Roofs built to higher standards perform better, as demonstrated again in the wake of this year’s hurricanes.  But strengthening roofs can be expensive, so many property owners forego this investment despite the benefits.  Now, there is a new, more economical alternative that simply improves the aerodynamic properties of roofs. AeroEdge USA offers a line of aerodynamic roof and drip edging that can be easily installed and reduces roof damaging winds by as much as 50 percent.

Your Roof – The First Line of Defense

It’s no secret that roofs are the first line of defense for hurricanes, tornadoes and other damaging winds.  When roofs stay on, damage is minimized.  When roofs come off, damage can be severe. This is nothing new, we’ve known for decades that wind damage typically starts at roof perimeters.    

Like older model cars, buildings tend to be boxy.  Because of this, the most damaging wind forces typically occur around roof corners and edges – not at windows.  Aerodynamic roof edging calms the turbulence thereby reducing destructive wind uplift.  “Why limit mitigation strategies to just strengthening when we can actually reduce wind loads by improving the aerodynamic design?” asks David Keeton, president of AeroEdge USA. 

The AeroEdge™ Story   

Despite years of building code enhancements, the extent of roof damage following the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons was still unacceptably high. This prompted RenaissanceRe, a leading global catastrophe reinsurer, to explore more economical solutions to help property owners protect their roofs. The most promising technology explored was a simple aerodynamic roof edging which they tested at Florida International University’s outdoor Wall of Wind.  This innovation reduced the uplift loads by over 50 percent allowing roofs to withstand higher wind speeds without more expensive strengthening.  A 50 percent reduction in wind loads is roughly equivalent to reducing a maximum CAT 4 uplift down ‘as if’ they were only CAT 2 winds. RenaissanceRe patented this as AeroEdge™.  

A Common Sense Solution 

“The beauty of AeroEdge™ lies in its simple yet effective design which combines practical, easy installation with material aerodynamic benefits” states Mr. Keeton.  It makes sense when compared to more expensive mitigation options, such as re-roofing or installing hurricane rated windows.  It makes even more sense when considering the benefits after a storm as it reduces the likelihood of 1) damage, 2) paying a deductible and 3) perhaps most importantly, any loss of use during repairs.  If these benefits weren’t enough, add that, as a qualified mitigation technology, AeroEdge™ can reduce annual insurance premiums.  With this simple attachment, roofs, and therefore buildings, are better protected at a fraction of the cost of other options.   

For more information, visit www.aeroedgeusa.com.