Megan Keyes, Johns Manville

Christopher Ware hosts Megan Keyes, Preferred Accounts Leader for Roofing Systems at Johns Manville (a Berkshire Hathaway company), who shares insights from her 20+ year career in commercial roofing. Keyes explains how she entered the industry through recruiting and eventually transitioned into roofing leadership.

The conversation focuses on data center roofing as a critical market segment. Keyes emphasizes that data centers demand exceptionally robust roof assemblies because downtime costs exponentially and is intolerable. She notes that the industry faces supply chain challenges where traditional, repetitive roof designs cannot keep pace with demand, making alternative solutions important for maintaining project schedules. Since roofs must be installed before interior buildout can begin, delays directly impact liquidated damages and project viability.

Keyes introduces Johns Manville's QuickFoam adhesive technology, which replaces traditional fastening methods with an adhesive system that holds insulation, cover boards, and membranes together without penetrating concrete roof decks (common in data centers). QuickFoam sets quickly, maintains flexibility to absorb impacts from hail or foot traffic, and eliminates the need for ballasting while curing—significantly reducing labor hours and installation time.

The discussion shifts to severe weather resilience, particularly hail protection. Keyes advises against rigid plates on roof surfaces, recommending fleece-back membranes combined with QuickFoam, which qualify for guarantees covering larger hail impacts. She stresses the importance of designing roofs for regional weather conditions rather than applying one-size-fits-all solutions.

Regarding rooftop solar integration, Keyes emphasizes that manufacturers should be involved early in project planning. Solar installers are not roofing specialists and may inadvertently damage the roof through penetrations, fasteners, and foot traffic. Staging projects properly and protecting the roof surface during and after solar installation ensures long-term performance. Johns Manville has partnered with Unirac on Rooftop Roller technology to minimize solar system impact on roof surfaces throughout the guarantee term.

Keyes describes Johns Manville's Denver research and development facility, where the company tests products using hail cannons, wind tunnels, and simulated weather conditions to validate performance before third-party UL and FM testing. The R&D process is driven by customer feedback and industry challenges, such as addressing skilled labor shortages through factory-applied adhesives and wider membrane sheets that reduce seams and labor hours.

On diversity, Keyes notes that the establishment of National Women in Roofing reflects industry recognition of the need to encourage female participation. Six of her eight team members are women, many coming from contractor and general contractor roles. She emphasizes that opportunities exist across all levels—installation, general contracting, development management, and manufacturing—and that the industry is open and excited about female participation.

Looking ahead 5-10 years, Keyes predicts evolution in roofing materials and installation methods that maintain the 30-year performance standards roofs are built upon, rather than radical industry shifts. She cites the Pikes Peak project as a noteworthy case study due to its extreme altitude challenges.