We might not realize the force and sturdiness a roof requires to withstand the elements. Whether it’s consistent rain or full-on hurricane-force winds, your roof bears the brunt of Mother Nature’s wrath – every day and night. The most rigorous measurement to prove a roof tile is up to the test is appropriately named after one of the most hurricane-prone regions in the world: Miami-Dade County.
It’s no secret that hurricanes are a highly destructive weather event. High force gale winds cause devastating destruction: from airborne projectiles to flooding. Damages from Hurricane Andrew totalled $27.3 billion, Sandy $65 billion, and Hurricane Katrina left in its wake costs adding up to an unprecedented $108 billion.
Hurricane Andrew prompted a significant upgrade to Florida’s building codes, with many products now requiring third-party testing. They must also qualify for approval in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, a region that encompasses the Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. These areas regularly encounter the highest recorded wind speeds in the U.S.
Roofing material is just one of the building products tested to Miami-Dade standards. It is arguably an increasingly important one, as they cover more area than any other part of a building’s structure – and the debris can be destructive and even deadly. Not to mention, water can infiltrate between the shingles or leaking behind the seams and into the roof deck.
The best asphalt roofs can withstand wind speeds of 110mph, while most metal roofs on the market test at 140-180mph. In third-party testing, Vicwest’s True Nature line of metal roof tiles have withstood winds of 266mph.
Miami-Dade approval covers the most severe elements Mother Nature can conjure: wind, water, fire. These include:
- ASTM G152: This test puts the roof under 2000 hours of accelerated UV weathering. Under this test, TrueNature’s proprietary Expressence PVDF paint system did not crack, chip or fade – even when exposed to the sun’s most extreme UV rays.
- ASTM B117: For this spray fog test, the roof tile is scored, leaving the metal exposed to atmospheric salt content higher than anywhere you’ll see on the East Coast for 1000 hours to see how much rust builds on the tile’s surface. This test showed how the galvalume used to make our TrueNature metal roof tiles self-heals to prevent corrosion from occurring and spreading throughout the tile.
- ASTM E108: This fire standard tests how the roof tile withstands exposure to both intermittent flame and flame spread. This includes any worst-case underlayment.
- TAS 125: In this wind-uplift test, an extreme weather event with gale-force winds is replicated to ensure that the roof tiles are securely fastened to the deck and won’t blow away.
- TAS 100: The roof deck is exposed to wind speeds ranging from 35 to 110 mph at different time intervals and with a constant water exposure rate of 8.8 inches per hour. (For reference, this is the most extreme rain event faced in North America.) As with the TAS 125, this test is conducted on both direct-to-deck and batten systems.
Of course, hurricanes aren’t the only extreme wind events – tornadoes, blizzards, squalls, and storms are common occurrences across the country. With severe weather events increasingly the norm, knowing that your roof meets or exceeds a standard like Miami-Dade offers peace-of-mind. When you’re investing so much in your home, it makes sense that what keeps you covered provides the greatest security – whether you live in a hurricane zone or not.