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Common Questions About Metal Roofing
Facts About Metal Roofing
1. Is it NOISY when it RAINS? No! Residential steel roofing is available in many shapes and forms. The forming process provides not only strength, but when coupled with high quality finishes, it absorbs and deadens noise. With the home insulation standards of today, you will not notice any difference compared to other roofing materials.
2. Is it HEAVY? No! Our installed weight of 1.25 lb / square foot is half the weight of most asphalt and wood roofs and only 10% of a concrete tile roof.
3. What about FIRE? A steel roof is non-combustible. Steel does not burn and offers various options in its installation to upgrade the fire resistance of the homes' structure. Most roofing materials have fire resistant strengths on one side only. Other heavier roof systems provide little or moderate resistance during internal fires and can cause premature roof structure collapse. Remember if an internal fire is at the underside of the roof structure, metal will provide the greatest degree of maintaining structural integrity and assist in containing the fire.
4. What about SNOW? The degree of snow movement on the roof plane is dependent on the slope, friction on the granular/pre-painted roof, cleanliness and volume of snow. To provide protection around entrances and exits, use proper snow retention or deflection products.
5. What about ICE? Ice damming can occur on roofs where temperatures cycle above and below freezing daily, or when warm and cold areas are both present. A Dura-Loc metal roof, properly installed to our published installation methods and the applicable building code requirements will minimize this phenomenon. However,we recommend using an underlayment that protects against ice and water in known troubled areas as a precaution.
6. Can I WALK on it? Walking on any roofing material is not recommended unless necessary. Walking on wood or asphalt roofs loosens and cracks the shingles while damaging the felts. Walking on a concrete roof loosens the fasteners and stresses the hairline shrinkage cracks inherent in the product. A steel roof is probably one of the most forgiving roofs to walk on, as they are designed to flex and as long as people walk in the flats over the supports, virtually zero damage will occur.
7. Will it make our home HOT? No! Steel absorbs and dissipates heat quickly. As with any material, colour is the governing factor when exposed to sunshine. Installing a steel roof on your home will reduce your energy requirements.
8. What about HAIL? metal roofs have passed a class 4 UL hail test. There have been occasions in a hail belt where unusually large diameter (3") occurred, which created some minor cosmetic damage. Metal panels can readily be repaired or replaced if this were to happen.
9. How LONG will it LAST? A steel roof is a permanent roof system. With minimal maintenance it will last as long as your house. 10. Should I worry about LIGHTNING? No! Metal roofing does not increase the risk of a lightning strike in any way. In assessing the risk with any structure, it is the "probability" of a strike which is based in location (i.e. Proximity with other structure, high ground etc.) that is the governing factor.
11. Can I PAINT it? Painting over a new installation of pre-painted or granular steel roofing is not recommended. All coil-coated paint films are formulated for high heat curing process and may not allow good adhesion between field applied paint and the original surface without special preparation and paint.
12. Can I CLEAN it? An occasional cleaning of metal roofs can extend the service life and help to maintain the appearance of the finish (no different than a car finish). For protected areas (i.e. overhangs) an annual spring cleaning is recommended. Simply washing with plain water using hoses or low pressure sprays is often sufficient
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