Hurricane-Resistant Roof Tiles

Project: Storm-Ready Design, Episode 3, Part 3



This episode of Bob Vila will focus on roofs, how they are built and tied down to keep structures safe. Leslie Chapman-Henderson from FLASH, the Federal Alliance for Safe Housing, explains how FLASH brings information about safe housing technologies and practices to homes across America, to protect them against floods, winds, hail, and wildfires. Chapman-Henderson explains how a connected house works as a system to beat back the pushing and pulling forces of wind. Randy Shackelford of Simpson Strong-Tie shows Bob the embedded truss anchors that will tie down each truss member of the roof framing, as well as retrofit tie-downs and heavy connectors designed to fight wind uplift forces. Jesse Gonzalez walks Bob through the steel-framed interior that has a master suite and bath, and lots of open space. Bart Cox of Hanson Roof Tiles brings factory-extruded cement clay-look tiles that are pre-drilled for mechanical installation. Dave Peck of D. Peck Roofing explains that stiffer 5/8-inch plywood sheathing, 30 pound felt that is nailed, hot mopped with asphalt, and covered with 90 pound felt makes a strong, water-resistant roof deck for the tiles. Metal nailer boards keep cap tiles in place when wind strikes.
Part 1: Reviewing the Work Involved in Building a Hurricane-Resistant Home
Part 2: Inspecting the Steel Reinforcements Before the Concrete Pour
Part 3: Hurricane-Resistant Roof Tiles
Bart Cox of Hanson Roof Tile and Dave Peck of D. Peck Roofing explain the roof covering system to Bob as they tour the Punta Gorda storm-ready site. Cox explains how Hanson Roof Tile has improved their design and now manufactures extruded cement barrel tiles at four plants in Florida. The tiles are made of cement, sand, and pigment, and are extruded, cut, and pre-drilled for fasteners at the factory. Cox explains that tiles were once laid directly on top of the roof paper with no fastener or adhesive. In Florida, high winds later forced roofers to apply cement adhesive to the tiles. When fabrication shifted to a less-permeable cement product, the tiles no longer adhered to the cement. Now they are mechanically fastened into the roof decking through the pre-drilled holes. Dave Peck, who has been roofing for the past 15 years, explains a system that has evolved over the years in response to hurricanes, water, and wind damage. Their crews now mechanically attach the 30 pound felt paper, then hot mop each course of 90 pound roll roofing with asphalt and nail it in place along the upper edge of each course. At the final point of susceptibility, the hip or ridge line, the roofers now use a metal hip and ridge nailer board. The cap tiles are nailed to the board with additional foam adhesive underneath to keep them in place. Experience has taught the roofers that hip and ridge tiles must be firmly affixed to prevent blow-off and damge to field tiles and other property.

MOST POPULAR CLIPS

OUTDOOR PROJECTS

HOUSE & GARDEN TOURS