How Metal Roofing Changes the Game for Homeowners in Southeast Florida

By Dani Sheehan. 

Learn about this roofing project case study to see how metal roofing is becoming the number one choice in hurricane-prone environments. 

In Season 5, Episode 18 of Roofing Road Trips, Heidi J. Ellsworth sits down with Corynn Sheridan, marketing director for DuPont™ Tedlar®, and Kyle Nurminen of Total Roofing Systems to talk about a particularly exciting project in southeast Florida featuring Tedlar® film. Total Roofing Systems is a company that’s been in the metal business for the last 25 years and is known as The Metal Roof Experts. While Tedlar® has been used in various applications around the world, it’s easy to see the advantages to using this film technology in Florida’s beachfront environment. 

In an environment susceptible to hurricanes and tropical storms throughout the year, all of southeast Florida has an intercoastal atmosphere thick with saltwater from the ocean. It can be incredibly challenging to find a roofing solution because standard roofing applications won’t hold up and there are several coastal restrictions to consider. However, as Kyle explains, “That’s what’s wonderful about metal is it’s fully customizable. We're always learning about the best ways to do proper counter flashing and how to do proper wall flashing.”  

Total Roofing Systems is one of the few companies in the area to specialize in mechanical seams. Kyle continues, “[Mechanical seams] use what are called snap lock panels. The highest standing seam panels are called snap lock options. And it's an architecture where it actually snaps over the next panel, and it secures itself in place after you clip it to the substrate... So, it gets the highest wind with standards out there on the island. We're talking about up wind speeds up to 246 miles per hour it's designed to withstand.”  

This was the design they chose in partnership with the Tedlar® film. Because of the chemical and corrosion resistance of the film, as well as its 45-year warranty, there were no coastal restrictions to work around. The 25-year substrate color match warranty is another important advantage, keeping homeowners happy and reassured that if a storm hits, they can replace individual panels without needing a full roof replacement.  

As Corynn explains, “It’s a change for the industry, right? So, it’s really important to have great partners like Kyle and his colleagues that are able to really educate the downstream market about what’s kind of the latest and greatest in roofing and advocate for metal roofing, especially in these environments where it is the best material.” Homeowners understand the risk of storms by living in this part of Florida, but to have the added information for ensuring the safety of their home by choosing metal roofing is crucial to protecting the investments they’ve made to live there. 

Listen to the full episode or read the transcript to learn more about why Tedlar® coating improves metal roofing and makes it a reliable choice for coastal projects.