Fire stations attract attention. Who doesn’t want to catch a glimpse of a shiny fire truck? In the case of the Lawrence Township fire station in Lawrence, Indiana, it was the damaged roof that was drawing attention, not the shiny fire trucks. The 20 year coating on the standing seam roof was compromised and determined to be defective. When considering replacement materials, the firemen wanted a cost-effective durable product requiring little to no maintenance with a long life cycle.

Familiar with DECRA Roofing Systems, one of the firemen brought in a sample of DECRA Shingle. DECRA Shingle emulates the look of a laminated asphalt shingle, but it is made from steel so the life expectancy of the product is much longer than an asphalt shingle. DECRA Shingle is made of corrosion resistant, aluminum-zinc alloy coated steel with an acrylic bonded stone chip finish. The granules, manufactured by 3M, give the roof an attractive appearance, and they provide additional protection for the underlying steel. The product and coating come with a limited 50-year warranty guarding against manufacturing defects. And, unlike a painted metal roof, the stone coated steel does not have to be repainted or refinished during its lifetime.

Providing safety, low maintenance and durability are important when it comes to meeting the fast-paced environment of a fire  station – they wanted to fix it once and fix it right. One of the firemen noted, “while the peeling paint was unattractive, this was more than an appearance issue - the roof was leaking. We were able to take care of both problems with one great looking roof.”

All DECRA profiles are backed by a 50-year limited warranty, a 120 mph wind warranty, are Class 4 impact resistant, and steel is a non-combustible, Class A fire rated, material. The steel substrate contains upwards of 25% post-consumer recycled steel content, and is 100% recyclable at the end of its life.