Sustainability sells, spray foam delivers

By Dani Sheehan.

Break into spray foam roofing with comprehensive training, tech support and product guidance from General Coatings.

If you’ve seen the dazzling, dome-shaped marvel lighting up the Las Vegas skyline, then you’ve seen what’s possible when innovative construction materials meet exquisite design. While its exterior is a canvas for LED lights, its structure is a long-lasting, energy-efficient example of spray polyurethane foam (SPF) roofing.

During a live soundstage interview at the 2025 IIBEC International Convention and Trade Show, Will Lorenz, president of General Coatings Manufacturing Corp, shared how projects like those in Las Vegas, Nevada, are helping reposition spray foam as more than just a re-roofing solution. It’s a serious contender in new construction and other sectors – and a smart opportunity for roofing contractors ready to expand their skill set.

“A lot of people think [spray foam] is just a re-roofing product – it does very well for that – but you can use it like we did with the Las Vegas entertainment center,” Will explained.  

The Las Vegas project may be flashy, but the real story lies in the growing demand for energy-efficient, sustainable and long-lasting building envelope systems – and spray foam performs in all of these areas. With its seamless application, high R-value and renewable surface, SPF is finding its place in several applications. “The growth of spray foam insulation into homes and buildings has allowed the conversation to expand back into roofs, slab jacking and other agricultural opportunities,” Will shared. “Now they’re seeing the advantages of foam and are very interested in it as a solution.”

“People are going, ‘We want a roof that’s sustainable,’” Will continued. “With foam, you can recoat over it and extend the life of the roof – you can get another 20 years on a 20-year roof and turn it into a 40-year system.” That’s a huge value proposition for building owners, but also for contractors – you can create lasting relationships and return to the same system for maintenance, recoats and warranty work over an extended period of time.

A profitable path for roofers

Will acknowledged that spray foam may seem like a departure from traditional roofing techniques but emphasized that the learning curve is manageable. “It’s kind of twofold,” he said. “You have to have good roofing knowledge – know your decks, structures, HVAC systems and drains. But the spray foam part of it? You just need to understand how the materials mix and apply them correctly in the field.”

General Coatings offers in-house training in California and Texas, as well as on-site instruction at customer locations. They also actively support industry training through the Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA) and its Professional Certification Program (PCP).

“The success of a roof is not only materials and design, but the people behind it who are putting it all together,” Will believes. “If we don’t provide the right education and hands-on learning, then there’s an openness for mistakes. And everyone wonders: was it the system or the people?”

SPF represents a practical, profitable path if you’re looking to build new skills. With growing interest from architects, consultants and building owners – and strong manufacturer support – you don’t have to go it alone.