A new plastic roofing tile operation has reached commercial production.
RPM Technologies Inc. has invested $7.5 million in a roofing plant in Terre Haute, Ind., that began making plastic roofing tiles late last year. The firm claims its roof tiles are environmentally sound because they are based entirely on mixed recycled plastics.
The tiles come in three types that simulate Spanish clay tiles, slate tiles and cedar shakes. The tiles are easy to install using conventional roofing methods and nails and screws, RPM Chief Executive Officer Randy Zych said in an interview from RPM's head office in Mokena, Ill. Their installation also can be lighter in weight than conventional tiles.
RPM compression molds the tiles in Terre Haute from blends of high density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyphenylene oxide and PET. Compatibilizers, impact modifiers and other additives provide a strong, coherent structure based on plastics that do not normally mix well together. RPM has capacity to make 4,000 10-foot-by-10-foot squares of the tiles per month, Zych estimated.
``We've had a lot of response even though the weather is bad [for installation],'' Zych said. One recent job was installing simulated slate tiles on the Veterans Affairs building in Carbondale, Ill.
The tiles are suited to residential, commercial and institutional buildings. RPM says they are competitively priced vs. traditional materials and are so durable they carry a 50-year warranty. They resist fire, hail and wind and come in a range of colors that are realistic looking. RPM claims they are a ``green'' product that supports the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design program.