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We're building our Project House in Dallas, Texas, right in the heart of "tornado alley". Severe thunderstorms, hail and violent winds (including the occasional tornado) are common in the early Spring.

We wanted a roof that could give us the classic look of red clay tile to match our stucco exterior and complete the Mediterranean look of the Project House. We also wanted a roof that could withstand the most severe weather that the Texas climate could conjure up.

For those reasons, we installed a stone-coated steel roof from Gerard. The tiles of this roof weigh only 1.4 pounds per square foot, but they'll withstand hits from golf ball and tennis ball size hail, and winds up to 125 miles per hour.

The steel that is used in these tiles is 26-gauge, coated with Zincualume corrosion inhibitors, epoxy primers and other protective layers to provide a tile that will not crack, break or curl. Then a thick coating of ceramically-fired earth-stone granules are applied, to add beauty and resist the harmful effects of sun, wind, rain, snow, and of course, hail.

The granules give the roof its distinctive texture and rich color, and because of their special coating, they can block out corrosive and destructive ultraviolet rays. Our stone-coated steel roof weighs about one-eighth as much as a concrete or clay tile roof. This becomes a significant factor in earthquake-prone areas, where heavy roofs can create structural problems and increase the likelihood of personal injury in case the structure fails. The Gerard stone-coated steel roof weighs about 1.4 pounds per square foot. This roof also has a 50 year, transferable warranty

Because the steel tiles are installed in an interlocking system and nailed into a gridwork of wood battens, they're not going anywhere when even the most severe winds hit.

Because there's about one inch of air space between the tiles and the roof deck, there's an extra layer of insulation — both for heat and sound. In fact, temperatures in an attic covered by a stone-coated steel roof can be 30-40 degrees cooler than attics covered by other roofing materials.*

All Gerard roofs have undergone the UL 2218 test standard and have attained a "Class 4 hail resistant roof covering" rating. The roof was installed by Horn Brothers Roofing, with offices in Dallas, Atlanta, Kansas City and Denver.

Contact Information:
Gerard Roofs
(800) 23-ROOFS

Horn Brothers Roofing
(888) 278-0323

*SOURCE: GERARD