When Simon & Gail Turberville decided to do away with thatch roof on their gracious canal house in St Francis Bay, they chose an asphalt roof instead of tiles. Asphalt roof shingles though relatively new in South Africa, have been used in North America since the 1800’s.
Global Innovative Building Systems import the Owens Corning roof shingles from the United States of America- the company is a leading manufacturer of roofing shingles and insulation in North America.
Thatch has long been an iconic roofing material in St Francis Bay architecture. As times change, the homeowners’ need changes and many people are looking for alternatives for the dusty, drafty, high-maintenance thatch roofs. Through the efforts of St Francis Bay architect, Mike Morrisson, asphalt roof shingles have been accepted for use in St Francis Bay, as an alternative to those who do not like other roofing materials.
Since then, W&D Roofing, Carpentry and Joinery has been installing the shingle roofs in the area mentions, Shingles due to their profile and flexibility, allow installers and designers to cover intricate shapes and various roof geometries, which would be difficult with other materials.
The low-profile, interlocking design creates a roof which is more resistant to wind and water ingress. In collaboration with architects such as Mike Morrisson and homeowners, Turbevilles a new system was developed to convert thatch roofs to shingles, while keeping the original pole framework, thereby maintaining the original roof architecture. This reduces the cost of converting a roof as new trusses are not required, 16 roofs have been successfully converted in the Eastern Cape area to date and are working on many others.
