All About Metal Roofing

Posted by sere on July 11th, 2019

Specifications

· light weight 

· portable 

· durable 

· fire resistant 

· spark resistant 

· wind resistant 

· hail resistant 

· high strength to weight ratio 

· design flexibility - comes in large sprung curves and rolled bull-nose shapes 

· can be recycled without losing valuable properties

Sheet Materials

· stainless steel 

· copper 

· zinc 

· aluminum-coated alloy or zinc coated

Lifespan for residential roofing

· 50 plus years or up to 100 years depending on the type

Advantages

· the design is flexible 

· can be installed over open frames or your existing roof 

· reduces air-con usage by 20-30% 

· labor efficient 

· high energy efficiency especially for Kynar finished roofs 

· very minimal maintenance 

· 80% of the materials is recyclable 

· can be a DIY depending on the type

Disadvantages

· for curved roofs, there is high level of noise, but few occurrence were recorded 

· dissimilar metal can cause rapid corrosion 

· costs about double the price of traditional shingles

Getting the roof

· metal roofing is ordered per piece whether in sheet, trim or ridge form 

· sheets can be ordered pre-cut according to desired size 

· proper estimation is required to avoid excesses

On Remodeling

· Metal tops can be installed over existing roof, no need to remove the old one

Application

· it's incredible durability makes it a versatile building material 

· it's lineup of flexible profile and design makes it also ideal for residential structures 

· can be used as wall covering 

· for a modern and unique look, shapes and colors may be combined

Material types

· corrugated galvanized steel - wrought iron steel coated with zinc 

· zincalume - a blend of zinc, aluminum and silicon-coated steel 

· Metal tile sheets - usually painted or stone-coated steel 

· stainless steel - comes in roll forms

· aluminum - on of the most durable materials but also one of the most expensive 

· copper - usually used for smaller areas such as entrance ways 

· stone coated steel - these are panels made from zinc/aluminum coated steel and with acrylic gel coating

· Inverted Box Rib (IVR) - used mainly in the South African markets because of the low cost and its square roofing; very ideal for beginning entrepreneurs

Coatings

· ceramic coatings 

· nanotechnology solar reflective coatings

Maintenance

· For Utility Grade, re-coating is required once the surface finish has faded or corroded. 

· For stainless steel, zinc or copper, roofing maintenance is a result of installation mistakes. 

· Metal roofs with Kynar finish normally don't require maintenance. In existence for about 50 years now, this type of metal roof is considered as a lifetime product.