What’s On The Roof?

Author: Brian Ashworth July 1, 2021

This covers zincalume, galvanised steel and colorbond. Following are a few thoughts:

In general a metal roof is noisier as you can hear the rain (which I like)
They are fairly light so they don’t put as much load on the structure.
With modern screw fittings they can be extremely resistant to very high winds and hail.
Might get dented but will still be weatherproof in extreme hailstorms.
Less likely to leak.
Can be laid at lower pitch Which means the roof isn’t as high.
They are capable of lasting over a 100 years with minimal rusting.
Available in zinc finish or a wide range of colorbond colours. Zinc finish will be best for reflecting heat, followed by lighter colorbond colours.
Can be more expensive than tiles.
Fitting solar panels will be cheaper and easier on a steel roof.

One drawback is that you will need an external TV aerial and mobile phone coverage may be worse than under a tiled roof.

Can be clay, terracotta or concrete. Their characteristics are:

Concrete has lower initial cost although some clay tiles and terracotta tiles can be very expensive.
Provide better insulation both heat and noise.
Heavier.
Brittle.
Need to be individually screwed down in high wind areas.
Wide range of colours.
Can add character especially as they age.

I have previously had a steel roof but now have tiles.

If building again I would probably go for metal.

Do you like the sound of rain on the roof?