Nyala house, a staff house, has undergone a roofing transformation to test a roofing product called Shingles.
It was installed by Mpumalanga Roofing and Projects. Internal modernisations were also made to the house by Duke’s Construction during the same time frame.
Roof Shingles are thin, overlapping tiles covering the roof to form the outer layer of a four-layered roof structure. The outer layer of the roof is comprised of composite Asphalt fire-retardant materials that are layered onto the roof from the eaves upwards to form the outermost protective layer of the roof.
Underlying the outer shingles are three sublayers: a thick layer of oriented strand boarding that the shingles are attached to, a layer of insulation in between, and a thick, lightweight underlying ceiling fitted internally above the support beams.
The colour of the shingles has been chosen to match that of thatched roofing.
As stated above, we are only testing this roofing product and will update periodically, once we have a more well-rounded, complete view of the suitability of this roofing in our warm environment. This will entail observing the roofing insulation qualities and subsequent internal conditions over the four seasons for as accurate an appraisal as possible. We look forward to sharing the outcome of testing this roofing product with you as we progress through the seasons.
We, as staff, are incredibly grateful to the Board for carrying out these changes and modernisations and would like to thank the Board for the effort and attention to Nyala house - it is deeply appreciated!
Words by Tess Woollgar. Images courtesy of Tess Woollgar,