Page 55 - Green Builder Magazine Spring 2018 Awards Issue
P. 55
Roof Tile: Lighter Options
ILE ROOFS ARE BLESSED with a seemingly eternal
longevity. Under the right circumstances, the natural stone,
clay and concrete varieties can last for 50 to 100 years –
T possibly longer.
That pretty much means there won’t be much technology focused
on making the materials last longer. Instead, the emphasis has
been on making tiles that are lighter in weight but still durable to
occurrences such as seasonal elements, storm-induced damage and
even common roof repairs.
CREDIT: OWENS CORNING
Hot topic. Solar-reflective tile can lower roof temperatures by up to 50
degrees, saving on environmental control costs. CREDIT: BORAL USA
Asphalt: Getting Greener Strong as stone. Lightweight clay tiles look just like the traditional heavy
variety, without the three-quarter-ton per square bulk. They’re also a
T’S NOT THE OLDEST ROOFING PRODUCT and it’s certainly great insulator.
not the most exciting item out there. But asphalt shingles— Slate, the longest-lasting and most elegant of roong materials,
a.k.a. composition shingles—are denitely the most popular. carries a big price tag—around $20 per square foot, about twice
I They are the least expensive, the easiest and fastest to install. as expensive as wood shake and four times higher priced than
The newer fiberglass asphalt shingles also have a top flame asphalt shingles. It poses an even heavier burden on a home’s
spread rating (Class A) and good durability (up to 30 years in structural integrity, weighing in at about 1,500 pounds per square.
proper weather conditions). They come in a wide variety of colors, Clay shingles are just about as expensive and heavy, depending on
layers and styles in an eort to make them as close as possible in the exact formulation. Concrete carries the same price but is only
appearance to their slate and wood counterparts. Some lines even half as heavy.
include limited lifetime warranties. GAF’s roong tiles are good The industry has developed alternatives. Boral Roong’s line of
examples of all these points. lightweight tiles look like their heavier cousins, but weigh about
More than 79 million tons of asphalt materials, including shingles, one-third as much, making them
were recycled in 2017, up from 76 million in 2016, according to the suitable for reroofing projects. “Compared to
National Asphalt Pavement Association. But, markets for recycled There are also stone-coated steel
product are still limited. tiles, such as Decra Roofing standard-weight
They’re also somewhat limited in their performance in hurricane- System’s lineup, which are similar
prone regions. Studies have found that after as little as 8 years, in strength and durability—but at tile, the lightweight
composition-shingled roofs begin to fail in extreme winds. only a fraction the weight of clay. variety can help
On a positive note, composition shingles are increasingly available Lighter weights have a design
with reective surfacing. In this case, the shingle is coated with benet as well. Products such as contractors cut
granules that provide better solar reflectance and lower heat Monier’s lightweight slate line
absorbance. Roof temperature, which can hit 150 degrees during enable far lower roof pitch than the constructions costs
summer, can drop by up to 50 degrees. Malarkey Roong’s Ecoasis on average. Appearance is another by at least 25
real thing – about 5 percent less
product takes this path.
The more eye-appealing (and expensive) architectural style, or plus. Lightweight tiles now look as percent, through
dimension shingle, has more staying power. This thicker tile is rated good as their heavier brethren, to
for up to 130 mph wind uplift and carries a lifespan of up to 40 where it’s hard to tell the dierence. easier installations,
years. Unlike the more basic 3-tab variety, architectural shingles are The combined roong construction
installed in staggered fashion, giving a three-dimensional look that elements can give a homebuilder or labor savings and
resembles slate or shake shingles. CertainTeed oers several good remodeler enhanced architectural shipping costs.”
examples of these. freedom.
www.greenbuildermedia.com Special Awards Issue 2018 GREEN BUILDER 53
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