When choosing materials for roof coating, you need to decide a number of issues, namely: design and material for waterproofing, vapor barrier, insulation and of course the main roofing material. Proper attention to each of these elements ofroofing system will expand the service life of your roof for many years.
Sheet metal roofing materials are used in the world for over 500 years. In 1801-1809 years the U.S. President Thomas Jefferson chose a metallic coating for the roof of his famous villa “Monticelli” in Virginia and genius Thomas Edison spent winters in his house with metallic roof in Florida… Although the total sale of metal coatings is approximately 10% of all sales in the market of roofingmaterials, their popularity is growing rapidly with every year because they are considered reliable, do not burn and are resistant to weathering.
Metal sheets are used in the projects of world famous architects such as James Butler – famous house designer for the world’s richest man Bill Gates. He used colored metallic roofing for roof construction. Another example is Ken Mahler, who won the prestigious Sulmana award for his project of train station in Sydney’s Olympic Village. Currently, mass media publishes a lot of materials on the properties of such roof coating, which is offered to use not only for industrial buildings, as it was traditionally before, but also for residential houses. The biggest advantage of such sheets is their durability. High quality roofing made of galvanized steel do not changed its properties up to 50 years.
Steel roofs are not as noisy as it seems at first glance. Usually, sheets are mounted on the hard basis and insulating materials and empty attic space (in the case of pitched roofs) provide additional sound insulation. Studies show that the metal coating is not noisier than any other traditional roofing material. Besides, there is no reason to think that roof made of steel heats up to high temperatures. Metal reflects about 70 % of solar energy, which greatly reduces the amount of accumulated heat and the less of it penetrates the buildings. Researches made in 1985 by the Institute of Solar Energy has shown that metal roof has the same effect as insulation characterized with R-11 level on a sunny day (characteristic of heat-insulating materials R-n is determined by the amount of heat consumption, the rate of R-11 has fiberglass layer with 7.5cm thickness)
Another myth is that the metallic coatings attract lightning. Atmospheric discharges are usually attracted by the highest point of the roof, not necessarily by steel component. The possibility that the lightning strikes the metallic roof is the same as in a case of any other roof types. In any case, if lightning strikes the roof of the building, this coating is able to protect it from fire, as metal can distribute and reduce the current as well and its non-combustible properties. Another reason for growing popularity of metal sheets is that they are environmentally friendly; they are not harmful to environment, life and health of humans and animals. And this is very important, especially in our times, which are characterized by a large pollution.
Tania Welnee for https://medusamagazine.com with the assistance from Zimgroup.ca company offering sheet metal roofing in Toronto.