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Composition shingles are the workhorses of the new home industry. They are lightweight, inexpensive and last for 10 or 15 years. However, in high-wind country, composition shingles might not last that long. Thirty- or 40-year shingles are heavier and withstand winds more effectively.
Cement or clay tiles are popular in higher-end homes for aesthetic and safety reasons. Cement or clay tiles last for 50-plus years and provide safe cover, resisting winds and fire effectively. After the Oakland, Calif., fire in 1991 homes with cement tiles were standing after the cedar shake roofed houses had burned to the ground. Only a few manufacturers’ tiles pass the UL hail test, however.
Cement and clay tiles come in ever-increasing styles and configurations. The downside is that they require greater structure to support the increased weight and are labor-intensive to install.
Metal roofing — anodized aluminum-galvanized steel, powder-coated steel and other variants — creates architectural forms and style unlike those created by any other material. It is durable, fire-resistant and repels snow. Some aluminum roofing is not suitable for hail-prone climates. Slate used to be thought of as the permanent roofing material. But during the last decade acid rain has eaten the surface of slate roofs in the eastern United States. In some cases the slate becomes almost paper-thin before it shatters in a high wind or hailstorm.
The roof is a great place to put recycled material. Old tires, “’57 Chevys,” computer cases and rubber hoses can be found in new roofing materials. Each year new products appear on the market that incorporate recycled material and offer improved durability.
Insurance Incentives
It might pay for builders and their home buyers to try alternate disaster-resistant roofing materials. In 1995 State Farm Insurance started a public relations campaign — accompanied by insurance premium discounts — to eliminate cedar roofing as a way to reduce fire risk and the number of fire damage claims. Simply switching from cedar to another roofing material reduced homeowner premiums by 20% in some states. Ron Bacon of State Farm cites a Texas Department of Insurance regulation as an example of the direction the insurance industry is moving.
“They mandate that insurance companies in Texas give incentives for impact-resistant roofing products that meet the UL 2218 test,” Bacon says. “Those products weathered hail while homes around them were destroyed. Because the roofing materials pass the test, we know we save money.”
Eighteen states and one Canadian province offer such discounts. The amounts vary from 5% to 30% depending on the loss history of the area. A Dallas homeowner can save $3,000 per year, a three- to five-year payback on a $500,000 house with a class 4 roof.
Looking beyond just the material, the Institute for Business & Home Safety recommends that sheathing be nailed to withstand wind. The IBHS recommends 5/8-inch plywood, not OSB, nailed with #8 ring-shank nails 4 inches on center around the perimeter of the sheathing and 6 inches o.c. on the interior, says Al Hartley, chief engineer for the IBHS’ Fortified Home project in Florida. He also recommends taping the sheathing with bitumen tape in case the felt blows away. Felt paper should be 30-pound rather than typical 15-pound. Rafters also need hurricane strapping to keep them fixed to the walls in high winds.
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