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New year, new roof!
The new year is a time of renewal, of making resolutions and changes to your life.
Of course, it isn’t just your personal life – it’s also a great excuse to give your home a bit of a facelift!
For most people, that means repainting the walls, getting rid of some old and worn out furniture, or embarking on a (delayed) spring clean.
For others however, it means laying down the groundwork for a major renovation project.
Roofs are a common target for people looking to refresh their homes with the new year. It’s also a very large job, and you’ll want to ensure that you’re fully informed about everything that goes into it.
To help with that, our metal roofing contractors in Melbourne have put together this article that hits all of the most common roofing FAQs.
Thinking of new metal roofing? We suggest reading this first!
Australian summer is a brutal affair, so it’s little wonder that this is one of the biggest questions that many homeowners have when they start planning!
Heat management is crucial down under – and if you’re like most homeowners, you probably assume that this eliminates metal roofing altogether.
It might not sound like it, but metal roofing is actually one of the best choices for the Aussie summer. And we aren’t just saying this because we’re a metal roofing company, either!
Metal reflects heat away from your home, helping it stay cool during summer. What’s more, since metal roofing is thinner, it also retains less heat than tile – it cools down much faster, as opposed to tile, which can hold onto heat long after the sun sets.
And while we’re on the topic…
While material has a role to play in how you roof traps or reflects heat, it isn’t the only part of the equation – it’s just as important that you think about colour too.
We all know that lighter colours reflect heat – why do you think so many of the metal roofs in suburban Melbourne use silver?
With metal roofing however, you can take this a step further with high-gloss finishes. Shiny surfaces absorb less heat, so adding a highly-reflective finish can take your roof’s reflective qualities even higher.
If it’s going to go on your roof, you’re going to want a material that’ll go the distance, and which won’t need to be replaced only a handful of decades down the line.
Looking at the condition of some of the metal roofs in Melbourne’s inner-suburbs, it’s easy to jump to the conclusion that metal isn’t durable enough for your home.
Here’s the thing, though: most of those are older roofs that were installed long ago, when metallurgy was much less refined.
By contrast, today’s roofs are leaps and bounds ahead in terms of formulation and feature protective coats that stretch their useful lives even further. It isn’t unheard of for metal roofs to last for more than 5 decades with very little maintenance required – and still look fantastic.
Long story short, don’t discount metal roof installation just yet!
A new roof is a big – and expensive – project. It’s only natural that questions of price pop up pretty frequently when a roof project is on the cards.
Luckily for you, metal roofing makes a pretty good case for itself on this front!
Let’s start with the material itself. Metal is inherently recyclable (just melt it back down for reuse) – it’s also made in huge sheets that are then cut to-size.
Both of these factors combine to bring down the manufacturing cost that goes into metal roofing relative to other types of roofing.
And then there’s the question of installation. Most of the time, metal roofing sheets are drilled directly into the roof frame, making for a much quicker – and therefore, less costly – installation than nailing in each tile individually.
Of course, it’ll all depend on your home, so be sure to get a quote first.
You’d think that it wouldn’t be metal. You would assume metal would be the worst, right?
You’d be wrong!
While it’s true that metal is louder when hit by hail, thanks to modern sarking and other noise insulation, you won’t be hearing it from the inside, meaning you can enjoy a comfortable night’s sleep even when it’s hailing.
Then there’s the question of strength.
You often see pictures floating around on social media of cars with dented hoods following hail. But you seldom see pictures of dented metal roofs.
Part of this is thanks to the strength and durability that modern roofs offer (see above) – another is the corrugated design of most roofs (that’s to say, the distinctive wave pattern).
With today’s paints and protective layers, it doesn’t matter – any will last for a long time!
We have a much better understanding of chemistry nowadays, allowing metal roofing brands to develop paints that are much better-suited to withstanding Australia’s harsh sun and powerful UV rays.
Inthe metal roofing business specifically, unique finishes and coatings don’t just protect your roof from the old enemy of metal roofing, rust – they also help preserve your roof’s paint job.
Thanks to these developments, it doesn’t really matter what colour you go for – all of them will go the distance and won’t require annual repainting.
It depends on what type of roof you go for – if it’s metal however, the answer is “not much at all!”
One thing we didn’t get to cover is how metal roofing itself is inherently less maintenance heavy!
Part of this is due to the fact it’s installed by the sheet instead of tile-by-tile. That means fewer nooks and crannies for moisture to seep in, or for mould to take hold.
And of course, we’ve talked about some of the coatings and other things that help reduce the amount of maintenance your roof requires.
Together, you’ll have a roof that requires minimal maintenance to continue looking beautiful.
So you’ve decided on metal roofing. Congratulations – you’ve made the right decision.
Of course, materials are just the first step in planning your new roof – you’ll also need to think about who’s going to be in charge of installing it.
Whether it’s metal roofing replacement, a minor roofing repair or roof restoration in Dandenong or anywhere else in Melbourne’s south-east, our team is the one to call.
Our team offers unbeatable workmanship, as well as a wealth of experience that brings to every roofing job we’re called out to, big or small.
Give your home the treatment it deserves – get it looked at by the Masters!
Drop us a line today on 1300 576 075, or click here to get in touch online.
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.
