Australian roofing innovation takes on the world - and wins

Australian company, nu-lok Roofing Systems, recently took out the gold medal at the prestigious International Exhibition of Inventions and New Products in Geneva, Switzerland.

Robert (Bob) Hick, founder and CEO of nu-lok, is the creative force behind what is being dubbed 'the most significant advance in roofing, since the roof itself'. A creative thinker, Bob started putting his mind to improving efficiencies and design applications many years ago, culminating in the design, development and introduction of the unique patented fixing system, which is at the heart of every nu-lok roof.

"Our plan was to create the world's best roof, and that's exactly what we've done," explains Hick.

A nu-lok roof differs from the traditional in two key ways. First, traditional and perishable timber battens are replaced with structurally superior galvalume battens, which form the basis of the roofing system itself. These battens allow for link channels and clipping mechanisms to be easily fitted, dramatically speeding up the construction process.

This infrastructure accommodates the roofing tiles themselves which, because of the design technology involved, requires less roof cladding materials. "When you're dealing with prestige and slate roofs, this is a significant cost saving and probably why the nu-lok roof is receiving such widespread praise," explains Hick.

"nu-lok ceramic stone roofing tiles are the second major breakthrough. Their profile allows for amazing flexibility of design, and because less product is physically used, the weight saving positively impacts on the rest of construction process - from the foundations up".

"Nu-lok represents the coming of age of the roofing industry, combining the latest technology in ceramic-slate-roof-tile production, along with high-grade metals used in its unique and solidly-performing fixing system. This company stands to turn the roofing industry upside down as the others race to play catch-up" - wrote one Sydney editor recently.

Source: Press Article.
November 2002