Guide To Different Types Of Metal Roof MaterialsGone are the days when people relied on cheap and ineffective commercial or residential roofing materials. Today metal roofing is the choice for most house owners. Most people have presumptions when they hear the word Metal. They assume that metal roofs would be heavy, in disposable and unattractive. But once again, this is where they are wrong. Today metal roofing materials are light weight, attractive and easy to install. More importantly you have the world to choose from when it comes to metal roofing. Yes, there are hundreds of different types of metal roofing materials available today. However, there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration before you zoom down on one roofing material. There are 5 main types of roofing materials available. The number choice and the sturdiest of them all are steel. Steel can be coated with myriad coatings and each one of them has their own benefits. Most of these coatings are aimed at protecting steel from corrosion, rust and giving it a user friendly appearance. Steel when coated with zinc gives effective protection against corrosion. Similarly an epoxy primer coat is used to give the roof adhesion. On the other hand if you want a roof with attractive colors, then the baked on acrylic top is used to coat steel. Steel is used mostly in commercial establishments rather than residential homes and hence steel is given high quality durable paint coats. Apart from steel, stainless steel is a high quality roofing material that doesn't rust or corrode. However, it is a quite expensive option and hence many people do not opt for it. The next and the most widely used metal roofing material is aluminum. Aluminum is almost perfect for roofing. It is light weight, it does not rust or corrode and with the right amount of coating it looks as good as steel. In fact a lot of people prefer aluminum over steel. However, environmentalists have started to express concern over using a metal as precious as aluminum for roofing. The next in the list of metal roofing materials is copper. This is the best type of metal roofing as far as durability is concerned. It does not get scratched, is corrosion free and ages beautifully to give an amazing color. Copper has been used for ages now for roofing. It is also the softest of all the metal roofing materials. If you have a contoured roof, then copper is probably your best choice. Copper may turn green in some years and requires treatment to prevent this from happening. However, it is also one of the most expensive roofing materials available. Last but not the least we have alloys. Once again they can be extremely durable, light weight and weather resistant. Most alloys are pricey depending on the component metals that are used in them. So depending on your personal choices and preferences you can choose from anyone of the above mentioned metal roof system materials. No matter what material you choose, you can be rest assured of one thing, longetivity. |