Living at 7,000 feet on a Southern
California mountain in Big Bear City,
Jay and Beverly Craft are used to being evacuated from their home due to encroaching wild fires that frequently ravage the mountains and are a serious safety concern. When the time came to replace the Charcoal-colored traditional asphalt shingle roof on their 21-year-old home, the Crafts decided that a Class A fire-rated metal roof was the right choice to protect their mountain home.
With a background in the building industry,Craft was determined to do his own research to find the right roofing product for his home. While on vacation in Illinois, he stopped into a Menard’s home improvement store and discovered DECRA stone coated steel shingles from Corona, Calif.-based DECRA Roofing Systems Inc. After researching DECRA online and comparing it to competitive products, Craft spoke to a representative, and went on a tour of the factory with Tony Tiapon, a DECRA regional manager.
“I was enthused,” Craft says. “My research at the factory gave me comfort.” Pleased with the company’s longevity, Jay states that DECRA’s 50-year warranty was also a big factor in their decision. “We won’t have to replace the roof ever again.”
The Craft family desired the look of a traditional shake roof and chose DECRA Shake tiles in Charcoal. The Crafts were also excited about the ability to walk on the tiles without damaging the panels or shingles. The DECRA Shake panels are corrugated before they are pressed to provide extra strength while enhancing the wood grain look. Installed over the existing asphalt roof by Sierra Pacific Roofing in Upland, Calif., the DECRA Shake is 22.4 pieces per square, allowing for quick installation time.
Now that the home has its new roof, the Crafts enjoy its energy efficiency. “The fact that the metal roof keeps the house cooler is amazing. Our attic is cooler than the outside air temperature,” Craft adds.
According to Meredith England, CSI, LEED AP, market specialist at DECRA Roofing Systems, the DECRA products allow for continuous airflow across the deck, creating less stress on the cooling system and lower energy consumption. The DECRA Shake tiles are installed on a batten system that increased the amount of airspace under the panels, keeping the attic cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, reducing the home’s yearly energy consumption.
Additionally England notes that there are no oil-based products used in the manufacturing process
that could contaminate the ground water, allowing the water run-off to meet the World Health Organization’s standards for drinking water.
The Craft’s are the first homeowners in their neighborhood to invest in a DECRA stone coated
steel roof; but the neighbors are more than curious. So many people stop by to inquire about the roof that Beverly made copies of the DECRA representative’s business cards to hand out when people stop.
For more information on Corona, Calif.-based DECRA Roofing Systems Inc., visit www.decra.com.
