A lot of the buildings built particularly in the Miami region have a distinctly Art Deco influence which neighboring areas understandably appropriated as their own. In the United States, Art Deco was a product of new ideas and movements and found its inspirations in many distinct early 20th Century European design styles such as Cubism, French Art Deco, German Bauhaus and Expressionism, Dutch de Stijl and Amsterdam School, Vienna Secession and others.
Miami Beach’s building boom came during the second phase of Art Deco known as Streamline Moderne, which began with the stock market crash and ended in most cases with the outbreak of World War II. It was less decorative—a more sober reflection of the Great Depression. It relied more on machine-inspired forms, and American ideas in industrial design. It was buttressed by the belief that times would get better and was infused with the optimistic futurism extolled at America’s Worlds Fairs of the 1930s. Stripped Classic or Depression Moderne was a sub-style often used for governmental buildings, the U.S. Post Office being the best example in Miami Beach. Miami Beach architects used local imagery to create what we now call Tropical Deco. These buildings feature relief ornamentation featuring whimsical flora, fauna and ocean-liner motifs to reinforce the image of Miami Beach as a seaside resort.
Interestingly enough, this era coincided with the zenith of asbestos shingles’ popularity. As a result, many of the buildings currently on the historic register are fitted with asbestos roofing. Time has marched on, and though asbestos has proven the longevity it initially promised, its lifespan has been spent and the roofs must now be replaced.
Trouble is, what to replace them with? By now, we understand the myriad issues asbestos for housing purposes presents. For some history and perspective, you can read up on a short entry we posted a while ago here: https://spenglerindustries.com/news/historically-compliant-asbestos-roof-shingle-replacement-options/
So. For the health of the building’s inhabitants and the environment as a whole, there’s no question that in this case like materials cannot be substituted for like materials. Also remember the cardinal rule of restoration: Don’t specify products and / or implement installation techniques that will result in consistent re-restoration. We don’t restore just to restore again. This boxes a lot of people into a corner particularly if they live in an area which requires product testing like Miami-Dade certification.
You want an environmentally friendly and safe alternative to asbestos of course, but the pickings are slim with regard to finding replacement materials that honor the style and history of the building and still offer the durability required in high wind zones. You need something impact resistant and able to handle wind-driven rain. Can you think of any other product that does all of this?
Our diamond shingles are particularly appropriate for this type of scenario. The 90 degree version offers the iconic geometry associated with Art Deco structures, yet finds itself at home from Victorian charmers to contemporary dazzlers. This setup is one of the earliest metal roofing systems. It was developed hundreds of years ago as a one and done solution. Before cranes, lifts and quick assembly scaffolding, leaking roofs couldn’t be easily attended to. The choice had to be build with permanence to begin with or nothing.
Our diamond shingle systems have remained maintenance-free and leak proof for centuries on castles, cathedrals and other of Europe’s most important works of architectural art. The high Alps frequently experience hurricane force winds. Many of the indigenous buildings employ these diamond shingles to cope with both the heavy snow loads and massive gusts. We have hundreds of years showing effective proof of concept.
The fact of the matter is, in some cases, compliance on paper is the order of the day. The good news is, we are making progress to work through the compliance red tape so our standard size 16 diamond shingle in galvalume will have the paperwork to comply with local regulations.
If your system has a unique, pressed design, you require a specific metal or you need a full facsimile built and engineered to look like an original shingle, we can assist you with that as well. Should the project require a tested product, if your job has the time and is of sufficient scope to do so, we can look into getting your specific pieces tested and registered.
We stand at the ready to speak with anyone on the compliance team, historic or building code or otherwise. We have solutions for Florida residents needing quality metal roofing products that can stand up to hurricane situations. Obviously the only thing stopping a rogue comet is a bomb shelter, but short of everyone choosing a subterranean lifestyle, we have the solutions you need if you’re in a high wind and high impact zone. You won’t find these solutions in any other system. Plus, the pieces we make are beautiful and work with your design objectives. Let’s work together to come up with your best solution.
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