Building products maker Boral Roofing has introduced a Class 4 Hail Resistant Roof Tile that is reportedly able to withstand the impact of two-inch ice balls fired at speeds of up to 70 mph.
The product carries the highest hail performance certification recognized in the industry, according to Boral, based in Roswell, GA.
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Photos: Boral |
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Hail storms cause $1.6 billion in damage in the United States each year, Boral says.
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Hail storms inflict about $1.6 billion in property damage in the United States each year, according to Boral.
Impact-Resistance Testing
Class 4 Hail Resistant Roof Tile has undergone severe impact resistance testing in accordance with the Factory Mutual 4473 (FM 4473) standard, the manufacturer reports.
That test uses the impact force of freezer ice balls propelled to develop free-fall kinetic energies of the same size hail. Ice balls generally are harder and denser than hailstones, thereby simulating the worst-case hailstone, according to Boral.
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Materials subjected to the Class 4 hail test must withstand the firing of two-inch ice balls at about 70 mph without showing any cracking or breakage.
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In the Class 4 hail test, two-inch ice balls are shot at 104 feet per second (approximately 70 mph), which is the speed necessary to develop the intended kinetic energy. Impact locations include edges, corners, unsupported areas, overlaps and joints. To pass the test, specimens cannot show any evidence of visible cracking or breakage.
Color and Style Options
The tiles come in three lines: Saxony Slate Impact and Villa 900 Impact for the U.S. heartland and Rocky Mountain regions; and Saxony Country Slate Impact for the Texas region.
Saxony Slate Impact has three color choices; Villa 900 Impact, two; and Saxony Country Slate Impact, four.
Each tile is individually attached, making repairs and replacement easy, the manufacturer says. Boral says that installation and maintenance costs over time are "lower than other roofing materials, because concrete tile is made to last for generations."
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