Nipa Palma vs. Natural Palm and Canadian Competition
At NIPA Palma, we fuse tropical aesthetics with state-of-the-art engineering designed and certified in U.S. laboratories. By controlling the entire manufacturing process under ISO 9001, we optimize our panel design to maximize on-site efficiency, reducing project framing, installation and logistics costs by 40% to 50% compared to conventional plastic palapa / plastic palapa and synthetic palapa alternatives. Our solution, ideal for palapa roofs, is visually indistinguishable from natural palapa and has key ASTM certifications to facilitate compliance with insurers and support premium cost reduction, all backed by a solid 20-year warranty. With NIPA Synthetic Palm, The architectural vision becomes a smart, safe and low operating cost investment, prepared to withstand extreme weather conditions.
NIPA PALMA
|
Natural Palm Roofing | Canadian products | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warranty | 20 years | Generally nonexistent, Replaced every 2 to 5 years | 20 years |
| Quality | Made of high density polyethylene (HDPE), superior strength, tested against UV rays according to ASTM G155 (6,000 hours, Micom laboratory in Canada). | Suffers damage from weather, insects, mold and rotation, Exposed to sun, wind and sea salt, Traditional preparation often neglected | Made of high density polyethylene (HDPE), tested against UV rays according to ASTM G155 (5,000 hours, Micom laboratory in Canada). |
| Maintenance | Maintenance-free; self-cleaning design; no residue buildup | Requires regular maintenance (insecticides, fumigation); Fire treatments and constant cleaning; Recurrent labor costs | Maintenance free |
| Wind resistance | Laboratory tested in Florida, U.S.A. Certified against winds up to 260 km/h (160 mph) | No existing standards; low wind resistance Involves constant repairs and maintenance. | Wind resistant |
| Fire resistance | HDPE is a naturally low flammability material; ASTM E108 Class A rated options are available (tested in the USA by SGS laboratory). | Highly flammable; high risk of spreading; expensive insurance coverage and high risk of rejection. | ASTM E108 Class A rated options available (tested in the USA by INTERTEK laboratory). |
| Pest protection | The material does not attract insects, rodents, birds, etc. | Susceptible to infestation and nesting | The material does not attract insects, rodents, birds, etc. |
| Coverage and installation | NIPA Palma is designed for quick and easy installation. With an installation spacing of 22 cm, 5.2 pieces cover 1 m². | Requires skilled labor. Longer, more complicated and costly installation process. | Compared to NIPA Palma, the Canadian option requires 8 panels per m² and an installation spacing of 15 cm. This increases installation and structural costs by approximately 40%. |
| Transportation and storage | a 20’ container loads up to 3,800 m² and a 40’ HQ up to 8,500 m². | 1 container of NIPA is equivalent to 15 containers of natural palm. | A 20’ container carries up to 2,700 m² and a 40’ HQ up to 5,500 m², which increases the shipping cost per m² by approximately 40%-50% compared to NIPA Palma. |
| added value + insurance savings | undeniable return on investment: adds value to the building structure and can reduce the cost of insurance due to lower risk factor | no added value: higher risk factor, with more expensive insurance or possible rejection of coverage | undeniable return on investment: adds value to the building structure and can reduce the cost of insurance due to lower risk factor |
| Environmental factors | Environmentally friendly; 100% recyclable; No toxic products required (cleaning, etc.); Partly made from recycled materials. | Damage to the natural environment (leaf collection); Maintenance often pollutes through toxic products such as insecticides, pesticides and flame retardant sprays. | Environmentally friendly; 100% recyclable; No toxic products required (cleaning, etc.); Partly made from recycled materials. |