-ply membrane roof systems.
In 1989, the manual's third edition was published. This edition contained updated and expanded information from the second edition.
In 1996, a greatly expanded, two-volume fourth edition of the manual was published and included new sections addressing metal panel and spray polyurethane foam (SPF) roof systems and The NRCA Energy Manual. The added information marked NRCA's acceptance of additional product choices in the North American roofing industry and recognition of roof assemblies' increasing roles in vapor control and thermal performance of buildings.
In 2001, The NRCA Roofing and Waterproofing Manual, Fifth Edition was published. This edition updated information and added sections addressing architectural metal flashings and reroofing considerations. In September 2003 and January 2006, interim updates to the fifth edition were published.
In 2007, NRCA initiated a new manual production process where one volume of the manual is updated and published annually. The NRCA Roofing Manual: Membrane Roof Systems was published in 2007 and updated in 2011 and 2015. The NRCA Roofing Manual: Metal Panel and SPF Roof Systems was published in 2008 and updated in 2012. The NRCA Roofing Manual: Steep-slope Roof Systems was published in 2009 and updated in 2013. The NRCA Roofing Manual: Architectural Metal Flashing, Condensation Control and Reroofing was published in 2010 and updated in 2014 as The NRCA Roofing Manual: Architectural Metal Flashing, Condensation and Air Leakage Control, and Reroofing.
In January 2016, an updated edition of The NRCA Roofing Manual: Metal Panel and SPF Roof Systems will be published.
Publication format
As the manual's content has developed and expanded throughout the years, so have the methods for the manual's delivery.
From its inception in 1970 up to the 2007 volume, the manual was published in a three-ring binder format. Beginning with the manual's fourth edition, the manual also was offered in a CD format. And in 2007, the manual was published in a hardcover bound printed format and CD format.
Beginning with this year's publication of The NRCA Roofing Manual: Membrane Roof Systems—2015, the primary means of manual delivery to NRCA members is electronic via NRCA's tablet and smartphone apps and NRCA's website, www.nrca.net. Individual employees of NRCA member companies can access their own electronic copies of the manual using their company's NRCA member ID and their own NRCA website registrations.
Hard copies of the manual are also available for purchase at shop.nrca.net.
Beginning in 2016, in addition to The NRCA Roofing Manual: Metal Panel and SPF Roof Systems—2016, NRCA will publish interim updates to the electronic versions of the manual. The electronic media delivery method allows NRCA to maintain the manual as an up-to-date reference for time-tested, successfully performing roof systems in a constantly changing roofing industry. The first interim updates to the 2014 and 2015 manuals are expected in January 2016.
Mark S. Graham is NRCA's vice president of technical services.
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