Don Bruen of Pride Roofing in Providence, RI, was approached by homeowners who had a home built in 1879 by Pardon Bosworth. Concerned with rising energy costs, green house gas emissions, and the state of the environment, the owners of the Italianate style home wanted to reroof their home with a product that addressed these concerns, and integrated a solar heating system that would preserve the century-old appeal of the home.

An alternative to solar panels is a solar thermal collector system that installs under the roofing material horizontally between the battens. (See 2nd photo)

Dawn Solar is the maker of a solar hot water system that uses heat from the sun to heat the water in the home. In addition, as the water is pumped through the system, the cooler water flowing within the tubing on the roof aids in cooling the attic; the system requires the roofing product to be offset from the deck. Emulating wood shakes, and able to be install on battens, the DECRA Shake profile in Granite was chosen for the project.

The battens not only provided a casing for the solar product, they also solved another problem - the stability of the roof frame and the uneven deck. According to Bruen, the deck was not level and the battens - fastened through the asphalt shingles and into the rafters at 24” on center – leveled the roof deck and provided structural integrity. The addition of the steel panels further enhanced the structural integrity and increased the shear strength.

Bruen, a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, likes the DECRA product because he can roof over the existing material thereby diverting it from the landfill. Furthermore, all DECRA products are 100% recyclable at the end of their useful life. By choosing DECRA, the owners were able to lessen the environmental impact of their material choice.