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Homeowners Vulnerable to Wildfires Prefer Steel Roofs Majority favor
government-mandated codes requiring fire retardant materials
May 4, 2004
SAN FRANCISCO, May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- When faced with the threat of potentially
devastating wildfires, 85 percent of consumers say they would prefer a steel roof on
their homes, a new survey finds. The results indicate that steel, with its
fire-retardant qualities, could become the new material of choice for
residential roofing, particularly in the wildfire-prone Western states. The
survey, conducted by the global research firm Wirthlin Worldwide, also found
that among the group wielding primary influence on home improvement
purchases -- women ages 18 to 54 -- an even greater 93 percent said they
favor a steel roof. Asked whether they would favor a mandate to change local
building codes to require that roofs in fire prone areas be constructed of
fire-retardant materials like steel, two of three said they support such a
requirement. The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) sponsored the
metal roofing-related questions and the results were announced at its annual
meeting at the Fairmont San Francisco. "Fire prevention experts and roofing
contractors alike will tell you that installing a steel roof is one of the
most effective steps to reduce the chance of a house being destroyed by fire
and of the spread of fire," said AISI Vice Chairman Dan DiMicco, who is vice
chairman, president and chief executive officer of Nucor Corp. "From a
firefighter perspective, steel roofing gives you the advantage when, if for
example, you're fighting a rapidly approaching fire, the steel roof allows
you to focus on the more vulnerable parts of the house or a structure, such
as the sides, because you know the metal roof isn't going to be prone to the
fire," said Kim Raddatz, fire chief for the city of Coronado, Calif., in San
Diego County. Kim, who has more than 27 years of experience in firefighting,
installed a steel roof on his own home last October. "I put it on because of
its fire resistance and because it's lightweight, you can walk on it safely,
it's durable (50-year warranty), and can withstand high winds," Chief
Raddatz explained. "You also don't have to worry about the wind loosening
the roofing materials, which prevents embers from getting underneath."
"There's been an awakening among consumers in cladding and roofing their
homes in steel," maintains Pete Croft, Metro Roof Products, Oceanside,
California, a U.S. manufacturer of steel roofing. "The wildfires that
devastated southern California communities last year, such as Scripps Ranch,
Julian and Ramona, were a red flag to homeowners on the importance of
choosing fire retardant materials to protect their home, often a family's
most important financial asset." The American Iron and Steel Institute is a
non-profit association of North American companies engaged in the iron and
steel industry. The Institute serves as the voice of the North American
steel industry, speaking out on behalf of its members in the public policy
arena and advancing the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred
material of choice. AISI also plays a lead role in the development and
application of new steels and steelmaking technology. AISI is comprised of
31 member companies, including integrated and electric furnace steelmakers,
and 118 associate and affiliate members who are suppliers to or customers of
the steel industry. For more news about steel and its applications, view
AISI's Web site at www.steel.org. Source: American Iron and Steel
Institute
CONTACT: Nancy Gravatt of American Iron and Steel Institute,
+1-703-593-4176, or ngravatt@steel.org
Web site: http://www.steel.org/ NOTE TO EDITORS: To provide consumers with a
website to locate a roofing contractor in their locale, as well as detailed
information about steel roofing, send them to www.metalroofing.com
for all
the specifics they might need.
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