With Cyclone Ellie having unleashed its fury in Far North Queensland and more cyclones and extreme weather forecast for the eastern seaboard during this summer storm season, now is the perfect time to consider Barrington Roof Tiles for your home.

Barrington Roof Tiles are a lightweight yet high-strength fully designed premium roofing system that combines the beauty of natural slate with all the benefits of modern day technology including weatherproof characteristics such as hail and UV resistance.

In recent months the Australian insurance industry has called for a roofing product durable enough to weather any storm, therefore drastically reducing costs caused by hail and storm damage. 

In 2005, a severe hailstorm in Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales cost the insurance industry almost $217 million, while severe hailstorms in Sydney in December 2007 left a massive bill totaling more than $400 million. According to the Insurance Council of Australia, 19 of the 20 largest property losses over the past 40 years have been weather related .

Managing Director of Barrington Roof Tiles, Brian Hughes, said most damage to roofs during the summer storm season was caused by hail and strong winds, yet with Barrington Roof Tiles both hail and debris such as tree branches bounce straight off, leaving the tiles and roof intact.

“Not only can Barrington Roof Tiles assist insurance companies in helping to reduce their claims, which is a real asset to everyone involved, but they are suitable for all types of weather,” Mr Hughes said.

“If anyone is concerned over the durability of their current roof in light of recent warnings and future storms, it’s worth thinking about spending that extra bit more to have the security of Barrington now instead of paying for it later.”

Manufactured in Melbourne for more than 12 years, Barrington Roof Tiles are available in two styles – the Barrington Slate Tile and the Barrington Roof Shingle – and have a 30-year structural and colourfast guarantee.

Barrington Roof Tiles are made from Torbex, tested by the CSIRO to the Australian Building Standards AS 4046-1992, and feature interlocking design and moulded water channels to ensure they will never leak or distort when correctly installed.

“Barrington Roof Tiles have been tested to the United States of America standards for hail resistance by RMIT University in Melbourne as there is no Australian standard currently in place,” Mr Hughes said.

“The test results confirmed what the manufacturers of Barrington have always known – that in addition to looking fantastic on all styles of homes, from heritage residences to contemporary buildings, the product offers exceptional durability and is an ideal alternative to slate as there is no maintenance involved and also a significantly lower price tag.”

Innovative Melbourne company Composite Materials Engineering (CME) has developed a roof tile set to revolutionise tiling for restoration projects and period homes.

The new range, known as Barrington, includes a Slate Tile and Roof Shingle. Both have the appearance and beauty of natural slate but are stronger and more lightweight and durable than conventional slate, concrete or terracotta tiles.

Developed after five years of research and development, Barrington roofing products are produced from Torbex, a reinforced composite.

The CSIRO has done extensive testing of Barrington and found both the Slate Tile and the Roof Shingle can withstand more than 120kg, which is in excess of the standard required of conventional tiles.

Had Barrington been installed on the roofs of Sydney homes before last year’s hailstorm, most of the $1 billion roof damage would have been avoided, with the golf-ball sized hail-stones simply bouncing off instead of smashing through the tiles.

CME Managing Director, Brian Hughes, said the Barrington Slate Tile would be a boon for builders, because unlike conventional slate or terracotta, it can be walked on during installation.

“Our Slate Tile is very lightweight, about 800 grams, which is less than one-quarter the weight of a conventional clay tile. This means they are easier to transport and easier to lay,” Mr Hughes said.

“Both the Slate Tile and the Roof Shingle are virtually indestructible and won’t break if dropped. They can be laid on high-pitched roofs and are cheaper than other roof tiles because of the speed with which they can be installed.

“Another plus is that maintenance costs normally associated with slate and conventional tiles are not a factor with Barrington.”

While the new tiles are comparable in price to traditional slate, overall laying a roof using Barrington is considerably cheaper thanks to less over-lay, less breakage and less labour for the builder. 

CME developed Barrington after it identified a gap in the roof tile market. “There was a real need for a lighter, stronger, cheaper tile that could be walked on,” Mr Hughes said.

CME was established in 1989 and invests many thousands of dollars each year on research and development to manufacture products that replace traditional materials such as steel and timber.