Primarily designed to protect the house and its occupants from the often harsh weather conditions, the roof is a very important part of any structure and for contemporary homes, the function of a roof may have advanced well beyond just receiving and deflecting all the potentially harmful weather conditions to making fashionable statement’s
A popular roofing sheet easily found on most city homes is concrete tiles. Increasingly becoming popular as days go because of its availability in several designs, it is perfectly fitted for different architecture either high or low profiles, plain or with sophisticated surface finishes that prevent dirt sediment and outstanding aesthetics; the concrete tile has obviously come to stay.
As concrete tiles continue to trend, archaic roofing sheets which has a serious weight problem, as well as unsafe, landfill-cluttering, energy-inefficient products like asphalt, metal, wood, clay, and concrete are evidently disappearing from most urban areas.
The change in climatic conditions could also be fingered as another pronounced reason why both manufacturers and homeowners are gradually tilting towards the latest innovation which have been tipped as energy efficient and eco-friendly.
However, the Gerard Roofing tiles which are coated with natural rock chips, volcanically formed and taken from quarries in New Zealand do not only add a rare beauty to every home but also boasts of the rare ability to recycle water because of its neatly baked surface.
Amongst the tiles selling points is its unique installation, unlike conventional roof tiles, the Gerard brand are overlapped and secured horizontally through the face with each tile not only fastened to the roof frame in four places but the four tiles surrounding it. This ensures that there is no wind uplift or rain penetration even in hurricane or earthquake conditions. In a nutshell, Gerard roofing tiles have been designed to withstand any extreme weather condition.
Its combined sacrificial corrosion protection of zinc with the barrier protection of Aluminium shown in tests to extend the life span of coated steel by as much as six to nine times against atmospheric corrosion when compared too ordinary galvanised steel products.
Gerard roofing tiles are also light weight with a square metre weighing merely seven kilogram which is approximately one seventh the weight of concrete and clay tiles hereby translating to considerable savings in the roofing sheets; transportation and breakage. Equally, its unique installation eliminates the cost of an underlay which is not required, with less time spent installing when compared to conventional tiles.
Its fire resistant ability also explains its edge over other roofing tiles by ensuring fire does not spread through hot embers. In the case of internal fire, its efficient interlocking prevents it from collapsing.
Adding to its several advantages, owners of a Gerard pressed steel roof home only requires to clean with an appropriate roof wash every three to five years, to help prevent the growth of algae, moss and lichen. A task that can be easily undertaken by a trained person.
The Asphalt Shingle is one of the most popular roof materials because its relatively cheaper when compared to other roofing sheets and requires minimum installation skills.
It basically comes in two basic configurations: the standard single-thickness variety and thicker, laminated products. The standard type costs roughly half as much, but laminated shingles have an appealing textured appearance and last roughly half as long.
Nigerite’s Solo and Adexx roofing sheets also speaks beauty to any house. Available in available in three standard colours of terracotta red,
brown and yellow, the sheets boasts of several unique features such as increased indoor comfort resulting from its good insulation capability against heat, reduction in rain noise, in comparison with alternative roofing material and strength against strong wind.
However, before deciding on which roofing sheet best suits your home, consider your roof surface. Not every roofing material can be used on every surface. A flat or sloppy surface will ideally demand a surface different from one with a steeper pitch. Materials like slates and tiles could be heavy for such structures.
In cases of renovation, the existing roof might to some extent determine what you should opt for. Should you consider to use something totally differently, you will have to consider the cost, colour, texture, weight, and durability of your alternative.
ODINAKA MBONU
