Paying through the roof?

Much has been made of Frank Gehry and the infamous problems caused by recent ‘leaky roofs' in buildings such as the Stata Centre at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This neglect for the importance of effective roofing is echoed in the Gulf. However, the problem facing the region is less to do with bad design or poor quality products, and more to do with the variability of labour and overall installation quality.

As a result, manufacturers are taking on the responsibility of the installation network to maintain quality roof installation. "We work with a system of approved installers. You don't become a world market leader if you're not able to sustain good quality at every stage, even at those you don't necessarily control," says Michael Knudsen, regional general manager of roofing supplier Corus Bausysteme, which provides Kalzip aluminium standing seal roofing.

However, increased quality can lead to increased costs. "We are a little more expensive than companies from [the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia] or India. We can't deliver for less than €10 ($15) per square metre," admits Alexander Pahl, CEO of Germany-based tiling company International Brothers Pahl (IBPC).

Both tiles and metal roofing are popular in the region. Tiles have historically been the popular choice in the domestic market, while aluminium standing seam roofs have been used for 30 years in the Middle East on commercial projects that include BurJuman Centre, Nad al Sheba and the forthcoming Dubai Mall.

Quality roofing is essential in the Gulf because a good roof will need to withstand the extremes of temperature, humidity, and the rare but significant heavy rain that can occur during winter months.

Aluminium has been successfully used in the region for decades but tiles are in a category by themselves. "We burn the tiles at 1400 degrees so that means the colour will never fade and the tiles won't break. You can't find competitors to us in the region," says Pahl.

Due to extreme temperature variations between indoors and outdoors, condensation on the outside of the roof can also be a problem. "With our systems, you can actually place barriers and insulation configurations so that you will never have condensation problems," says Knudsen.

The quality and type of roofing material can affect everything from the appearance of a building, to its fire safety, LEED rating and maintenance costs.

While there are good quality roofing materials available, frequently they are not matched by the build quality of the supporting structure. Pahl points out: "We give our products a 50-year warranty. But often villas will be built in a very bad condition. Will the villa last the next 20 years?"