Select a Roof with Fire Resistance

by Kathy Ziprik, Staff Writer

Drought conditions are spreading to many states. So, what's that got to do with your building practices? Everything.

When it comes to the roofing product you select for your homes, these days it's a smart move to research and consider roofing that resists flame spread. While real cedar shakes may go up like dried kindling in some areas, many other roofing types aren't much better.

Don't think it will never happen to a home you're building. All it takes is a dropped cigarette and some wind... or a fast lightning strike... and an ember could reach a roof. From there, flames can spread quickly. That's why it's important to research options for flame-resistant roofing. When you do that research, you'll discover that synthetic slate and shake shingles top the list of Class A Fire Rated roofing options.

Choosing an "A" rated roofing product that's installed with the proper underlayments can make all the difference when it comes to flame spread. Composite roofing products, like those from DaVinci Roofscapes, meet the Class A Fire Rating requirements in the ASTME E 108 fire test, and they also meet the following criteria:

• Intermittent Flame - an assembly of tiles is subjected to an intense flame with a strong air current for two minutes, then turned off for two minutes. This procedure is repeated 15 times. After the final flame cycle the air current is continued and the assembly observed for an additional hour to look for failure.
• Spread of Flame - flame and air current are applied for 10 consecutive minutes and then observed until the flame deck recedes. Once the flame deck recedes, the assembly is checked for maximum spread of flame.
• Burning Brand - a burning brand is placed on an assembly of roofing tiles with a high volume of wind behind it. The decking of the assembly is constantly monitored for 90 minutes to see if any fire burns through. If fire burns through the roof deck anytime during the 90 minute trial, the tiles fail.

Choosing to install synthetic slate or shake tiles on your projects is smart for more than just their resistance to flame spread. All DaVinci roofing products:

- are Class 4 impact rated

- have the highest ratings for straight line wind testing at 110 mph

- passed the TAS-125 certification test for wind uplift resistance in High Velocity Hurricane Zones

- passed the TAS-100 certification test for wind driven rain

Before you select your next roof, play it safe—for you and your clients. Research flame-resistant polymer roofing that has a host of other benefits and invest in a home-saving roof!