Benjamin Obdyke Incorporated is a building materials manufacturer based in the Philadelphia suburb of Horsham, Pennsylvania

Horsham, Pennsylvania

Horsham is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 14,842 at the 2010 census. Horsham is located entirely within Horsham Township, and it is home to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove.In 2007, Horsham was named the 15th best...

. The company was started by its namesake, Benjamin P. Obdyke in 1868. Benjamin P. Obdyke is credited with creating and manufacturing the first corrugated downspout while the company itself claims patents on three products that have been integral in the advancement of building practices over the past 20 years: Roll Vent the first rolled ridge vent

Ridge vent

A ridge vent is a type of vent installed at the peak of a sloped roof which allows warm, humid air to escape a building's attic. Ridge vents are most common on shingled residential buildings.-External links:***** from HGTV* *****...

, Cedar Breather the first wood roofing underlayment, and Home Slicker the first rolled product to provide drainage and air flow in rainscreen

Rainscreen

A rainscreen is the exterior weather-facing surface of an exterior wall detail that stands off from the moisture-resistant surface of the structural backup wall. The rainscreen is the first interruption between conditions that exist on the outside of a walled building and conditions that are...

 wall assemblies. While the company’s origins are closely tied to the metal gutters and downspouts business, Benjamin Obdyke sold off that part of their business in the late nineties and now exclusively sells roof and wall products that help improve the building envelope

Building envelope

The building envelope is the physical separator between the interior and the exterior environments of a building. Another emerging term is "Building Enclosure". It serves as the outer shell to help maintain the indoor environment and facilitate its climate control...

, most of which feature the company’s patented matrix technology.

History

Benjamin Obdyke Incorporated was started in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1868 by Benjamin P. Obdyke after he returned from serving the Union Army in the American Civil War. Obdyke invented and patented the round corrugated downspout, beginning a long tradition of manufacturing innovative quality building products. The company and product line grew over the years to include a variety of rain carrying equipment, roof edging and trims. The manufacturing process included roll formers and various stamping dies. The products were manufactured from Galvanized steel, copper and later aluminum (both pre painted and mill finish). By 1997 the company was operating 26 roll formers in a 200,000 sq. ft. manufacturing and distribution facility located in Warminster

Warminster

Warminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36, and near Frome and Westbury. It has a population of about 17,000. The River Were runs through the town and can be seen running through the middle of the town park. The Minster Church of St Denys sits on the River Were...

, Pennsylvania. In 1988 BOI acquired the patent for a rolled ridge vent, which began a new era of innovative products such as Roll Vent, Rapid Ridge, Cedar Breather, and eventually Home Slicker.

In the late nineties the company was approached by another old line gutter manufacturer, Berger Brothers located in Feasterville, Pennsylvania with interest to acquire the metal manufacturing portion of the business. Based on the growth of the newer innovative products, the company decided to sell the metal business to Berger and did so in December 1997. Today, the company actively markets its ridge ventilation and moisture management products under the Benjamin Obdyke brand to professional contractors all over North America through their diverse network of wholesale distributors.