Metal Roofs for Homes
Metal roofing has been with humanity since early days of industrial revolution. The material is light, portable and durable.
In Australia, metal roofing was a typical signature of rural landscape with old and abandoned rusted sheds. Today, with green house designs, metal roof panels are coming back into fashion.
Generally, metal roofing is used to cover large buildings. This is due to the high strength to weight ratio of this material.
Today, metal roofs for homes becoming popular for urban dwellings. This is due to the fact that commercial grade metal roofing lasts between 50-100 years.
Types of Metal Roofs for Homes
There are many different types of metal roofing:
- Corrugated galvanised steel - used mostly for farming applications but current "green" trend brings the product back into urban designs.
- A mixture of zinc, aluminum and silicon - used mainly as a base metal.
- Stainless steel - designed for difficult weather conditions where corrosion is high.
- Aluminium - the longest lasting metal. However, the cost of aluminium is to high to be accepted for large scale metal roofing industry.
- Copper - another very expensive material. It is used for flashing and decorations.
Advantages of Metal Roofs for Homes
Metal roofs last about twice as long as the asphalt material. In some residential applications the metal roof panels can operate for as long as a century. Metal roofing is light, wind and hail resistant. It is energy efficient material which can easily be enhanced with passive cooling/heating coatings. There is little or almost no maintenance for metal roofing. Finally, it is a labour efficient product which can be pre-processed before the assembly. The material is expensive, however on the longer run there is virtually no maintenance cost.
Metal Roofs for Homes Prices
As expected it is difficult to get an exact quote on the metal roofing. On average, you can pay between $380-$700 per square of metal roofing system. This figure includes the main material only (without installation). The trim flashing, screws, clips, fasteners and nails are extra. Therefore, on average the steel metal roof panels can cost anything in the range of $500-$900 per square meter. This of course includes labour and all the materials. Additional cost of $40 is added for installation of breathable underlayment.
Metal Roofs for Homes Application
The mid range product for metal roofing is G 90 Galvanised steel. It is inexpensive and can be easily coated with long lasting paints.
The material is long lasting with zinc coating which resists the corrosion and oxidation. Usually, G 90 comes with 50 years warranty and it is fully recyclable.
The great thing about metal roof panels made of this material is the versatility. These products often come with interlocking systems, which prevent the lifting of roof in high winds.
This is an easy to paint and insulate material which will save on energy bills. In addition it is a Class A Fire resistant roofing - ideal in bushfire prone areas.
The installation costs $750 per square meter. This includes materials and labour.
Therefore, it will cost $13.000-$19.000 to cover an average 22 square house.