Product approval for composite roofs

[Brian Hall]

We have recently been required by ONLY Orange County to have a Florida
Product Approval sheet for insulated composite roofs (i.e. Elite,
Structall etc.). Did some new law come into effect that requires this
for all composite roof systems?

If so, is Orange County the only one abiding by this law, or are there
other counties (specifically in central FL) that are requiring the
same thing?

If not, then is there a way that I can fight this requirement through
the new statute 489.113?

[David W Miller]

Since you put this on the Google group, you're probably going to get many
opinions, however, here's mine.

The requirement for product approval on roofing products goes back 2 or 3
years, I don't know the exact date, but it's been in place for much longer
than to be considered "new".

Orange County is not the only one recognizing or enforcing it. Duval County
and St. Johns County both enforce this requirement, as I'm sure many others
do as well.

In my [not usually humble] opinion, Chapt 2007-227 is not related in any way
to the product approval process or requirements and would not be a good
vehicle for resistance to its provisions.

David Miller
AAF Technical

[Brian Hall]

That's what I needed to know. Thank you David.

For some reason it has only recently been enforced to us. For the last 2 to
3 years we have pulled numerous permits that would include a composite roof
system without submitting a single paper that said "Florida Product
Approval."

Since I'm obviously out of the loop on this one, could you tell me the
reason/history for how this requirement came to be (to the best of your
knowledge)? From what I've seen with FPA it looks like a joke. It appears
that as long as you fill some very basic requirements and you have someone
who knows the system, you're in (more or less). Just my opinion.

-Brian Hall-

[David W Miller]

Brian:

I'm not well-schooled on the Product Approval process, but surely it was a
mechanism intended to provide some public safeguards for the use of products
entering the market. No doubt opinions about its efficacy will be all over
the map. While I've seen one product approval that was simply a technical
description of the product, I would argue that it's a step in the right
direction. I can tell you that during the initial stages of the development
of the AAF Guide, I tried to find technical data on a range of products and
had a very difficult time on some of them. Now typically, products like
aluminum extrusions which are used as structural components, do not require
product approval. But, when an industry can standardize its products, it
should create a more level playing field, both from the design point of
view, and the construction point of view. Consider for a moment how life
would be if there were many different (non-standardized) cross-sectional
dimensions for 2X4 lumber. It would make things more complex and therefore
more expensive. This is one of our problems in the aluminum industry,
varying wall thicknesses, claims about alloys, while at the same time, there
are no markings on the metal to reveal its properties like there is with
lumber. It is a competitive minefield. Yet, I've not heard contractors
lobbying the industry for standardization. Go figure.

David