At the Assumption Catholic Church in Jacksonville, FL the use of Met-Tile tile facsimile metal roofing from McElroy Metal has allowed the church to remain faithful to its Mission style architecture while offering the benefits of light weight, low maintenance and superior wind resistance.

Church officials first used the Met-Tile profile in 2006, when the decades-old tile roof over the main church began to leak. They had seen a Met-Tile tile panel roof on a nearby building and believed that it would make a good substitute for conventional tile because of its tile-like appearance and its performance benefits, including a 230+ mph wind rating.

For the first phase of the project, the church replaced the tile roof over the church and the rectory with a Met-Tile system. The building team also eliminated a small flat-roof section by erecting low-slope framing above the flat roof and topping it with Met-Tile panels. About two years later, the church constructed a new classroom building which was also covered with Met-Tile.

In 2009, the church undertook the third and most recent phase of construction: the addition of accessible restrooms and an arcade of canopied walkways attached to the main church structure. According to the architect, Akel, Logan, Shafer, PA of Jacksonville, the arched walkway system is both decorative and functional: The goal was to accentuate the Mission design and soften the look of the church, while also providing shade and shelter.

Bryan Northways of Northways Roofing, located in Fleming Island, FL—the installing contractor for the current phase of the project—said this was his company’s first experience with the Met-Tile system. “Some of the other tile facsimile products we have worked with use smaller pieces that are more leak-prone, so we believe the Met-Tile system has a more durable and leak-resistant design,” he notes. “We installed the panels over standard plywood decking and stick-and-peel underlayment, and the system went together very smoothly. The vertical panels align easily as you lay them down and do not slide out of place, and the fastening pattern is right on cue.”

The panels used throughout the church project are 3-ft wide and come in varying lengths from 2 – 20 ft., with color-matched trim. The 26-gauge steel material is strong and durable yet lightweight enough (125 lb. per square) to facilitate handling and field cutting, according to the roofer.

The ENERGY STAR® finish is a Mission Clay SMP paint system manufactured by Becker Specialty Corp. The use of a cool roof product helps reflect away the hot Florida sunlight and reduce interior temperatures beneath the roof. All totaled, the three phases of the project have used about 42,000 sq ft of Met-Tile roofing.

The general contractor for the most recent phase of the project was RP Witt Construction, Inc. of Jacksonville. The roofing contractor for the first phase was Quality Roofing of Orlando. The roofer for the second phase was Childress Roofing, Jacksonville.