Understanding basic building codes

By DaVinci Roofscapes.

Learn about the codes that protect your home and keep it performing up to standards.

Unless you’re building a new home or renovating a cherished older home, you may not know much about your local building codes. However, if it’s time to get a new roof, then it’s time to brush up on the codes in your area.

First of all, the ratings of products you’re considering for your roof must match up with the building codes for your area. According to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), building codes are needed to establish “predictable and consistent minimum standards that are applied to the quality and durability of construction materials.”

In general, codes are put in place and enforced to ensure the safety and health of building occupants. In the long run, stronger codes can be extremely cost-effective because of their enhanced safety and performance features.

Highest roofing codes

Your roof protects your home from everything Mother Nature throws at it: storms, hail, wind, rain, and even fire. That’s why you should make sure to look for roofing materials and systems that are constructed to not just meet building codes in your area, but exceed them!

Manufacturer DaVinci Roofscapes makes sure that every product they produce passes Miami-Dade County approval codes. This is considered the most stringent building code in the country. This video shows the intense impact testing the roofing products go through to simulate severe storms and hail.

Specifically, the DaVinci Slate roofing tiles have passed the Miami Dade County, Florida NOA No 06-308.03 test. These durable imitation slate roofs have also passed the following tests:

• ASTM D 471 water absorption test
• ASTM G21 Fungus (algae) test with no algae growth
• ASTM D 638 tensile strength test with no meaningful reduction of strength on long-term weathering of material strength

If you’re considering installing DaVinci Shake products, you’ll find these cedar shake alternatives:

• Passed Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) qualifications
• Passed Miami Dade County, Florida NOA No 07-1203.03
• Are rated Class A for fire retardance in the Fire Test UL 790 with a VersaShield underlayment and Class C with an approved synthetic underlayment

It can happen in an instant. A lightning strike. A firepit overturned. A backyard campfire gone wrong. These things can instantly carry sparks on the wind that land on your roof.

One way to gain peace-of-mind is to invest in Class A Fired Rated composite roofing. This is the highest fire rating available for a roof, and one attained by DaVinci Roofscapes for all products.

Want proof?

There are three tests the polymer roofs have undertaken to achieve the Class A Fire Rating. These include:

• Intermittent flame test: An assembly of tiles is subjected to an intense flame for two minutes then turned off for two minutes. This is cycled 15 times to see if there is failure in the roof deck.
• Spread of flame test: Flame and air current are applied for 10 consecutive minutes and then checked for failure.
• Burning brand test: In this test, a burning brand is placed on an assembly of roofing tiles with a high volume of wind behind it. The decking of the assembly is constantly monitored for 90 minutes to see if any fire burns through.  If fire burns through the roof deck anytime during the 90-minute trial, the tiles fail.

Since seeing is believing, check out this video of flame spread testing of the DaVinci products.

High wind resistance

Fire and impact aren’t the only situations roofs face. High winds can tear many common shingles off a roof. When looking for a new roof, consider this: DaVinci synthetic slate and shake products are certified to handle winds up to 110mph.

In High Velocity Hurricane Zone testing the composite roofing tiles pass TAS 125 testing, showing they can handle winds up to 180 mph. Plus the roofing tiles have a Lifetime Limited Material Warranty, providing an extra layer of mental security for homeowners.

For more information on composite roofing tiles and testing, visit:

• Batter Up… Polymer Roofing Takes a Beating
• Why DaVinci Products Will Save You Money
• Fire Proof Roof vs. Fire Resistant Products