Choosing the Right Metal Roof for Your Flint Michigan Home

Metal roofing uses a variety of different materials in its construction. Different roofing companies in Michigan have different opinions about which metal to use, as well as when to use each one. Copper, aluminum, galvanized and galvalume steel all offer different benefits when used as a roof, but which metal is best for what purpose?

Copper

Copper is a beautiful roofing material with its unique color and shine. Even the famous greenish patina, or rust, is considered an attractive look for roofing. At the same time, however, that appeal comes with a hefty price tag. Out of all three common roofing metals – aluminum, steel, and copper – copper leads the pack in price. This is why copper is usually only used for accents and highlights, rather than for an entire roof.

Aluminum

Aluminum roofs, much like any other product made from the metal, are extremely lightweight. Aluminum is also one of the only metals that will not rust at all. While aluminum is a cheaper metal to use than copper, some have actually expressed concern that it is too valuable a resource to use for roofing purposes. In addition to environmental concerns, aluminum is a very soft metal. While this does not mean it’s a bad choice for protecting against rain or wind, it’s much easier to dent than steel. Think of how easy it is to crush a soda can, and you can see why aluminum is a fragile roofing material.

Galvanized Steel

Steel is the most common roofing metal around. There are two types of steel commonly used in roofing, with the oldest being galvanized steel, which is steel covered in a zinc coating. This zinc exterior offers good rust resistance and protection to the much stronger inner steel layer. Unfortunately, however, although zinc is rust resistant, galvanized steel is not 100% rust proof.

Galvalume Steel

It was for this reason, in the 1970s, that Bethlehem Steel invented galvalume steel alloy. Galvalume combines three different roofing metals – steel, zinc, and aluminum – to maximize strength. Carbon steel base is always used for the inner layer, much like other steels, but instead of a simple zinc coating, galvalume combines an aluminum-zinc alloy. This combination means the strengths of all three metals benefit roofers using galvalume. In fact, galvalume steel is more rust resistant than galvanized steel, and can last even longer.

Erie Metal Roofs uses galvalume steel in all metal roofing projects. Galvalume offers the best combination of strength, affordability, and durability of all metal choices, and translates directly to a great, long-lasting roof for your home.