The ever-evolving trends in the roofing industry

It was 2008 when Duncan Corlett and a couple of his mates decided to put their skills in the roof industry to good use and start a roofing company in New Plymouth. After toying with the idea for a while, the time came and they took it.

Since Central Roofing was established 14 years ago, Duncan and his team haven’t looked back. Part of the reason that the company has grown into what it is today is its adaptability: after the Canterbury earthquakes in 2010 and 2011, Duncan and his team decided to expand to Christchurch to lend their roofing expertise to the rebuild effort.

In that time, they’ve been active in both Canterbury and Taranaki – and they’ve been providing a wide range of services for almost any conceivable residential project.

“Our work ranges from standard re-roofs, all the way up to brand new architectural roofing,” says Duncan. “We do a lot of pressed metal tiles, we do membrane work, and some Euro-tray work too – and in New Plymouth we do all our own scaffolding.”

Duncan says one of the primary hallmarks of the business is its versatility in its offerings.

“We do pretty much everything apart from concrete tiles.”

This versatility is especially evident in the Wall House project in New Plymouth, pictured below. It's comprised of two rectangular boxes – one on top of the other, creating a particular challenge for the roofing. The upper cantilevers in two directions over the lower, creating a car port in front of the garage and covered alfresco space to the rear. Its stacked open forms enjoy an easy connection to the outdoors and to upper-level sea views. 

The black iron and soft wood tones create a lovely cohesion with the modern interior. The home incorporates a rich materiality, texture and colour, and provides a sense of openness that fully connects with its surroundings.

Duncan says the project didn't come without its challenges, but the end product ended up coming together beautifully.

"The job was a challenge with the tightness of the site and getting the sheets installed without damage with the scaffold being so close," says Duncan. "This made it hard for the installers onsite - but they made a great job of it." 

Another success for Central Roofing was its recent project on Smart Road. The brief, which called for a thermally-efficient product, resulted in the installation of a Warmspan roof with 100mm PIR board over a layer of Metcom 7, and Enviroclad as a top layer.

Duncan says Mother Nature stepped in to offer some extra challenges here, but it was nothing that the team couldn't handle.

"The job went smoothly apart from the weather," says Duncan. "Achieving all the falls the architect wanted was a challenge with the window heights on the top storey. But in the end we made it work."

Central Roofing also played a major part in a particularly striking project in Christchurch: the Leeston Memorial Hall. Built to replace the original building which was damaged in the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010 and 2011, the new hall is oriented northwest towards Harts Creek and remarkable vista of the Southern Alps across the Cantabrian plains.

A winner of the 2019 Canterbury Architecture Award – Public Architecture, the hall has a long function room, outside courtyard area and kitchen facilities — all beneath a .55 Heritage tray roof in Scoria colour, installed on both the walls and roof installed by Central Roofing.

Duncan says this job was especially fulfilling when it was completed.

"The highlight was seeing it all come together," he says. "As well as working with the architect and installers making sure all the ribs were lined up.

"There was a lot of setting out on this job - especially with the windows, as they were manufactured to suit the width of one roof tray. Installing and flashing the tray was challenging, but as always, it came together."

Another big change that’s on the horizon for Central Roofing: the new Building Code changes, coming into effect next year, which will require better thermal efficiency in virtually every climate region of New Zealand. For the roofing industry, this will probably mean a push towards ‘warm roofing’.

Warm roofs are incredibly beneficial in regions that experience cold spells. The insulation preserves the warmth of the interior and protects it from the outside cold. In addition, installing a warm roof system helps maintain a consistent temperature indoors, making the structure more energy efficient.

“It’s going to change the roofing industry – again – because it means there’s a new R-value to achieve,” says Duncan. “This will mean that most builds and renovations will need to go further than just putting your traditional batts in the ceiling.”

But despite the rapid changes going on in the industry, Duncan says that given Central Roofing’s historical record with adaptability, the company will deal with the changes as it always has – head on.

Learn more about Central Roofing and its services.