We may not have snow here in Melbourne like our friends up in the mountains – but you know what Melbourne does have plenty of come winter? Hail!
And unlike snow, it isn’t soft, it’s noisy, and it never sticks around long enough to turn our homes into winter wonderlands.
The worst part? In many cases, hail also leaves damage in its wake.
We’ve all heard the stories about smashed windows, dented car hoods and other types of damage caused by severe hailstorms.
If you’re building a house in Melbourne and are up to the stage where you’re thinking about what type of roofing you’re going to choose, you’re probably worried about how it’s going to stand up against Melbourne’s famous hailstorms.
In particular, you’re probably questioning whether metal roofing is the best choice. We’re here to assure you that it is – and explaining exactly why!
Metal roofing is strong – strong enough to withstand hail!
Have you ever wondered why many metal roofs in Melbourne use metal sheets with the signature wave-shape? Simple: it’s the strongest!
Metal roofing wasn’t popular in human history until relatively recently for two reasons:
- It wasn’t easy to make
- It wasn’t as strong
That changed in 1828, thanks to the Industrial Revolution and the creation of corrugated metal.
Essentially, it was discovered that when pressed into its distinctive wave-shaped surface, metal sheets could be made significantly stronger than flat metal roofing sheets.
Why’s that?
Imagine a flat sheet of metal. Drop something heavy on it, and it’ll make a dent.
But what happens if you tilt it?
In these cases, the object hits the metal at an angle – instead of the full force of the falling object hitting the roof dead-on, the object bounces off the roof, reducing damage.
Instead of a direct hit, it’s more of a passing blow.
That’s basically what corrugated metal roofing does!
Thanks to its wavy shape, corrugated metal roofing is able to resist the impact of hailstorms, ensuring that your roof continues to look fantastic throughout any of Melbourne’s unpredictable weather.
Impact-resistant
Metallurgy has come a long way in the last century.
Instead of using plain metal sheets, today’s metal roofing manufacturers have perfected corrugated steel, using the latest in metallurgy to offer a stronger product.
Let’s take a look at our preferred metal roofing brand, COLORBOND steel.
COLORBOND metal roofing is good-looking and designed to withstand harsh Aussie weather conditions – that includes hail storms.
Engineered with high levels of impact-resistance in mind, COLORBOND is able to withstand hail with little more than cosmetic damage – something that can easily be fixed by our roofing specialists!
Pitch perfect: how your roof angle comes into play
As a general rule of thumb, steeper metal roofs are more resistant to hail damage.
Again, the extreme angle means that the energy of each individual hailstone is reduced, thereby reducing the amount of damage your roof undergoes.
By contrast, flat roofs are the most at risk of damage. While corrugated metal helps, the fact is that flat metal roofing is more prone to hail damage compared to conventional metal roofs.
Hail damage to metal roofing
We aren’t going to lie – in particularly heavy hailstorms, it isn’t unheard of for metal roofing to cop some damage.
Though there’s good news – very rarely is the damage structural, or deep enough to impact your roof’s integrity.
That’s because metal roofing is designed to be highly impact-resistant.
In addition to metal roofing installation in Melbourne, our metal roofing team also provides metal roofing repairs, including repairs following hailstorms.
We can patch up damage to your metal roof, no problem, leaving you with a roof that still looks – and functions – exactly as it should.
What about gutters and other fittings?
Of course, the metal panelling itself is only one part of your roof – your roof is a whole system of different parts that work together to protect you from the elements.
In addition to your roof itself, that also includes:
- Guttering
- Roof plumbing
- Ridges and caps
- Flashing
While your roof itself may be able to resist hail, these “supporting acts” might not be able to – hence, it’s important that you get these inspected following a particularly bad hail storm.
In addition to your roof proper, our team can also provide roof repairs for other parts of your roofing, including gutters, roof plumbing and more.
We’ll inspect them for damage and perform maintenance on these parts of your roof as part of our metal roofing repair service, ensuring that your roof as a whole is able to continue protecting you from the elements (including hail).
Call now for Masterful metal roofing repairs in Melbourne
Recently gone through a rough hail storm?
Worried about your roof as we settle into winter?
With more than 20 years’ experience under our belts, the Watermaster Roofing team are experts in all things metal roofing, including metal roof repairs.
Leaks, worn-out gutters, significant damage: you name it, and we can fix it for you.
And that includes hail damage too!
Give us a call on 1300 156 650 or click here to touch base online and we’ll organise an on-site inspection.
You can also visit us for roof plumbing in Melbourne: pop into our headquarters at 9/22 George St Sandringham, VIC 3191, if you prefer a more hands-on approach.