Jack Gottesman & Dyana Sweigart – Hail No: The Importance of Impact Ratings - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Jack Gottesman and Dyana Sweigart of IKO. You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast.

Intro: Welcome to Roofing Road Trips, the podcast that takes you on a thrilling journey across the world of roofing. From fascinating interviews with roofing experts to on-the-road adventures, we'll uncover the stories, innovations and challenges that shape the rooftops over our heads, so fasten your seat belts and join us as we embark on this exciting Roofing Road Trip. 

Hello and welcome to another Roofing Road trips from Roofer's Coffee Shop. My name is Heidi Ellsworth and we are on the road talking with our friends from IKO about something that is so important right now going into the spring and that is hail impact ratings. Man, I can't tell you how important that is across the board and we've got the experts here to talk about it, so Jack Gottesman, Diana, welcome to the show. 

Diana Swigert: Thank you for having us. This is so exciting. 

Jack Gottesman: I love it, Heidi. It's always good to be back together again with you. You keep inviting us back, which means that we haven't blown it yet, but give us- 

Diana Swigert: Oh, you guys are- 

Jack Gottesman: Give me another opportunity. I'm sure I'll disappoint you. 

Heidi Ellsworth: I'm telling you, you're the best. You are the best and we love these conversations as we all know, it's always so much fun, so let's start with some introductions. First of all, Diana, let's start with you. Can you introduce yourself and tell us what you do with IKO? 

Diana Swigert: Yeah, absolutely. So I'm Diana Swigert. I'm the marketing services manager for IKO, so I oversee all of the United States residential marketing. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Wow, that's awesome. And Jack Gottesman, you hardly even need an introduction, but can you introduce yourself and tell us what you do? 

Jack Gottesman: I think I'm a full-time road tripper, that's what it feels like. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah, yes. 

Jack Gottesman: But when I'm not road tripping with Heidi, I oversee IKO's ROOFPRO loyalty program and marketing for North America. 

Heidi Ellsworth: I love it. I love it. Okay, you two, the experts and Jack Gottesman, let's start with you, just what is hail impact ratings? What is it? 

Jack Gottesman: Sure. It's really, it's just that, it's an impact rating. It doesn't mean that the shingles are... It's not a hail rating, it's not a tree branch rating, it's an impact resistant rating that is tested through a third party. Though we do do a lot of this testing in-house also just to be prepared for what's going to happen at the third party, so there are two organizations that generally oversee. One is called FM, one is called UL and they are going to test based on the size of an impact, how much a shingle can or in this situation, a shingle, but how much a shingle or a product can withstand on the incoming. 

They are potentially helpful for homeowners to be able to qualify for a discount with their insurance company, so that's not a guarantee, it depends where you live, but you really almost need to be an attorney to talk about any of this because there are a ton of disclaimers. But what's exciting about it is that homeowners can potentially earn a discount with their insurance companies, but we'll almost certainly see that IR rating and have even just a little bit more peace of mind. 

Heidi Ellsworth: And you kind of started answering this for us, but Diana, I'd love you to take this just one step further on why should contractors and homeowners care about impact ratings? 

Diana Swigert: Yeah, exactly. I mean, I think that, as we all know, the weather's been getting more and more increasingly severe, hurricanes, hail, high winds, really all of the above, so it's just really critical, I think, for the longevity of your roof and for the peace of mind for homeowners to really have a shingle that can withstand Mother Nature's tests. So that's why it's so critical for us to have all of our laminate shingles be either a class three or class four impact resistance, have an impact resistance rating, which just speaks to our testament of a performance brand and just always having quality roofing products out in the marketplace. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah and really so contractors can bring these solutions to the homeowners to combat this severe weather. I've been- 

Jack Gottesman: Bet, bet. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah, go ahead, Jack Gottesman. 

Jack Gottesman: No, I entirely agree with Diana. When we take proven performance and performance has always been at the heart of everything that we do. But now, starting in 2025 and I think we made this news on this podcast, we've changed our tagline, our slogan, to proven performance, so it's always been at the heart of everything that we do, now it's the face of everything that we do. 

And between wind resistance and algae resistance, performance colors, we really believe that impact resistance is what we need to offer both homeowners and contractors to be able to hopefully maximize their protection. And like Diana said, we went ahead and did that. Now, starting in 2025, all of our shingles that are laminates have a class three or class four impact resistance rating. 

Heidi Ellsworth: So important. 

Diana Swigert: And just for anyone that is not familiar, class four is the highest rating that you can achieve, it's class one, class two, class three, class four. Yeah, class four is the highest you can achieve, so our Nordic line of shingles and some of our designer shingles have class four. And then now all of our Cambridge shingles and Dynasty shingles have a class three, which is very, very exciting. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah, that's so exciting. And to have that across all of your lines, that's really important. You know what, Jack Gottesman, I've been in this industry a long time and have seen all this, but I think for a lot of people out there they might not know how does it get rated? So can you share how these ratings are established and who tests them and how can that be backed up? 

Jack Gottesman: Sure. There are basically two organizations. One is called FM, one is called UL and they have different, very, really sophisticated ways of testing. But one of the tests is basically dropping a metal ball from a height onto the shingle and then you test what the results of that impact is, how it affects the asphalt, how it affects the granules and how it affects the shingle and the result of that is to see how the shingle is designed to withstand impact. And impact can really be anything, right? Like I said at the top, a lot of people have a tendency to call it hail-rated shingles. They're not hail-rated, they're impact resistance. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Right, I did that, sorry. 

Jack Gottesman: It's okay. That's okay. No worries. So we just want to be careful to call them impact-resistant shingles and so what they achieve based on whichever one of the many tests that are available and we're always innovating, we're always moving towards performance and that's something that we always want to be ready to do. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah, I agree. And to be able to have that third-party stamp of saying, "This is a class three." Or, "This is a class four." 

Jack Gottesman: Correct, yes. 

Heidi Ellsworth: And I've seen those balls, those big metal balls drop from way high, so it's not an easy test to pass. 

Jack Gottesman: Correct. Yes. There could be an asphalt bleed on that, which is definitely not what you want because that theoretically could impact the performance of the shingle. There is also an ice cannon test that is performed sometimes, so really whatever the test is, we want to design our shingles so that they can pass that third-party testing and then we can bring them into the marketplace to hopefully give our contractors just a tiny bit more peace of mind with all sorts of things flying out of the skies 

Heidi Ellsworth: For everywhere. Diana, I would love for you to kind of talk a little bit, I mean you already explained it, but what are some of the benefits of a class three and then a class four to the homeowners and what should the contractors be talking about around that, those benefits? 

Diana Swigert: Yeah, the biggest benefit is peace of mind for having a resilient roof. It's that some insurance policies do offer a discount on your home insurance policy if you do get an impact resistance rated shingle for your roof, so I think that's a huge benefit for homeowners. I think everyone's always looking to save a little bit of money, so I think that's a great opportunity. But yeah, also replacing a roof is a huge investment. It can be stressful, so I think that having a more resilient roof, shingles that are impact resistance rated, I think that just offers a better quality roof and something that will withstand increasingly severe weather that we've all been experiencing. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Jack Gottesman? 

Jack Gottesman: Yeah? 

Heidi Ellsworth: Because I was going to say, one of the things is, I mean, let's just talk about the inconvenience factor, right? Having to replace your roof and I think for years and years that did happen where a lot of homeowners were replacing their roofs after a hail storm, whereas now they can get the impact resistant shingles and really be more on the front of that. 

Jack Gottesman: Correct. There's a video that we have on our website of a contractor who was in Dallas, right? Hail area and he had to remove a roof that had withstood impact damage that was not very old at all. And he replaced it with an IKO Nordic roof, which carries a class four impact resistance rating. And like I was saying before, class four shingles are tested with a process that replicates the impact of really two inch hail. 

Giant hail is exceptionally dangerous, so there are no real tests for something bigger than two inches, right? We're talking the size of a softball or a grapefruit or something like that. But that is how class four is tested, so the homeowner really just had that peace of mind by being able to say, "Okay, if there was hail once, there's probably going to be hail again in this neighborhood. So if I have something that's tested, that is tested up to replicate that two inches of hail, all right, maybe I could feel a little bit better." 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah. When that hail starts coming down softball size, you just don't want to be in the way of that. 

Jack Gottesman: I wouldn't. 

Heidi Ellsworth: I wouldn't. No. 

Diana Swigert: No. Not really. 

Heidi Ellsworth: No, not at all. 

Diana Swigert: I think another thing too, I was just in Dallas last week with one of our ROOFPRO contractors and there was a hail storm that came through, he got a call from one of his customers, a homeowner that was concerned about damage. He got up there on the roof and found no damage, which was amazing because I believe it was IKO Nordic, which like Jack Gottesman said, does have a class four IR, but who did have damage is a couple of their neighbors who didn't have IKO roofs and probably didn't have either a class three or class four impact resistant shingle, so it is interesting reviewing the damage or lack thereof and that's potentially another huge benefit to homeowners. Like I said, if you only replace your roof maybe once, hopefully only once, but it's just a better product and like I said, more peace of mind at the end of the day. 

Heidi Ellsworth: And it makes total sense. Besides saving money on your homeowner's insurance, which I know is policy specific, you got to look into it, check with on your insurance carriers, but also just I am thinking about your story, Diana. That's so true. Where you have somebody and both sides now are going to be re-roofing, but you're not. Right? 

Diana Swigert: Exactly. 

Heidi Ellsworth: You don't have to have all that disruption in your yard, disruption above you, it makes sense and I think homeowners are tired of that disruption come after every storm. 

Diana Swigert: Yeah and I mean, again, in no way is it a guarantee. There's no guarantee that we can make to prevent any damage, but if there's something we can do like getting these impact resistance ratings on our shingles, I think, that's just better for everybody involved. 

Jack Gottesman: Yeah, I bet you you're going to ask the next question. I know you so well, I can anticipate the next question, just go ahead. 

Heidi Ellsworth: I love it. Okay, go for it. I'm ready. Let's see if it's going to be what I was going to ask. 

Jack Gottesman: Just for that peace of mind for homeowners, right? 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yes. 

Jack Gottesman: For the contractor to be able to explain to them, "Okay, if you want a class three shingle, for the UL testing that's going to be 1.75 inches in diameter for that steel ball test or an ice ball, an ice cannon that's shot at one at the same amount. And for class four, that's going to be two inches." Just for that homeowner to be able to hear that from their contractor, to get that explanation, to know that they are working towards that protection is peace of mind that we feel that it is our job to give both them and the contractor because the contractor doesn't want to get that call again either. 

Heidi Ellsworth: No, because they're partners. As you guys, all the time, give the contractors everything they need to have really happy homeowners. And one of the things... So Jack Gottesman, that was the question, but now I have another one for you. Because you said it earlier, about all the different things that you're putting into your shingles when it comes to performance. I think sometimes people think, "Well, I can either get an impact-resistant shingle or I can get something that's going to work, other performance elements." But really it's everything, right? It's the color, it's the ease of use. You guys only are adding all these great things. Can you talk a little bit about that? 

Jack Gottesman: Absolutely, Heidi. When it comes to our Dynasty and Nordic shingles, we are continuously innovating. They all come in a variety of enhanced colors that look amazing on the roof. They carry a wind resistance rating of up to 130 miles an hour. Yeah, because of that armor, right? The wide nailing zone on the face, what we call ArmourZone, that's reinforced by the band in the back to help protect against everything from nail penetration to wind uplift. And now the impact rating with class three on Dynasty, class four on Nordic, there's something going on every inch of this shingle, there's a story to tell about the performance that we are putting into this for both to give peace of mind to our ROOFPRO contractors and the homeowners that are going to be buying from them, that end user. 

Heidi Ellsworth: And it really, I mean, as a contractor and as a homeowner, you shouldn't be thinking it's an either or situation, you should be looking for all of this. 

Jack Gottesman: Correct. Yes. Yes. A homeowner should not need to compromise. A roof is expensive, it's something that they're probably only going to need to do once or twice in their life. If we're being very honest, it is potentially something that they don't want to be doing right now. Right? A project that they have to be doing, so maximizing their protection is the smart way to go. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah and putting all that together. Diana, you guys have had some great launches over the last couple years. I mean, you're just doing your colors, you're so well known for your colors. Just talk a little bit about that across all of your brands and really bringing this performance but beauty together. 

Diana Swigert: Yeah, Heidi. I mean, we have amazing color blends and I think I've heard from a couple of people in the marketplace that we have some of the best color blends on the market, which is fantastic. We've always been trying to kind of promote the exterior aesthetic of a home because that's so critical for homeowners. And I think that we do, we have such a great color offering and something that is special to IKO is that we have these color videos. If you go on our YouTube playlist, we have playlists for each and every one of our color blends and it shows, it's about a 30-second clip and it shows every single color blend that we have on a shingle in different views, different angles, different times of day and kind of how we got to those shingle color selections. 

It's awesome. I mean, we've been promoting those for about over a year now and it's really cool to see the views go up and we can kind of see what the most popular colors are, so it's something that we're always really happy to offer to our customers and then for them to offer to homeowners too, just to make sure that they're making the right choice for their shingle color on the roof. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah. Well and Jack Gottesman, curb appeal and performance have been the mantra forever and ever. And now the thing I love is this thought about being able to really for a homeowner or a contractor to work with their homeowners to go in and say, "These are the colors. This is what the curb appeal's going to do. Okay, now, yeah and here's the performance of impact resistance, high wind warranties, all of the other things." So, Jack Gottesman, kind of talk about how you're seeing that. 

Jack Gottesman: Yeah, that's exactly right. And that's the message that we want to send out, so all those color videos that Diana mentioned a moment ago, if you've had a look at those, you'll be able to see, in just 30 seconds, it really paints a full picture and tells an entire story. It's going to show what the shingles look like on a real roof. It's going to have a stamp for what impact resistance rating at whatever particular shingle you're looking at carries. It is also going to show how the colors were inspired, where through nature they were inspired, which is amazing, right?. And it is also going to show the ArmourZone and wind resistance rating as well. 

So, it all goes together exactly like you're saying. We don't want to have a situation where people feel that they need to choose between beauty or performance. If you come to EKO, you come to our brand new website, that's the message that we want homeowners to be able to take away, that these shingles are, there's beauty, you can see quality, you can feel, performance you can trust and then you can take that to click the link, hire a pro contractor and get yourself a new roof, quick. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah, I love it. So for the contractors out there, I kind of want to send home some of your advice and Jack Gottesman, I'm going to start with you. Some of your advice as contractors are having discussions about how impact products with their homeowners, what are some of the things the contractors should be talking about and how can they really help their homeowners to make that leap to get that better product? 

Jack Gottesman: Yeah, that's a great question. First of all, we're kind of removing that aspect out of it by giving the impact resistance even onto our Cambridge line, our introductory laminate, our message to the marketplace is that, "You never need a compromise on performance." If you want to go with the introductory laminate for whatever reason and Cambridge is a great product, there are a 1,000,001 reasons to pick Cambridge, our introductory laminate, then no problem, when it comes to impact rating, you're not going to be compromising on performance. We're still going to offer that class three impact resistance rating, which like we said before, the shingles were able to withstand a steel ball's impact without cracking up to 1.75 inches in diameter or the ice cannon if you want to go with the FM test. 

So, hopefully that's not a choice that people are going to need to make. There is a stair step between our introductory laminates and some of our more performance driven features, but we've taken impact resistance out of the question and we feel that that's something that's really should be a basic need and if the competing shingles are not offering that, it's really incumbent on both the roofer and the homeowner to ask why. Why doesn't it offer that and why would we give that up? 

Heidi Ellsworth: Right. When it comes as part of it, which is so great, it is as part of the shingles that are out there and through the IKO line, that's awesome. But to continue that, sometimes they do come against competitors and they're like, "Well, we don't need that. We're okay getting our roof." But to really be able to put into the hands of the contractor, be able to talk about not only home insurance potential savings, but just that inconvenience. I'm sorry, I know we already talked about it, but man, to me that just makes so much sense. 

Jack Gottesman: Yeah, you want to hedge, right? I mean, if you're getting a new roof, it is possible that that decision was inspired by a weather event, it's possible if not likely, though, some roofs are just old and you're just ready and some people want to do it for curb appeal. Diana is going to be able to finish my sentence here in a second. But the conversation that is worthwhile to have, "Okay, if you're putting this roof up and you expect it to last for a while moving forward, the trends that we have seen are only so predictive about what can be, do you want to bet that the weather's going to get better and less intense or do you want to bet that the weather is going to get worse and more intense? And how are you going to protect yourself on that bet?" Would you answer that any differently, Diana? 

Diana Swigert: No, I mean, I think that's a great way to put it. And I think it depends on what part of the country you live it, too. Obviously, some parts of the country are more susceptible to severe weather events, but I think no matter where you live, it just gives the homeowner peace of mind to have, no matter what shingle they choose, whether it be Cambridge, Dynasty, Nordic or any one of our designer shingles, they can be rest assured that the shingles are going to protect them, protect their home, protect everything inside their home and just perform the way that they're supposed to, which is ultimately our goal at the end of the day. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah and Diana, I know we kind of talked about with impact resistance, just so people know out there, you said it earlier, impact resistance is not just hail, it is tree branches, it's flying debris and wind storms, there's a lot of different things that can make a difference no matter where you're at. 

Jack Gottesman: There is something called masting. Have you ever heard of that? 

Heidi Ellsworth: Hm-mm? 

Jack Gottesman: Okay. I hadn't heard of it either until I thought that the country had gone to war, I was sleeping and this phenomenon where acorn type of things fall off of a certain type of tree, it only happens every couple of years, so it doesn't happen every year, so it'll kind of surprise you. It happens in the fall and certainly what feels like millions and millions of acorns falling down- 

Heidi Ellsworth: Oh my gosh. 

Jack Gottesman: ... onto your roof. I don't know how big they were or how big they can be. This is not to say that they would necessarily fit within the classifications of a class three or class four impact rated shingle, but the point is that the conversation does go well beyond hail. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, being from the Pacific Northwest, we know tree branches, everything else. Yeah. 

Jack Gottesman: Oh, boy. Oh, boy. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Even some pine cones are pretty, coming down on top of that roof. I know. 

Jack Gottesman: I'll tell you also, with pine cones and acorns, if you're walking barefoot in the backyard, you don't see them, that could be a class three or class four risk of spraining your ankle. 

Heidi Ellsworth: That's so true. All the time. It happened to me this morning when I was walking out to the car. Okay. And Jack Gottesman, at the very beginning, you mentioned and Diana, you have done so much on your contractor loyalty program. Let's talk just a little bit about how contractors, if they're not already, can become IKO contractors and really get their hands on these great products, performance, beautiful products, but also be part of one of the leading contractor programs that's out there. 

Jack Gottesman: Absolutely. I always like to joke, "We're IKO, not Geico, but you can get signed up for ROOFPRO in under 15 minutes." And having the IKO suite as the primary offering that you make, with all of our shingles being impact rated, right? The conversation that you have with homeowners is going to be a lot easier. Impact resistant shingles, they meet building codes because some local building codes may require someone to install impact rated shingles, especially in places where hail is more common. By working with IKO, if you're a ROOFPRO, you're going to have that at your fingertips, that's going to be what you're installing anyways. 

We mentioned insurance, potential insurance discounts before, there was a report, at one point, from NBC News that said, in some areas, it can even go up to 35% of your home insurance premiums, that could be discounted. Better durability, especially our Nordic shingles come with SPS polymer modified asphalt, so it's just a kind of rubbery, to give homeowners that peace of mind and just knowing that the shingles were designed with performance in mind. 

So, why become a ROOFPRO? For about a million reasons, from the money that you get back and with our rebated marketing dollars to the partner programs that we have, all the live events but if nothing else, if you really put all of that aside, if you say, "I don't need any of the frills or the money." For some reason, just the privilege and benefit of being a IKO shingle installer, we have designed that to be able to carry ROOFPROs a very long way. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah. Diana, you're nodding. You're seeing contractors every day in it, right? 

Diana Swigert: Yeah, that's a great answer. And another thing I think just because it's top of mind, but again, I was in the Dallas-Fort Worth area last week and it's becoming increasingly popular for the fortified roof installation method. And so only if you're a ROOFPRO, can you install our Codeplus, which is the fortified roofing system. It's only for ROOFPROs, it just lends that credibility, there is some light training that they need to take to ensure that they're installing it up to code and the specifications. But again, if you live in an area that really does see severe weather, hail, winds, storms, it just makes perfect sense just to be a fortified contractor installer and use our Codeplus roofing system, too. 

Heidi Ellsworth: I love it. I love it. You two are amazing. What a great team. 

Jack Gottesman: We are a great team, but we're better when we're with you, Heidi. 

Diana Swigert: Yeah, we love being with you. We love you guys. 

Heidi Ellsworth: That's how I feel, too. I love doing these Roofing Road Trips with you and I mean, it's so fun because it's such a great product, on so many different levels and you are so great with your contractors, so I just want to say to both of you, thank you so much. Thank you for sharing this information and for really putting the products out there that are true roofing respect. 

Jack Gottesman: We're going to keep performing for you and we are going to continue to take feedback and listen to what new innovations the roofers out there and Roofers Coffee Shop people, who are coming to us via your direction, to learn more about us. We hope that they become ROOFPROs and we'll continue to hear from them what they're looking for in the space. The world said they wanted impact resistant shingles, so we have over the last couple of years really delivered on that, we're proud. 

Heidi Ellsworth: I love it. I love it. Diana? 

Diana Swigert: I think one more thing too is that we have really evolved. We've been in the industry for over 70 years. We really have evolved our products and like Jack Gottesman said, performance is really at the heart of everything that we do, so I would encourage any contractors that if they haven't tried our products yet, to give Cambridge, Dynasty, Nordic a try and see how it performs and I am willing to bet that you won't be disappointed. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah, no and you can find it everywhere. And if you're curious, you can find all the information about IKO on the IKO directory, on Roofer's Coffee Shop. You can also find IKO on Ask a Roofer, so as you're looking out there on Ask a Roofer and asking these questions about impact resistance and about colors and about everything else, it's all right there on Ask a Roofer, one of our premier sponsors. Thank you guys so much and bringing such great information to the homeowners. 

Diana Swigert: Absolutely. 

Jack Gottesman: I got one last thing to say. Read, listen and watch. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yes. 

Jack Gottesman: You have to, you have to, everybody. Go to rooferscoffeeshop.com, read, listen and watch. There are so many different things, podcasts, videos, books, pictures, ways for you to educate yourselves. The more I have found that the more people educate themselves on this industry, the better prepared they are to run their businesses and Roofer's Coffee Shop really just gives the tools, so thank you, Heidi, for everything that you do and it was fun being with you. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Wow, Jack Gottesman, thank you. I appreciate it. And Diana, thank you so much. 

Diana Swigert: No, thank you. This was so much fun. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Thank you. And thank you everyone for listening and being a part of this Roofing Road trip. Please go to the IKO directory. You're going to find such great information. And really those videos, those color videos, outstanding, no one else does anything like it, so check it out. 

Love these guys. We will be back again. Be sure to check out all of our podcasts under the read, listen, watch, thank you, Jack Gottesman, section of the site and be sure to subscribe and set those notifications so you don't miss a single episode. We'll be seeing you- 

Jack Gottesman: I wouldn't dare. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Don't miss one, Jack Gottesman,- Jack Gottesman: 

I wouldn't dare. 

Outro: ... Diana. No way. We'll be seeing you all again next time on Roofing Road Trips. 

If you've enjoyed the ride, don't forget to hit that subscribe button and join us on every roofing adventure. Make sure to visit rooferscoffeeshop.com to learn more. Thanks for tuning in and we'll catch you on the next Roofing Road trip.