The roof behind one builder's most personal project yet

Designing your own home is a huge undertaking, but Matt Smith had a leg up in creating the perfect place.  With over 20 years in the construction industry, Matt knew design and materials choices were going to be key to a high-performing home, and his choices started with a Gerard roof.

Matt started in the trades two decades ago as a building apprentice and went on to set up Matt Smith Construction in 2017.  With over 14 employees and a full build schedule, Matt’s business is going from strength to strength.  Matt’s experience with the different facets of construction is vast, “We take pride in doing the job start to finish, we place our own floors, quite often we put on our own roofs, build our own frames and trusses, we do the whole package.”.  This level of expertise came in handy when it was time to build his own house.

Set amongst the endless green fields stretching north of Ashburton, Matt and his wife bought their property in Chertsey around 12 years ago with the idea of setting it up to suit their passion of training racehorses.  The first years were spent setting up the paddocks, the horse pool, and the raceway for the horses training, until 2025 when it was time to start on the house.

With the new home’s design process underway, the brief had some non-negotiables; a couple of lounges, double storey, and to keep an eye on their racehorses – large windows in the rear of the home.  There was only one architect for the job – Jonathan Moore of Moore Architecture.  Someone Matt had worked with for many years on various projects, this relationship helped develop the final design. “Johnny was really good, we brought him out here, stood on the lawn, explained what we wanted and the initial sketch he spent about an hour doing, was pretty much the base of what we ended up with.” Matt explains. 

When it came to choosing materials, Matt knew exactly what he wanted.  “I always wanted a Gerard roof. Right from when I was an apprentice, we did a job on Hollands Road in Ashburton and they had one.  So, when it was our own time to do it, it was something I definitely wanted.”

Matt decided to go with Gerard’s CF Shingle profile.  The profile features a close-set pattern with varying shades of textured stone coating reminiscent of the appearance of a wood shingle roof.  CF Shingle, one of Gerard’s newest profiles, incorporates Concealed Fastening technology.  Fasteners are hidden from view, giving a clear optical line down the face of the roof, while protecting them from exposure to the elements.    The profile pairs with the natural landscape beautifully, adding texture and depth to the home creating an overall look that works into the environment.

The profile pairs with the natural landscape beautifully, adding texture and depth to the home, working with the environment instead of fighting against it.  Dust was a concern for this location, with an unsealed road running alongside the property that requires a regular oiling schedule to avoid excessive dust build up on the house.  CF Shingle was perfect for this setting, as Matt explains, “We live in a rural setting on a dusty shingle road, we felt like an iron roof would just show up all the dust all the time, whereas the CF Shingle roof definitely lets the dust blend in because it has a sort of a speckle in the tile.” 

Underlying it all, Matt wanted a quality build and a high-performing roof.  And a Gerard roof delivers.  An outstanding roof avoids moisture build up in the roof cavity, which is key to a long-term healthy home as moisture can lead to mould and rot.  A Gerard roof has natural breathability, with airflow not only from eaves to ridge, but in between each tile.  This helps reduce condensation, keeping the roof drier internally.

With performance assured, Matt was looking for that ‘something special’ for his home.  “Most houses we build in Ashburton tend to be corrugated iron or a 5 rib look, so we were really looking for a point of difference and something that would make our house stand out. And I think this roof really does that, it really stands out, and we couldn’t be happier with the roof.”