Like most experienced builders, Dean Yorke of Totalspan Counties is pretty wary. When it comes to the products and materials he chooses to work with, he'll almost always opt for the tried and true over the new and shiny. Every now and again, a fresh and striking innovation hits his desk that just makes too much sense to ignore.

A case in point is Colorsteel Dridex, Colorsteel's latest advance in roofing technology that signals the end of messy, time-consuming roofing underlay and netting. For builders like Dean Yorke, it looks like the age of paperless is here.

In collaboration with Colorsteel, Dean and the Totalspan Counties team recently put Colorsteel Dridex to the test on their own office building in Pukekohe, South Auckland.

"The first thing that was clear was just how much quicker than building paper Colorsteel Dridex was on the install. Going forward, it's going to save us a huge amount of time," says Dean. "Being up on a roof with some of the weather we have to contend with can be challenging. Colorsteel Dridex is easier to handle and there's no risk of ripped paper flying around in the wind."

The Colorsteel Dridex product range has been designed with an anti-condensation fleece layer to absorb and store accumulating water, preventing it from travelling to the roof structure or walls. When the roof temperature rises, the stored water simply evaporates away.

Colorsteel Dridex comes in two product variants. The first, Colorsteel Dridex, is most suitable for mild to moderate environments. The other, Colorsteel Dridex+, can also be used in more severe weather environments.

Both systems offer a mix of form and function, made tough enough to meet the exacting standards of ASNZS2728. They're also highly resistant to corrosion due to New Zealand Steel's unique coating systems.

Dean Yorke found the support and training he and his team received from Colorsteel really helpful. "The whole process is pretty self-explanatory really. The only challenge was getting our technique right to melt the edges. We trialled a few different heat guns before we were happy, but once that was sorted, we were up and running."

"We'll definitely look to use Colorsteel Dridex going forward," adds Dean. "It's just a great solution and the fact it's backed by a warranty doesn't hurt either."

At this stage, Colorsteel Dridex has been developed for industrial sheds, unlined garages and farm buildings (outbuildings) only.

To find out more about Colorsteel Dridex, contact Colorsteel.