What makes a roof stormproof?

What makes a roof stormproof?

 

With shocking images, we have been reminded of recent news about the extreme weather events of climate change that could hit anywhere today. The Czech tornado struck the town of Hrusky with elemental force on June 24, 2021, destroying thousands of houses and shaping half of the town into a “set” of apocalyptic films. A few days earlier, a devastating windstorm in Belgium damaged nearly 100 buildings, making ten of them uninhabitable.

The question arises in homeowners:

 

WHICH ROOF CAN BEST PROTECT AGAINST A WIND STORM?

Traditional roof tiles, such as ceramic or concrete tiles, rely on vertical fixing and the weight of the tile, which can be easily lifted by a sufficiently strong wind. The corrosion-resistant, strong metal GERARD roof, on the other hand, provides your home with unique storm protection through its unique fastening technology.

 

GERARD’s special horizontal fastening technique fastens each roof element at 8 different points.

 

What makes a roof stormproof?

 

They are fastened to the roof battens with screws or nails, which practically resets the effect of wind shear. In our hurricane test, we simulated a 160 km / h wind with aircraft turbines on a purpose-built GERARD roof. The roof elements remained intact. Then water was added to the experiment, but even with this strong wind water could not penetrate under the roof, where everything passed the hurricane test dry. In our experience, thanks to the 8-point-fixing technique, GERARD roofs have already protected storm-affected homes around the world from much stronger winds.

 

WIND RESISTANCE OF VARIOUS ROOF TYPES


Tornadoes and cyclones have demonstrated the significant benefits offered by GERARD roofs’ horizontal fastening and interlocking steel membrane system. High winds blowing over a roof cause a difference in air pressure between the inside and outside of the roof. The stronger the wind, the higher the pressure differential and this results in “wind uplift” perpendicular to the roof. This “wind uplift” is the primary cause of failure in roofs with vertical fastening, where the fastener simply pulls out. With the horizontal fastening method used for GERARD roofs, the fasteners must shear off for the roof to fail, an unlikely event given there are eight or more fasteners holding down each tile. The permanent fitting technique used in GERARD roofing also means that tiles cannot be easily lifted to gain access through the roof space of a home or building.

 

Do you also want to sleep more peacefully in your house after hearing the stormy news? Choose the storm-proof GERARD roof!