Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 30, 2000 01:29am | #8

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   I am due for a new roof on my house this summer, but wish to do something a little more interesting than plain old 3-tab or laminated composition shingles that most everybody else is doing. I thought about slate or cement based products for their durability, but the weight would be way too much for 2x4 rafters at 24 inch centers, not to mention top-heavy for a house in an earthquake zone. Presto I was watching This Old House one day, and they featured a newer product on their current Massachusetts project that seemed to fit the bill. It is a 100 percent recycled rubber imitation slate roofing with a 50 year guarantee. I'm wondering what experience do people have with this product, and I was concerned about the Class C fire rating which I don't know much about, but it sounds low to me. Any light that can be shed about this?

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 24, 2000 02:50am | #1

   *Jon, check out http://www.authentic-roof.com to research the product you're looking for.We've talked about this product before in this forum, and I wonder if anyone has tried it yet?Regards, Steve

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 24, 2000 03:26am | #2

   *Jon,I haven't installed this product yet, but there's a good chance I will be this spring. Unless you live a in forest fire area, I wouldn't worry about the class C fire rating. It pertains to how readily the shingles will ignite from an outside source, such as blowing embers from brush and forest fires, or a neighbor's burning house. If your own house is burning, you have probably lost everything by the time the shingles ignite.I am awaiting more info on this product, and if I hear any more about actual installations I'll post back on here.John

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   Guest_ | Jan 24, 2000 10:02pm | #3

   *Fred,I am unfamiliar with this product other than what I briefly saw on TV.I do kind of wonder about the worth of a 50year warranty issued by a company thats been around for only what---5 or 10 years?Still it seems like an interesting way to dispose of a lot of old tires.JRS,I wouldn't mind a peak at that job this spring to see the material in action. hint,HINT.Stephen

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   Guest_ | Jan 24, 2000 10:25pm | #4

   *I have two of them sitting outside my cube, fooling passers by. They look like the real thing. I'm considering mentioning their existance in Tools and Materials, because they seem to have a lot going for them. But Fred and Stephen echo my reservations, and I'd like to hear from anyone who has used these shingles.Andy

2. 
   Guest_ | Jan 26, 2000 02:29am | #5

   *This link talks about the TOH shingles:>http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/thisoldhouse/projects/billerica/feature9.html

3. 
   Guest_ | Jan 26, 2000 11:21am | #6

   *I called Authentic Roof in Canada, and fairly quickly received their package with instructions for installation, photos, and specifications. They also sent a sample shingle. I also checked their website, but it doesn't really answer my questions about the class C fire rating. Generally, I am not concerned about the class C rating if my own house is on fire. As somebody else pointed out, if my house is on fire, then by the time it reaches the roof, chances it doesn't matter if the rating is A,B,C or Z. But I am concerned about embers from the chimney, or other fires in the neighborhood. Another concern I have is that black rubber and ultra-violet rays are usually not a good combination although I assume these shingles certainly must contain UV stabilizers. Well it's a great looking product, so I guess I'll give it a try, probably with copper flashings, copper nails, the whole nine yards. If its good enough for This Old House, then it will probably be good enough for my old house.

4. 
   Guest_ | Jan 27, 2000 05:32am | #7

   *Jon, Don't sweat the class C rating. WAy back when I started learning this business(late sixties), all the asphalt composition shingles were class C. Class A didn't start showing up until the advent of fiberglass shingles. Class C was actually a step up from wood shingles and shakes. Itwas a step down from slate, asbestos, and tile roofs.Anyway, we did a lot of fire restoration jobs, and many of these jobs were in homes that were only 10-15 ft. apart. Most homes had class C shingles on them, and although we often had to reroof a neighbor's house because the shingle surface melted , I don't remember a single one whose roof ignited from the heat.Hope this gives you a little peace of mind,John

5. 
   Larry_Boese | Jan 30, 2000 01:29am | #9

   *Jon:I'm on the retail purchasing side of the business. I've recently seen imitation slate and cedar shingle roofing products from Owens Corning. Both are made from a mixture of slate powder, fiberglass and resins and are molded with an extrusion web on the underside. The sample piece looked bombproof, carried somthing like a 60 year, transferable warranty and looked pretty slick on a house in the company propaganda. Good enough that I'm going to put some more research into them for my own house. If anyone has used this brand and product, I'd like to hear from you..........LJ.