Farmers Insurance recently announced it was opening what's called a “roof farm” in Olathe.
Farmers and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) are working together on the project, which is designed to determine how roofing materials of various kinds stand up to real-world issues like aging and weather.
The farm consists of five roof structures with an area of 15 sq. ft. Four of the structures will be equipped with various kinds of panels that will be examined over time to discover which materials can stand up to harsh weather and difficult climates. The fifth roof will be used for testing and training.
A station on the site will monitor the weather, collecting data on humidity, temperature, wind direction, wind speed, and incoming solar radiation.
Research on the project will take place over a period of years, with the roofs being examined at intervals of four, eight, twelve, and sixteen years to see how they stand up to hail, wind, and wildfire.
Farmers Insurance is the fourth company to work with IBHS on a roof study. The Olathe project is part of a larger effort to study roofs in general with regard to how they react to various climates in different parts of the country over long time periods.
Projects like this are of interest to many, so the parties involved could work with a newsletter printing company to create an informative letter for area homeowners.
