From hurricanes to wildfires: Building codes shape product design

By Jenny Yu.  

Why BRAVA Roof Tile is dedicated to developing code-compliant roofing materials. 

With extreme weather events becoming more and more common, the roofing industry constantly works to develop and meet standards that keep properties and the people within them safe and secure. For roofing manufacturers, meeting these requirements is essential to gaining market access while simultaneously protecting contractors, property owners, and the long-term performance of buildings. 

BRAVA Roof Tile has prioritized creating durable, code-compliant roofing solutions, recently earning approvals across key regulatory bodies including Miami-Dade Product Control Division, the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) and the International Code Council Evaluation Service (ICC-ES). These certifications demonstrate the company’s ability to meet rigorous performance standards in regions known for severe weather risks.  

“Ultimately, code compliance protects contractors during installation and the homeowner in the investment they're making,” Thomas Knuckey, director of product management at BRAVA, told The Coffee Shops™. “If you're not code compliant, your material will not be sold or built. So, it’s extremely critical in the construction industry to have code compliance because that's your foot in the door.” 

Thomas explained how the details and requirements of code compliance depend on location; structures in the west, for example, have seen increasing requirements for fire resistance while those on the southeast need to withstand high winds and heavy rainfall from storms and hurricanes. 

According to Thomas, BRAVA designs its synthetic roofing systems with these challenges in mind. “We have Class 4 impact resistance. We have the ability to meet Class A fire resistance. We have the ability to achieve really high weather and wind performance,” he explained. “The code requirements and passing those approvals is how you prove it to the industry.” 

To earn these certifications, BRAVA has invested heavily in internal research and development. Engineers test products and manufacturing processes to confirm they meet performance benchmarks before entering formal certification programs. “We have a materials lab internally where we’re constantly testing our process capabilities and materials,” Thomas stated. “Understanding the baseline material performance and extreme weather performance internally is the first step before moving out to those third parties to get the different declarations and certifications that we need. We're always making sure we're monitoring so that we know each product sent out the door is consistent with what that performance needs to be.” 

Learn more about BRAVA Roof Tile and their commitment to code-compliant roofing solutions.