Lim said that All Build was also looking to supply roofs
for mid range homes and work with developers on projects.
“A lot of interest has been shown in recent months
by architects who are keen on shingle roofs and we can expect
a lot of our business to come from that segment,”
he said.
Lim pointed out that ultimately, once shingles were more
commonly accepted, he expected to market them to expand.
Owens Corning is the original creator of glass fibre material,
commonly known as fibreglass.
Lim said the shingles were imported froth the US where
80% of roofing was constructed using shingles with the other
20% using clay or concrete.
He said the reason was because many areas in the US were
prone to hurricanes and similar inclement weather making
the need for strong roofing and a high degree of waterproofing
vital.
“Owens Corning shingles are made to emulate stone
slates but since they are artificial, have infinitely more
variety, are more consistent and have a large number of'
attributes making them ideal for roofing in Malaysia ,”
Lim said.
Mounted on 12mm thick ply wood decking, the shingles come
in a variety of colours. They are light weight and flexible,
thus allowing for different roof shapes, waterproof, quicker
to install, are fungal-resistant and carry war ranties ranging
from 30-50 years.
The shingles have a layered construction with a shingle
sealant at the bottom, a layer of weather grade asphalt,
a fibre glass mat, another layer of weather grade asphalt
and finally, mineral surface granules embedded in layer
of asphalt, the granules being of crushed basalt rockwhich
give the shingles the varying shades of colour.
The alternating layers of asphalt and the fibre glass mat
offer great protection as these prevent buckling, blistering
and curling as well as resist moisture absorption, plus
all Owens Corning shingles have a Class A fire rating and
wind resistance rating in the US .
“Once installed and nailed down, the shingles are
very strong and weather resistant, they won't come off in
strong winds. Plus, in the installation process, the overlap
is significant, preventing water being blown in from under
the edges.
“In addition, the plywood decking makes it almost
impossible for people to break into the house through the
roof and the decking provides strength enabling one to walk
on the roof in complete safety,” Lim said.
All Build, incorporated in 1991,provides Owens Corning's
entire roofing system which comprises Ventsure Ridge Vents
for bal anced air flow and temperatures, Owens Corning Heart
of Pink which is the fibre glass mat and Weather Lock Waterproofing
Underlayment, to prevent wind-dri ven rain from seeping
in between the shingles and the deck.
According' to Lirn, there is a “range for the shingles
with costs running from RM30 to RM80 per sq m, a large variety
of colours and in an effort to meet customer needs, All
Build is making sure that it would have sufficient stock,
especially the more popular shades.
All Build, whose sales have doubled every year since it
diversified into roofing systems six years ago, estimated
the roofing market at between 1.4 million and 1.5 mil lion
sq m a month for homes and buildings excluding industrial
properties, which translated into around RM6mil to RM7mil
month, Lim said.
“We hope to at least double our sales with our representative
range, the Oakridge PRO Series Shingles, in which Oakridge
PRC 30 signifies a 30-year warranty Oakridge PRO 40, 40
years and Oakridge PRO 50, a 50-yearwarabty ,” Lim
said.
“And to add value to the Owens Corning shingles we
distribute AB Roofing will handle the installation with
a two-year warranty or the workmanship.”
6 November 2002
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