MRA Showcases Beauty And Toughness Of Metal Roofing Through Pair Of Exemplary Projects

Portland, OR – The toughness of metal roofing and also its beauty are on full display in a pair of projects being celebrated by the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA). In Sonoma County, CA, a rustic log cabin home at Moon Dance Ranch has been named the winner of MRA’s Best Metal Roofing Project competition for 2018. And in Panama City, FL, a home that withstood all that deadly Hurricane Michael could throw its way was named MRA’s 2018 Top Survivor winner.

Rustic log cabin at Moon Dance Ranch, Sonoma County, CA

Best Metal Roofing Project of 2018

The California project was submitted by Wedge Roofing, an MRA contractor located in San Francisco, CA. While the stunning Forest Green Skyline Roofing steel panel style from ASC Building Products impressed the judges for how well it complements the home, it was the attention to performance that made this project a winner. The solid-wood log home is located in very close proximity to the recent devastating wildfires in Northern California, and the homeowners wisely decided to replace their 40-year old, highly combustible wood shake roof with a new metal roof.

Working with Wedge, the homeowners chose a 26-gauge steel roof that has a Class A fire rating and utilizes Cool Dura Tech XL paint system to help increase energy efficiency. Attention to installation details included the application of a waterproofing membrane and a fire-rated underlayment for exceptional worry-free performance and protection.

“Built to last for many decades to come, this project demonstrates how a new metal roof not only adds incredible style, it also offers better protection well into the future, no matter what Mother Nature’s fury may bring,” said Renee Ramey, executive director of the Metal Roofing Alliance.

Held October through December 2018, MRA Best Metal Roofing Project competition was designed to honor the most outstanding examples of great residential metal roofing projects. Open to contractors and installers in the U.S. and Canada, entries were evaluated based on appearance, performance and use of metal roofing materials.

Private residence, Panama City, FL

2018 Top Survivor Project

“We thought our lives were about to end,” was what Kristi said as Hurricane Michael rolled through her community on October 10, 2018. She considers herself lucky, since a less-than-thorough home inspection had said nothing of the condition of her old roof when she purchased the 1940s bungalow just five years before.

Fortunately, replacing the leaking asphalt roof with metal was one of the first home improvement projects she tackled. She decided to go with a metal roof because she liked the appearance and thought it would fit nicely with her home’s cottage style.

“I didn’t even really consider safety at the time,” Kristi said. “Although I do recall thinking that metal would help keep the home a lot cooler in Florida’s heat.” 

Fast forward to fall of 2018 when Hurricane Michael hit Panama City dead-on as a strong Category 4-plus monster storm. Now, Kristi credits her roof choice for something much more important: saving her life.

Recently named the winner of the Metal Roofing Alliance’s (MRA) 2018 Top Survivor Home contest, Kristi will receive a grand prize of $1,500 based on her home’s extreme story of endurance. With many homeowners battling destructive climate challenges in 2018—ranging from massive hurricanes, and tornadoes to severe hailstorms and wildfires—MRA decided to launch the competition to highlight how U.S. and Canada homeowners are taking steps to fortify their homes against increasing threats, including by using metal roofs. While Kristi is thrilled to be selected as this year’s winner by the MRA, she considers her fortunes to be far greater than taking the top prize.

When Hurricane Michael hit the Florida Panhandle, Kristi, her fiancée and her son had decided to ride it out in her home. A sheriff’s office employee, Kristi and her fiancée, a local firefighter, knew their services would be needed in the community in the aftermath of the storm. It was a decision they soon came to question as the full power and terror of Michael descended on Panama City. The storm’s 155-mph winds wiped out nearly everything in its path, including snapping the trunks of tall trees, causing them to fall and slice some homes clean in two. Roofs ripped off and homes blew apart, leaving much of Panama City in rubble. 

When the hurricane hit, Kristi huddled in her home’s bathroom with her son and fiancée. They could feel the house actually lift up from the foundation and shake, with winds screaming and howling as loud as a jet engine as the hurricane smashed into homes and buildings. For more than two hours, the terror of possibly not surviving Michael’s severe lashing was excruciating.

“We had no idea what we were in for,” said Kristi. “Sitting in that bathroom, we honestly thought our lives were about to end.”

When the storm finally subsided, Kristi dreaded going outside to inspect the horrendous damage. Homes in the area with shingle and asphalt roofs had not fared well. Many roofs were half-destroyed or all gone, literally shredded in some cases.

Yet Kristi’s home was completely intact, and to their surprise, it was holding up a giant 60-foot pine tree that had toppled directly on their metal roof, right above the bathroom where they had been hunkered down during the hurricane. Not only was the roof supporting the massive weight of the fallen tree, it had sustained almost no damage. “Our roof literally saved our lives,” she said.

Kristi’s fiancée decided to re-roof his own nearby home with a metal roof a couple of years earlier, and it too survived Michael’s wrath with very little damage. Both homes remained water and wind tight, even under the incredible pressure of the storm. 

The same could not be said for many others in the community. Panama City suffered weeks without water, electricity and other basic services. Every powerline had snapped. Homes were completely destroyed and the ones still standing have had rooftop tarps for weeks and months as the wait for contractors and installers to repair the damage remains long. Her friends and neighbors are going through the painful process of replacing roofs, and worse, repairing the devastating damage their failed roofs caused by allowing water to penetrate into their homes. The city has evaluated and deemed homes “uninhabitable” due to not only unsafe conditions, but because of mold and mildew caused by water penetration. Every home on Kristi’s block was designated as such—except for hers.

As roofs are replaced and the community recovers, Kristi is eternally grateful she made the decision to replace her roof with metal.

“After what we went through, it’s shocking when you hear people say they are replacing their roofs with asphalt shingles again. When you live through something as horrific as this hurricane was and understand first-hand the power it has to cause mass devastation and suffering, it’s simply not worth the risk to your home, or your life,” she said.

About The Metal Roofing Alliance

Representing metal roofing manufacturers in the United States and Canada, the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) was formed in 1998 as a nonprofit organization to help educate consumers about the many benefits of metal roofs. The main objective of MRA is to increase awareness of the beauty, durability and money-saving advantages of quality metal roofs among homeowners, as well as to provide support for metal roofing businesses and contractors. For more information, visit metalroofing.com.