Good roofing tops list of fire-prevention tools

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

Roofers in northern Larimer County have been busy the last four years with drought, the fear of fire and fire itself making many homeowners replace their wooden shakes with fire-resistant materials. But while wood shakes are out, the look is not.

"When homeowners with shakes are looking for a replacement roof, they want one that resembles the shakes," said Bob Morgan of Horn Brothers Construction. As a result, roofing manufacturers have worked hard to clone the elegance of shake shingles in fire-resistant materials.

In Larimer County, wood shakes are still allowed, but they must be treated with a fire retardant. In wildfire-prone areas, they must be brought up to a Class B rating, while closer to town Class C is allowed. Homeowners can save significantly on their insurance rates by having Class A (fire resistant) and Class 4 (hail resistant) roofing.

For Horn Brothers' customers, the most popular replacement roof is made of stone-coated steel. "About 75 percent of our customers go with steel," Morgan said, both because of its look and its durability. The roofing sold by Horn Brothers has a Class A fire rating and Class 4 impact rating. The steel roofs also have a 50-year warranty, and the acrylic resin coating doesn't bleach out in the Colorado sun. "It lasts forever," Morgan said. "It's the last roof you put on."

From an aesthetic point of view, the stone-coated steel roofing is made to look like tile or wood shakes. However, it's not inexpensive. Stone-coated steel costs about four times as much as regular asphalt shingles.

A steel roof that looks like a steel roof is still available, too. It's called "slick steel," and this type is best for shedding snow, Morgan said.

Asphalt has gone elegant, too, in an effort to attract the high-end market. Britt Harris of JEH-Eagle Supply said asphalt shingles are available from 200 pounds per square to 480 pounds per square. Some of the heavier shingles, he said, have three layers and look very much like a shake roof. There are also different designs, from a scalloped "cottage" design to a flatter shingle resembling slate or a multi-colored look. Quality, price and warranties vary widely.

"Asphalt shingles have changed so much in the last few years," Harris said. Homeowners can now get an asphalt roof with a 110-mile-per-hour wind warranty, whereas the limit used to be 55 mph. The sealant strip that holds the shingles together has been improved, too. It's now made with rubber, which prevents the shingles from getting brittle in cold weather and breaking loose.

Other shake look-alikes, Harris said, include regular cement tiles, which are heavy, and lightweight cement tiles. He cautioned that many roofing materials are not suitable for the high plains desert of Colorado. "People get on the Internet and find a roofing with sex appeal," he said. It's important to ask a reputable roofing company about whether these alternative products do well locally.

Harris emphasized that it's not just the quality of roofing material that determines the life of a roof. "Most roofs are not adequately vented," he said, and when moisture can't escape, it creeps through the fiberglass insulation and into the plywood on the roof. Poor venting can void a warranty, Harris pointed out. "When people reroof, it's an easy and inexpensive time to address the venting issue," he suggested.

Whatever the choice, roofing doesn't have to be drab or dull anymore. The customer's "top" option can make the home look more elegant, while easing worries about the next big hailstorm or windstorm.