Just when I thought I'd covered the topic of roofing materials quite thoroughly (July 25 column), I received an email from Jeff Barnard, an insightful man who mostly agreed with my thumbs-down assessment of metal roofing, but felt further coverage of the most up-to-date roofing materials would benefit readers.
Barnard is the branch manager and regional sales manager for Western Canada for SPAR-Marathon Roofing Supplies in Winnipeg.
When I met with him in his showroom on Keenleyside Street I was impressed by the array of shingles and related supplies on display, as well as Barnard's 30-plus years of knowledge of the roofing business.
One product he showed me is an updated form of roll roofing that does not require an application of messy glue to hold in place. Manufactured by the Henry Company in Scarborough, Ont., Lo-Slope roof-in-a-roll is self-adhering, granulated polymer membrane available as a one-or-two-ply product, with 15-and 20-year warranties respectively, if applied strictly according to directions. "Though this form of roll roofing is more expensive, its life expectancy is twice that of cement-applied asphalt sheet material and has a warranty that shingle manufacturers will not provide on roofs with slopes less than three in 12," said Barnard.
He added that organic or felt-core three-tab shingles have not been manufactured in Canada for five years and that fibreglass three-tabs are being phased out by one Canadian manufacturer. "Laminates are the dominant product sold because they look better, are much easier to install because there are no cut outs to align and they are effective in hiding small irregularities on a roof deck," said Barnard, adding that almost every shingle manufacturer has been subject to a classaction lawsuit due to premature failure of their organic felt-based product.
In my column I mentioned that IKO and BP have had problems with their fibreglass laminates being removed by wind shear, which is true. However, Barnard said that if IKO and BP shingles were installed according to instructions, they would be covered under their warranties. "Unfortunately, installation procedures are rarely followed to the letter, thus many unhappy homeowners," said Barnard.
One common error is to install shingles on cool fall or spring days when there is insufficient heat to activate the sealing strip that holds the exposed face of the shingle to the underlying one. In this case, dust and other airborne materials are blown between the shingle and the sealing strip, preventing a proper seal. The result is strong winds can lift and tear off single shingles or, in extreme cases, entire sections of improperly sealed roofing.
Another frequent mistake is to nail directly into the sealing strip, causing poor adhesion with results similar to the above example. Failure to use the correct number of nails can also cause premature shingle breakdown and void a warranty.
Laminates manufactured by Certain Teed, the preferred shingle of many pro roofers in Manitoba, according to Barnard, include a safe nailing zone delineated by parallel white lines spaced about 2.5 centimetres apart.
"Owens-Corning and GAF have also made an impact in this province. Almost every manufacturer has taken the warranty years' component out of their laminate offering, instead introducing a limited lifetime warranty," said Barnard.
Cedar shingles and shakes, which I branded in my column as products for the wealthy only, were also displayed in the SPAR-Marathon showroom. Barnard said these beautiful roofing materials have recently dropped in price and returned to vogue after a con artist besmirched their name in Winnipeg with an unreliable alternative. The so-called "pine shake scam" soured Winnipeggers on the reliability of wood roofs for many years. The victims were unaware pine decays rapidly in outdoor settings, unless pressure-treated with amine copper quat or a similar preservative used for decks, which the pine in question was not.
Western red cedar is ideal for shingles and shakes because the wood contains oils that act as natural preservatives.
"A number 1 grade Certi-Split blue label shake will last 50 years with little or no maintenance," said Barnard, adding consumers should be aware a blue label on a bundle of shakes or shingles does not necessarily mean they are top grade.
"Some manufacturers will put a blue coloured label on their products to suggest their shingles and shakes are of premium quality. Do not be fooled by this. Read the label carefully to ascertain the true quality. We recommend buying Certi-Label products manufactured by members of the Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau, a 100-year-old association of producers who guarantee the grading and quality of their shakes and shingles," he said.
Compared to laminates at about $120 per square, cedar shakes are more than 2.5 times more expensive, before installation. However, the grandeur of a shake roof is incomparable and its curb appeal should raise the selling price of any home, offsetting to some extent the higher product and installation costs.
Those who appreciate the Mediterranean look of slate or clay tiled roofs will be interested in Metstar products also displayed and sold by SPAR-Marathon. The stone-coated metal roofing is difficult to differentiate from real slate or clay and is available in three systems allowing installation over batten stripping, old shingles or directly to the deck.
davidsquare81@yahoo.com
