Advantages and Disadvantages of Steel Roofings

There are varying levels of finishing and texture on steel roofing. This happens because manufacturers have special tools and procedures to facilitate such differences. Very often, the original shine of metal is gone to make it look like another roofing material. Here is a rundown of the benefits and drawbacks of steel roofings.

The primary benefits of steel roofing

Many homeowners especially here in the Philippines prefer to have steel roofings installed in their homes. The main driver for this is because of the low expense involved. If a homeowner has to replace the whole roof then metal roofs win over the other roofing materials like shingles, clay tiles etc.

The other significant benefit that steel roofings have is that they are very light in weight. Compared to roofing materials such as tile or slate, the steel roofings are much lighter. For each square foot the steel materials weigh only 1.5 pounds. Compare this with tile roofing that weighs 7.5 pounds or concrete roofing that weighs 9 pounds and you will quickly see why so many people prefer steel roofing. Since the steel materials are lighter in weight, there is no need to reinforce the structure of the roof to enable it to accommodate increasing loads.

The third benefit that steel roofings have over other counterparts is that these are resistant to fire. It has the highest rating of Class A and this is applicable when the roofing is installed on top of appropriate materials underneath. Most homeowners who have steel roofing installed will have the assurance that their roofs are resistant to any sort of fire. This creates more peace of mind for the homeowner.

The other benefit that steel roofings have is that these can be installed directly over an existing roofing structure. However, usually such a method of installation is not employed. Instead, the old materials used on the roof are removed. Then the surface is cleaned properly. Only then is the steel roofing attached to the roof.

The other primary advantage of having steel roofing is that you do not need to spend much money on the maintenance aspects. The low cost of maintenance coupled with its long shelf life means that it is a low cost investment in the long run.

The long shelf life coupled with its excellent condition means that you can enjoy your steel roofings for many years down the line, without worrying about maintenance and overhead issues.

Drawbacks involved

Steel roofings have a disadvantage of being susceptible to rust and corrosion. Many manufacturers these days pre-treat their steel roofings to Kynar. Kynar is a special kind of plastic, which comes in many different colors. This helps make the steel roofing rust and corrosion resistant. There is also another kind of roofings w/c was aluminum coated. You can also ask your manufacturer to treat the roofing to make it rust-proof. This way, you will have the perfect roofing material, which is light in weight, highly durable, rust-proof, corrosion-proof and lasts for many long years.But whatever the process is, even they are coated with anti-corrosion coatings, when installing a roof, you need to cut in order to follow up the shape of the roof frame. the exposed cuts are susceptible to corrosion attack.

Thus, now you have a fair idea of the benefits and disadvantages of using steel roofings. Most of the drawbacks can be easily overcome with modern technological advancement.

Since Onduline is made from recycled organic fibers, this cellulose bitumen roofing sheet cannot rust therefore Onduline is suitable in coastal areas or corrosive environment.



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