Waiau Pa

Bev and Russel Bonnar were experiencing problems with their large, multi-purpose shed on their Waiau Pa kiwifruit farm. By choosing COLORSTEEL Dridex® they were able to transform their facility through a simple re-roof. The Bonnars have been growing kiwifruit for the last 40 years, son Clinton Bonnar and daughter Shiree Watt are also now major contributors to the Bonnar Orchards enterprise. The shed was built in the 1980s to accommodate the harvested crop ahead of it going to market. More recently the space is used for a private beer brewing operation.

The 30-year-old roof had a severe leak and the roofing sheets threatened to lift in stormy weather. There was also significant humidity created by the brewing operation, which often led to condensation issues. The Bonnars needed a product that would solve both of these problems. Russel and Bev Bonnar had trialled Dridex® on a smaller shed some years ago, so knew that re-roofing the larger shed with Dridex® would solve their moisture issues.

Dridex® features a fleece layer on the reverse side of the pre-painted steel material which is designed to absorb and store condensing water. It has twice the absorbency of a normal underlay, as well as increasing natural ventilation. As a result, drip from condensation is effectively eliminated in situations where other underlay solutions may fail. As Dridex® deals with condensation and is immune to mould growth, it has been awarded the Sensitive Choice by the National Asthma Council.

The fleece layer prevents water from travelling once it’s been captured. This means it doesn’t accumulate in any roof structures and it creates a drier roof environment. The water simply evaporates as the roof temperature rises or the relative humidity drops. For a homeowner, the main benefit of Dridex® is the elimination of condensation issues. It also has a clean, consistent appearance from underneath, which can be difficult to achieve with conventional roofing products.

For a roofing installer, Drridex® removes the need to install a separate layer of roofing underlay, which can be challenging in windy conditions. Independent studies and user testimonials show that the roofing process with DRIDEX® is at least 10% faster than conventional systems. Dridex® also provides a safety benefit for a roofer, as the purlin isn’t hidden by the roofing underlay.

Licensed Building Practitioner, Nigel Wagstaff of Classic Roofing Solutions (Onewhero) installed the new roof. He found significant improvement in on-site productivity working with Dridex®. Once the removal of the old netting and underlay was achieved, he says the installation was simple. He and his team were able to install the new roof on the 11.5m x 25m shed in just a day.

“We were lucky to be chosen for an earlier trial site for Dridex®,” says Shiree Watt. “It was a defining moment to see clearly the potential of the product to solve our ongoing issues with condensation in our big shed. Because we wanted Dridex® and not a conventional solution, we waited patiently for the product to come on the market so it would be available for us.” “We love the re-roof that was completed recently. It has solved all our issues and we’re able to run our private beer brewing operation, which happens once every two months, producing an average of 600 litres without the complications arising from the production and bottling operation.” “The building is much brighter now too – the product distributes light very efficiently throughout the shed.”

In the vines, Waiau Pa