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Referring to stone coated steel roof panels as "lightweight," when used in a Class "A" reroof application over wood shakes, is very misleading. The steel roof panel manufacturers imply that their product, when installed as a Class "C" assembly, over an existing wood shake or shingle roof, weighs 140 to 150 pounds per square.

In the late 1980's and early 1990's, the fire service experienced many residential fires involving this type of reroof system which resulted in extensive fire damage and occupant fire safety concerns. In an effort to address these issues, the California Fire Chiefs' Association (CFCA) and the Steel Roof Manufacturers' Association (SRMA) conducted several fire tests (Building Standards Committee Report 1993-4, FPO/CFCA) at the Weyerhaeuser Laboratory in Longview, Washington, on June 9 and 10, 1993.

Manufacturers of stone-coated steel products fail to highlight the fact that their Class "A" rating is conditional upon the type of installation. Depending on the way it is installed, it can be a Class "A", "B", or "C" system. Achieving Class "A" in reroof applications over wood shakes is, in the case of some manufacturers, not possible, and with others, requires the extra cost and considerable weight of a ½ -inch gypsum board.

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