At first, Jayne Sventek and her husband thought they might be seeing things.
Their home’s sparkling white metal roof, only just eight months old, had begun to show a distinctive black tinge creeping over the surface like a five o’clock shadow. As the weeks and months went by, it was clear that something was seriously wrong. The black fungus menace began to grow thicker, until the entire roof was nearly covered with a mottled, ugly discoloration.
The nightmare didn’t end there for these Naples, Florida homeowners. In fact, it was just beginning. For nearly five years, Jayne desperately tried to get the original local installers to stand behind their work and fix the problem. She called building officials and worked to hunt down the manufacturer of the roof’s material, all to no avail. Cleaning the roof wasn’t an option, for fear of voiding any warranty that may have been in place. In the region’s warm, humid climate, the fungus continued to thrive.
More research confirmed what Jayne and her husband were beginning to suspect: the installer had used an inferior material from an unknown manufacturer with a sub-quality, under-cured foreign paint system. The problem wasn’t going to go away, it was only going to get worse unless the roof was replaced.
Out of options, the Sventeks happened to get in touch with the Metal Roofing Alliance and subsequently, Drexel Metals, a leading metal roofing systems and custom fabrication company with an excellent reputation. Drexel worked closely with the homeowners to ensure the replacement product would withstand the region’s environmental conditions. The Sventeks installed a beautiful Drexel Metals Mansard Brown standing seam metal roof that came complete with a 35-year warranty and Valspar’s Fluropon® 70% PVDF coating, a highly-durable finish designed stand up to severe climate conditions, including saltwater, humidity and storms. While a darker color, the coating on the Sventeks’ new roof also provides cooling benefits, helping reflect the sun’s rays and saving energy.
The Sventeks couldn’t be happier with their new roof, but the true test came in 2017 when Hurricane Irma, an extremely powerful and catastrophic hurricane, hit Naples. Winds up to 130 miles struck the region, leaving massive damage, downed trees, and homeowners like the Sventeks without power for 10 days. Miraculously, even with all the surrounding destruction, their house was not only still standing, the roof was intact and in great shape.
“That was a true test,” said Jayne. “Our new roof looks and performs beautifully. It’s great peace of mind for us to know that now, the roof will not only stand up to the test of time, but to Mother Nature as well.”
Lessons Learned:
