With only the plywood substrate left to protect the two-storey home, water began making its way through the joins in the plywood and into the home, damaging wall linings and carpet.

It was at this stage, the owner decided to opt for a strong and durable metal tile roof with the good looks offered by Gerard CF Shake. As well as being resistant to hurricane force winds, earthquakes and UV damage, Gerard CF Shake is low profile and comes in a range of natural stone colours that provide a similar aesthetic look of materials such as timber, clay or asphalt — but without the maintenance.

Roofer Jonathon Telfer, of Telfer Roofing, said time was of the essence when repairing the roof and installing the Gerard CF Shake.

"The job took about five days and we had a pretty good weather window but we had no choice anyway because it was a family house that they were living in so we wanted to get it done as quickly as possible," Jonathon says.

"Water had seeped through the joins in the plywood into the second storey of the house and had damaged Gib and carpet so we needed to get the roof fixed as soon as possible. Because the family were living in the house while we did the job they had to move into different areas while we worked."

Jonathon says the six-year-old asphalt roofing had to be repaired first to provide a true base for the Gerard CF Shake overlay. One of the advantages of Gerard CF Shake is its ability to be fixed directly onto the ply substrate without the need to completely remove the roof it is replacing. Where time and cost is important this feature represents considerable savings.

"The asphalt single roof had previously been repaired and this was the third time it had failed," he says. "There were three different areas that needed repair where the asphalt had peeled off, like a deck of cards, so these had to be fixed first to give us the right level before we could do the overlay."

Jonathon says with its hidden fixing system, the Gerard CF Shake provides a clean, low profile look and it is laid in one direction and from the bottom upwards.

"It's great to use and easy to use but it all starts with your preparation," he says. "It's just like painting, if you do the preparation right then you get a great result."

"As a roofing material, it's stronger than most because you don't have a big void between the tile and the roof. Gerard CF Shake tiles are laid directly onto the plywood roof. Structurally, it's bulletproof and it's like walking on a footpath once it's laid."

Gerard CF Shake

With its textured finish, Gerard CF Shake has a natural look that captures the charm of traditional shingles but is manufactured to be durable and low-maintenance. Unlike traditional materials, Gerard CF Shake is not subject to freeze-thaw damage, delaminating by UV rays or lifting and breaking caused by high winds and hail storms.

The 1250 x 255mm tile sheets are engineered to interlock and overlap and use a hidden fixing system that resists wind lifting and keeps the roof weathertight. International test reports, appraisals and field results show the product is 100% waterproof, earthquake safe, fire resistant and able to withstand hurricane-force winds of up to 190kph. The product is backed by a 50-year limited warranty. With its textured finish and natural, weathered tones Gerard CF Shake has the visual appeal of timber, asphalt or clay shingles but with greater durability and less maintenance.