Last Updated on: 18th March 2021, 09:54 pm
The aluminum roof
Let´s say you have already decided to roof your house with metal roofing. Good choice but you´re still just somewhere at the beginning of your journey. There are some questions you have to ask yourself:
- what durability do you require from your metal roofing material?
- is your desired roofing material in harmony (or adjustable) with/to the other roof paraphernalia (gutters, chimney caps, snow guards)?
- what level of cost do you accept?
The aluminum roofing has some advantages you just can´t ignore
The aluminum roofing is available in all the required forms/shapes (well, as well as the steel roofing or copper roofing, I have to admit, it´s the general advantage of all roofing metals, that they can be molded into almost any shape); you can use the aluminum roofing panels, aluminum roofing shingles or aluminum roofing sheets.
Aluminum is a light-weight material, causes no health problems, does not corrode, and therefore presents no contamination risk for the rainwater.
Varnishings used for this type of metal roofing are organic and medically non-problematic as well.
Aluminum is a very stable element. Its minimum durability is 50+ years (if your aluminum roofing contractor states something else, just go to another), and it could be well recycled.
In fact, aluminum is the most ecological metal ever, as it can be 100% recycled, and using then recycled aluminum you save about 96% of the energy needed to produce the new aluminum.
The aluminum roofs offer:
- roof stability – the aluminum roofing shingles are light-weight;
- newest ever roof shingle coloring processes (epoxy-polyester cover powders);
- chemical stability, it´s the corrosion-proof material;
- no protective penetrating paintings are necessary.
The aluminum vs. steel roofing
- The price of aluminum (Al) roofing is higher; even though not as high as of the copper roofing, but it´s still too expensive when compared to the steel roofing shingles;
- To be honest, the installation price of the aluminum shingles or sheet usually discourages the DIY roofer from using it, but the homeowners are wrong. When just put in the juxtaposition, in 10 years, aluminum is even more economical roofing material than steel. Do not forget that all the protective paintings are not necessary with aluminum, and over years it makes more than enough;
- performance of both aluminum and steel roofing materials is the same providing that the steel shingles or sheets are maintained with penetrating anti-rust dyes every 3-4 years (based on the weather conditions). With aluminum, you don´t have to climb your roof for much longer time (the promised 50+ years);
- aluminum roofing sheets are a little thicker than the steel roofing sheets, but who cares… the weight is the same.
OK, the moral of this story is – if you have a good aluminum roofing contractor at hand just do not waste your time with steel. If not, you should consider steel, rubber, or asphalt to be YOUR roofing materials.
