If you're replacing the roof on your home, you might be deliberating over multiple possibilities. One alternative is steel, which forms beautiful sleek roofs that harmonise with various house styles, from contemporary to traditional. With this metal, you'll also benefit from several other attributes, as explained below.
Durable
Steel is extremely strong and typically lasts for decades across a roof. Providing all-around weather protection, the sheets are usually covered in a fortifying substance to keep rust at bay. This could be a zinc film, creating galvanised steel. It could have a cover of a zinc/aluminium/magnesium alloy. Other variants add an extra layer of paint on top of a zinc alloy. One variant of steel — stainless steel — is rust-resistant and thus provides an ideal option for the corrosive and salty air, rampant in coastal areas.
Various Profile Options
While the classic orb wave shape is popular as far as metal roofing goes, it's not the only option. You'll have a selection of other square and angular forms with higher or lower ridges and different wave sizes. Additionally, though not as popular as sheets, metal tiles are also available with painted finishes or other textures that mimic concrete, for example.
Lightweight and Easy to Work With
When choosing a roofing material, you also need to consider how straightforward it is to install. A quicker construction will likely lower costs, and you won't be disrupted for as long whether you're staying at home or somewhere else. Sheet metal helps in this regard — it's lightweight compared to terracotta and concrete tiles and thus is easy to handle. Plus, installing large sheets is quicker than laying an entire roof full of smaller tiles.
Roof cladding attaches to supporting battens that lie underneath, and large metal sheets use fewer battens than small tiles, which require closely-spaced ones to uphold each row, adding work to the job. Your home's structure might also cope better with relatively lightweight metal, as heavy roofs can stress some old and large buildings.
Energy-Efficient Options
Though metal can allow heat and sound to travel through the roof, you'll have options to improve its insulating powers. Roofers could lay insulated panels, consisting of two sheets bonded to either side of insulating foam. These hinder both heat and sound transmission. Alternatively, you could lay insulation underneath the roofing and cover the top of the sheeting in a reflective membrane that deflects the sun's heat.
Recyclable
Steel — like many metals — can be recycled over and over without giving up any of its structural integrity. You can check the recycled content of the roof you're interested in purchasing if you're after an environmental-friendly option. As well, after a new roof has protected your home for decades, it can again be recycled rather than ending up in a landfill.
For more information, contact a local roofer.
