CertainTeed recently announced that several of its roofing products now meet FORTIFIED Roof system standards, providing enhanced durability and protection against severe weather.

Based on decades of research and testing conducted by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, FORTIFIED Roofs are an above-code roofing system designed to better withstand the impact of weather like hail, high winds and severe thunderstorms.

To receive a FORTIFIED designation, a complete roofing system must meet the requirements of the FORTIFIED Home Standard and be installed by a certified FORTIFIED roofing contractor. Multiple products offered by CertainTeed, from shingles to underlayment and ventilation, have been approved by IBHS for building FORTIFIED Roofs, whether it’s a new roof, reroof or retro-fit.

James White, senior product and market manager with CertainTeed, said the company is looking forward to helping IBHS grow its program and will leverage its network of contractors to create more certified roofing contractors.

“We’re going to start to get our credentialed contractors involved, get them trained — really a ‘train the trainer’ scenario — to make sure there’s a knowledge base among us as a manufacturer so we can get out there and train our credentialed contractors,” said White.

He said having distributors on board will be an important step as well, saying it’ll be imperative to have the FORTIFIED-certified products available in areas where they’re needed the most.

“We need to make sure we rely on those close relationships we have with our distributors and making sure they stock the products that contractors need when they need it,” he said.

FORTIFIED Roof systems are more prevalent among coastal regions, with some states offering payment assistance through grants to homeowners who upgrade their roofing system. Over the years, as severe weather continues to increase, IBHS is promoting the roofing system more inland in states like Kansas, Kentucky and Minnesota.  

In a video on CertainTeed’s Instagram channel, Fred Malik, managing director of FORTIFIED at IBHS, discussed the benefits of working with CertainTeed.

“It’s really exciting that roofers will have options to present to their customers that really are end-to-end solutions from the roof deck tape all the way on up to the attic ventilation,” Malik said in the video.

For the full list of CertainTeed’s qualified products, visit certainteed.com. Go to fortifiedhome.org/technical-documents for more information about the FORTIFIED program.