Independent research has shown that Decra's lightweight steel tiles are up to 66% cheaper than other roofing systems based on a whole life costing.
Independent research for Decra Roof Systems has shown that the manufacturer's lightweight steel tiles are up to 66% cheaper than other roofing systems based on a whole life costing. A report by Davis Langdon compared Decra's flagship Classic tile, which has a life expectancy of 60 years and is uniquely weather security guaranteed for 30 years, with 13 other roofing systems. These included composite insulated trapezoidal and tile sheets, fibre cement and natural slate, concrete and clay plain tiles, concrete interlocking tiles, and zinc, stainless steel and aluminium standing seams.
Decra performed best over 35 and 60 years against the composite insulated tile sheets, being 47% cheaper over the former and a massive 66% over the latter.
The smallest difference in cost revealed Decra was still 12% over 35 years and 18% over 60 years.
The cost model was based on a simple L-shaped building with a 30 pitch roof and a plan area of 450m.
The whole life cycle costs were based per m over 35- and 60-year periods taking average values for life cycle costs and maintenance factors for each of the roof options.
Roof costs included the cost of roof covering and of typical underlying supporting structure.
Decra's UK sales and marketing manager Graham Kent-Jackson said: 'Decra's unique design has given it an extraordinary reputation for practically zero post-installation maintenance.
'No correctly fitted tile has ever been lost or damaged because of wind uplift and this includes the hurricane in 1987 and the 100,000m of Decra tiles fitted in the Shetland Islands where they average one gale force storm a week, with wind speeds often reaching 100mph.'