Hail is no Match for This Roof Cover Board

By Evelyn Witterholt. 

Learn why having the right roof cover board is crucial for any commercial roofing system. 

Editor’s note: Share this information with your building owner customers who want to learn more about their roofs. 

In 2022, insured losses related to hailstorms exceeded $10 billion in the U.S. Not only that, but that’s the 15th year in a row the country has seen this number of losses. An informative video from Georgia-Pacific Building Products highlights the major toll hail damage can take on a commercial roof and the best solution to prevent this type of damage.  

Third-party certifier and insurer FM Global defines very severe hail (VSH) as hail that is greater than 2 inches in diameter. When hail gets this big, it has the potential to reach speeds of over 100 miles per hour. Over the past few decades, the VSH zones in the U.S. have widened. But is there a way to minimize the impact of hail on a commercial roofing system? 

One of the best materials you can have on a commercial roof is a durable cover board, like DensDeck® Roof Board. Having a rigid substrate like DensDeck can provide protection against major impacts like hail, which can increase the overall lifespan of a roof. Because it’s installed between the membrane and insulation, a solid roof cover board can protect the entire roof from VSH. 

Within the DensDeck line is their DensDeck StormX™ Prime Roof Board, which was the first gypsum cover board to be FM classified for VSH on approved single-ply membrane roofs. It is also approved for use in over 80% of FM approved VSH assemblies. With double the flexural and compressive strength than DensDeck and DensDeck prime, the DensDeck StormX Prime Roof Board offers advanced levels of wind uplift resistance and puncture resistance. 

Check out the full video below to learn more about hail damage and how a durable roof cover board can help minimize the impact of hail: