Calling in the Contractors

Calling in the Contractors

3 Reasons to Choose Zinc Over Steel for Residential Roofing

by Frank Elliott

When you're designing residential buildings, the appeal of metal roofs can be hard to ignore. They're easy to install and surprisingly lightweight. At the same time, they also offer exceptional longevity, fire-resistance and even help keep down energy costs by reflecting the sun's rays.

Of course, it's not like there's just one type of metal. After deciding on metal roofing, you'll need to decide on the right type. Plenty of contractors go for steel, considering it the most obvious choice. However, there are several reasons you should opt for zinc roofing instead, and here are just three.

1. More Eco-Friendly

Anyone designing residential buildings more than a decade or so ago probably wouldn't have lent much thought to eco-friendliness, but times have changed since then. Buyers and contractors alike are now more conscious of how building materials affect the planet, which might explain why zinc roofing is becoming so popular.

Firstly, zinc has a very low melting point compared to steel. Depending on the type of steel, melting points range between 1413 °C and 1510 °C, while zinc melts at just 419.53 °C. That means it takes far more energy to process steel compared to zinc. Considering the amount you'll need for residential roofing, the difference in resource expenditure between zinc and steel can be huge. Additionally, zinc is much lighter than steel, so it doesn't even need as much energy for transportation.

2. More Flexible

Metal roofing can be made in sheets offsite and delivered right to your building site for easy construction, so it's much easier to put together than most other roofing materials. However, zinc is still easier than steel thanks to its excellent malleability and ductility. Zinc is flexible enough to be set across different shapes and uneven rooflines. You can also use zinc to make more interesting roofs; decorative curves and vaults can be tough with something as inflexible as steel, but zinc makes such flourishes possible.

3. Longer Lasting

Steel can rust, which seriously affects its longevity. Of course, most steel roofing will be galvanised to prevent this from happening; unfortunately, that only works as long as the protective coating lasts, and it doesn't last forever. Zinc is considerably less reactive than even a metal like copper, so even high moisture levels shouldn't lead to rusting. In fact, zinc develops a patina over time that protects the roof, so any scratches will seem to go away by themselves. As such, zinc is often considered the most long-lasting metal roofing material.

To learn more, contact your local residential building construction company.


Share

About Me

Calling in the Contractors

Hello! My name is Andy and I have recently finished building my dream home by the ocean. I have always loved swimming and surfing in the sea so the idea of living by the beach has always appealed to me. I used to live in a small apartment but I worked hard and saved as much cash as I could. By the time I reached the age of 47, I finally had the funds to build my dream home. I called in a team of construction contractors who built my house. They were really great guys and I picked up a lot of knowledge during the months they were working with me. I will share some of the knowledge here.