As low-slope commercial roofing performance expectations increase for wind uplift, hail, and fire resistance, roof specifiers are asked to deliver systems that go beyond minimum code requirements and are built to perform over time.

Here are three questions to ask when specifying commercial roofing:

1. Will this roof recommendation be durable?

Consider: The U.S. Hail Zone map has extended northward and eastward, and regions historically unaffected by severe hail are seeing increased storm activity.

2. Will this roof recommendation protect the insulation?

Consider: Energy codes require higher R-values, and the lower-density insulation that helps achieve those values is also more compressible.

3. Will this roof assembly resist wind uplift?

Consider: Higher-velocity wind zones are moving further inland, and insurance companies are asking for more protection.

The answer is yes, but only if hard cover boards are specified in the roof assembly.

Cover boards sit between the insulation and membrane, enhancing roof durability, meeting wind uplift requirements, improving fire resistance, and protecting what matters most, from data centers and warehouses to hospitals and schools.

For those who live by the specs—FM 4450, FM 4470 VSH, ASTM D6878—cover boards are a performance enhancement you can’t do without.

Download the DEXcell Technical Guide and get re-acquainted with the data.

National Gypsum Company is the exclusive provider of DEXcell®. DEXcell® gypsum roof board products are manufactured by Gold Bond Building Products, LLC. DEXcell® cement roof board products are manufactured by PermaBASE Building Products, LLC.