GAF and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), an independent, non-profit, scientific research and communications organization, have announced an alliance to make resilient FORTIFIED roofs more accessible to homeowners across the country. GAF provides a variety of roofing products that comply with IBHS’s FORTIFIED Roof standards and is deploying critical training expertise and capabilities to help contractors identify those products and learn about FORTIFIED installation methods that help homes withstand weather events.
Based on decades of research by IBHS, FORTIFIED is a voluntary beyond-code construction and re-roofing method to help protect homes against hurricanes, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. In some states, homeowners with a FORTIFIED Roof designation may be eligible for insurance discounts, grants, or other incentives.
Severe weather continues to threaten communities across the United States. In 2024, there were 24 weather-related disasters in the U.S. costing at least $1 billion in damages, leading to millions of displaced Americans.
“It takes one storm to destroy a home and drastically alter lives,” said Roy Wright, President and CEO of IBHS. “Yet, more than 70,000 families across 31 states have turned to FORTIFIED to reduce this risk by enhancing their homes’ protection against severe weather. GAF’s training expertise and the extensive network of roofing contractors in its certification program will help bring FORTIFIED roofs to even more homeowners in regions of the country facing increasing threats from wind, rain and hail.”
“At GAF, we are committed to providing high-quality products and services that help safeguard homes before and after disasters strike,” said John Altmeyer, CEO of GAF. “We look forward to working closely with IBHS to provide access to FORTIFIED-compliant products and industry-leading GAF training to help communities across the country build resiliency and protect what matters most to them.”
GAF is deploying the long-established training expertise of its national CARE (Center for Advancement of Roofing Excellence) program to deliver dedicated training to help GAF Master Elite Contractors meet the requirements to become FORTIFIED Certified Roofing Contractors.
“This alliance between IBHS and GAF helps to build an elite pipeline of qualified roofers to provide FORTIFIED Roofs to homeowners looking to increase the durability of their home, which lowers the risk of storm damage and reduces the likelihood of being displaced by a storm,” said Fred Malik, Managing Director of FORTIFIED at IBHS.
Homeowners who have a designated FORTIFIED Roof installed by a GAF Master Elite Roofing Contractor and purchase a Golden Pledge Limited Warranty are eligible for additional benefits provided by the FORTIFIED Addendum to the Golden Pledge Limited Warranty. Through the alliance with IBHS, contractors and homeowners will now be able to more easily recognize the portfolio of high-quality GAF products that comply with the requirements of the FORTIFIED Roof standard, some of which include: WeatherWatch Ice & Water Leak Barrier and StormGuard Film-Surfaced Leak Barrier; QuickStart Peel & Stick Starter Roll; FeltBuster Synthetic Roofing Felt, TigerPaw Premium Roof Deck Protection and Deck-Armor Premium Breathable Roof Deck Protection; GAF Roof Deck Seam Tape; and Timberline HDZ, Timberline UHDZ and Timberline AS II Shingles which rank highly on the rigorous IBHS Impact Shingle Ratings.
For more information about the FORTIFIED Roof Program and GAF products, warranty, and training, visit www.GAF.com/FORTIFIED.
