Steel Roofs: Providing Many Benefits For Your New or Existing Structure
Choosing the right material and design method for your roof may not be as simple as you may think. There are many different factors that are going to affect your decision, but the redesign of any existing structure or the need for an entirely new facility has led many people to choose a steel roof.
Roofing integrity is a concern for many consumers, businesses, and organizations. Traditionally the life expectancy of a roof depended on many factors including proper design, construction, and maintenance. Steel roofing in the 21st century easily addresses all these concerns. Firstly, the design of today’s steel roofing is extremely adaptable to almost any design specification. Low profile or steeper pitched roofs are readily available and easily installed as are the optional amenities of parapets or mansards. Secondly, construction of a steel roof is simply adaptable to be placed atop any existing structure. New all-steel buildings accentuate even more the ease with which a steel roof can be attached. Maintenance of any steel roof is virtually non-existent and outperforms the need for patching and repair so evident when using non-steel components for a roof. Lack of maintenance on old non-steel roofing systems can become a big integrity a safety problem in a hurry.
The primary factor to consider with any steel roof is the slope or pitch. Low profile or even flat roof design are at the low end of the spectrum of steel roof design. 6:12 (six inches of rise for every foot of run) or “ski slope” pitches are at the other end of the spectrum. Most people find a roof pitch solution somewhere in between. Steel roofing pitch can also affect the interior volume of the building: if you have a building that will need 100 feet in width and rise to a gable in the center, the roof pitch will be critical. A 1:12 roof pitch will have the roof rise four feet, two inches from the eave to the gable. Employing a 4:12 pitch to the same dimensioned roof has the roof rising just short of 17 feet at the gable from the eave. If your interior space is requiring a ten foot ceiling, this rise in the roof will increase the interior volume substantially. If this interior volume needs to be heated or cooled, the roof rise will add to your long-term energy costs.
Steel roofing is an excellent performer. Exterior environmental conditions have an impact on any type of roofing system. In cold climates, the dangers of ice dams or water back-up can be very damaging to any shingled roof. Additionally, high wind areas adversely affect shingled roofs with the danger of blow-offs. The use of a standing seam steel roof system can help to alleviate any complications of water ponding and will not blow off, as all steel roofs approved for high-wind areas meet or exceed the wind loads established by local building codes.
You’ve now been given all the facts. What you do with this information is your decision. But, don’t take our word for it–look into the benefits of a steel roof for your new steel building project or the re-fitting of your current structure. Any quality manufacturer or supplier will provide you with detailed information and costs before you buy.