What is Stone Coated Steel Roofing?

Stone coated metal roofing is a steel core product that is manufactured to look like regular asphalt shingles, wood shakes or clay/tile products. Manufacturers start with 26-gauge galvanized steel panels that are pre-primed with an acrylic film or epoxy. Then a poured on acrylic basecoat is applied. Next, the panels are embedded with stone chips. Lastly, the panels are over-coated with a clear acrylic glaze that is baked on.

The result is a lightweight and energy efficient roofing material that looks fantastic, is very long lasting, and is very resistant to fire, earthquake, and storm damage.

10 Benefits of Stone Coated Steel Roofing:

• Fantastic Curb Appeal (Better looking than many other roofing products.)
• 120 mph Wind Resistance Warranty (Interlocking panels prevent wind damage.)
• Class 4 Hail Resistance (Most hailstones bounce off rather than cause damage. Check out this Article to see why Stone Coated Steel provides the best protection against hail)
• Class “A” Fire Rating (Best protection against forest fires and wind-blown embers.)
• Excellent Freeze/Thaw and Ice Dam Resistance (Insulated air-gap prevents ice build-up.)
• Lightweight (About 1.5 lbs. per square foot – much lighter than asphalt shingles.)
• Energy Efficient (Airflow and air-gap reduces heat transfer.)
• Insurance Considerations (Some insurance companies offer discounts stone coated steel roofs.)
• 50+ Year Lifespan (Lasts 3-6 times longer than asphalt shingles.)
• Increased Property Value (Higher cost-recovery than asphalt shingles.)

How Much does Stone Coated Metal Roofing Cost?

While the initial cost of stone coated steel roofing is more than twice as expensive as an asphalt roof, the overall costs may be lower when longevity, replacement costs, energy savings, maintenance savings, and insurance costs are considered.

The cost of stone coated steel roofing falls in the similar price range as synthetic polymer roofing and is slightly more expensive than other metal panel roofing such as standing seam.

Primary Brands of Stone Coated Steel Roofing in the US

• Unified Steel Stone Coated Roofing (Formerly Boral Steel/Gerard)
• DECRA Metal Roofing
• Varitile
• Tilcor Roofing Systems
• Roser Roofing System

History of Stone Coated Steel Roofing

While stone coated steel products are now manufactured with state-of-the-art materials and processes, the basic technology has been around for many decades.

Unified Steel, DECRA and Tilcor have an intertwined history and they lay claim to the same origination story:

During World War 2, the Decraspray Company was contracted by the United Kingdom to develop a technique for protecting and camouflaging various buildings from German air raids. Their solution was to spray a bituminous tar-like emulsion on existing iron clad buildings. The results were very successful.

While visiting the United Kingdom in 1954, Lou Fisher, an industrialist from New Zealand, noticed how well the buildings covered with the Decraspray coatings stood up to the wet British climate. After returning to New Zealand, Mr. Fisher experimented with various materials, and in in 1957 he produced the first “Decramastic” roofing tiles by applying a bitumen to metal tiles. However, Mr. Fisher soon discovered that the tar-like coverings caused the panels to stick together when heated by the sun. As a solution to this problem, natural stone chips were added to prevent the sheets from sticking together. Thus, a revolutionary new roofing product was born.

Eventually, an acrylic resin was used as a binder with stone granules rather than the previously used bitumen adhesive. These stone coated steel roofing panels quickly gained wide acceptance in New Zealand. Because of this success, various entities were created, and licenses were granted to sell these products throughout the world. Some of the companies and brands were, or are still known as: DECRA, Gerard, Metro Roof Products, Steel Rock, Stonehenge, Metrotile, and Tilcor.

Over the years, many mergers and acquisitions occurred and various companies have been consolidated. Today, the surviving US manufacturers are:

• Unified Steel Stone Coated Roofing owned by Westlake Royal Roofing Solutions. Products are manufactured in the USA. Predecessors and consolidations related to Unified Steel include Boral Steel, Gerard USA, Metro Roof Products, and Steel Rock Roof Products.
• DECRA Metal Roofing owned by IKO Industries. IKO Industries owns Gerard outside of the US. Products are manufactured in the USA.
• Tilcor Roofing Systems owned by IKO Industries. Products are manufactured in the USA and New Zealand. Predecessors include Ross Roofing, and Metrotile USA.

Because the benefits Unified Steel Stone Coated Roofing products are so great, additional companies/distributors are now selling products in the US. These include:

• Varitile Inc owned by IKO Industries. Products are manufactured in Belgium.
• Roser USA the US distributor of Roser Co., LTD with manufacturing in Korea.

Let Roofing Force Help You Choose the Best Product for Your Roof

Roofing Force is the largest and best installer of Stone Coated Steel Roofing in the Midwest (Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Oklahoma and Arkansas). We have the most experienced installation crews, and you can rest assured that your home or business will be protected with the best products and warranties available.

Visit our Stone Coated Steel information page or our Gallery to see examples of Stone Coated Steel and other roofing materials, or give us a call at (913) 270-5440 and we will connect you with a Roofing Force professional in your area.