When considering what kind of roofing material should replace your current roof, there are few options as robust as stone-coated steel roofing. Providing you with the best of both worlds, stone-coated metal roofing provides the benefits of metal roofing while also providing the aesthetic of more traditional shingles. To help you see what this roofing option has to offer, here’s everything you should know about stone-coated steel roofing.
What Is Stone-Coated Steel Roofing?
Stone-coated roofing uses the strengths of granite and steel while mimicking the traditional styles of shingles, shakes, tiles, and more. This creates a very weather-resistant system that also looks attractive enough to contribute to curb appeal for both residential and commercial properties.
The stone coating includes layered materials of zinc, epoxy primer, granite chips, and high-temperature sealant to provide effective protection. This coating deters UV rays, has a Class A fire rating, and effectively withstands the elements, making it one of the most energy-efficient roofs available.
Contrary to what many people think, stone-coated steel is considerably lighter than materials like cement, asphalt, and slate. This reduces stress on support infrastructure like rafters. On the other hand, other materials require extra infrastructure support to be sound.
Types of Stone-Coated Steel Roofing
Because the stone coating can mimic the visual appearance of other materials and colors, there are a few different types of stone-coated roof styles for you to choose from. Each has its own benefits and unique qualities for a truly special roof.
Stone-Coated Steel Shingles
Stone-coated steel shingles look like asphalt shingles and are great for homes and businesses with sloped roofs. Pure asphalt shingles are one of the least resilient roofing materials on the market, but they’re also one of the most popular for their traditional style. Pivoting to stone-coated steel shingles allows homes and businesses to get the desired appearance while greatly enhancing the roof’s durability.
With this enhanced durability, your roof will naturally have a much longer lifespan. You’ll also enjoy fewer repairs and easier maintenance because the shingles are far more resilient against inclement weather.
Stone-Coated Steel Shakes
If you’ve ever seen or had a wood shake roof, you know it looks beautiful. However, this style requires a great deal of maintenance and upkeep for a material that has a short lifespan. Luckily, stone-coated steel shakes can reinvent these beautiful yet outdated roofs. Like the shingles, these are shakes that mimic the style of the original design while providing the durability of stone coatings and steel.
With the versatility of stone-coated steel roofing systems, you can embrace historical designs without all of the problems earlier systems had to contend with. Your shakes can appear to look as natural as traditional cedar, oak, and other hardwoods without the hassle. You can even choose what color blends you would like for your roof to have.
Stone-Coated Steel Tiles
Few roofs have rivaled the luxurious appeal of slate or clay tiles, but their cost and increased weight have made them inaccessible to many homeowners. Luckily, you can also now enjoy such a rich appearance with stone-coated steel tiles! These tiles are much more cost-effective to install and to repair should damage occur. That being said, as we’ve established, the incredible durability of stone-coated steel will minimize maintenance needs anyway.
Suitable for low and high slopes, stone-coated steel tiles are fantastic for boosting the curb appeal of your residence. In fact, they often surpass the aesthetic appearance of traditional clay or slate tiles altogether.
The Components of Stone-Coated Roofing
We mentioned what materials compose the stone coating, but let’s go a little more in depth to help you understand how manufacturers construct these roofing systems.
The installation of stone-coated roofing systems involves laying down a series of battens or attaching tiles directly to a roof deck. In a batten installation, workers attach slim pieces of lumber to the roof deck to create a horizontal network for the tiles, shingles, or shakes to fasten to. The stone-coated roof material is designed to interlock to ensure there are no gaps for water and debris to slip in. Another layer is then added, so rain, moisture, and debris can flow to the gutters rather than pool anywhere on the roof.
Alternatively, for a more direct installation, installers can fasten the stone-coated steel directly to the roof deck and forego a batten system. This is beneficial for lowering labor and material costs but is only suitable for areas that don’t experience high wind. This is because the batten system is important for improving wind resistance.
Extra Benefits and Perks
To top off everything you need to know about stone-coated steel roofing, let’s go over the other various benefits you can expect from stone-coated steel materials.
When adequately maintained, stone-coated steel will enjoy a lifespan of at least 50 years. In contrast, traditional asphalt shingles have a lifespan of 25 years. After you replace your roof once, you shouldn’t have to do so again for as long as you live in that home. Stone-coated steel provides this security, saving you time and money in the long run.
Furthermore, stone-coated steel is much more sustainable, as it’s made of recycled materials to reduce waste and minimize environmental impact.
Lastly, we briefly mentioned that stone-coated steel roofs are energy efficient, but we didn’t elaborate on how. The multilayered roofing is effective at transferring heat and blocking UV rays. When combined with a batten installation, this material can reduce the summer heat by 70 percent, thanks to the gap between the roof deck and stone-coated steel. This gap allows for easy transfer of heat.
Conclusion
With unparalleled quality and customizability, it’s astounding how budget-friendly stone-coated steel roofing systems really are. If you want to inquire about stone-coated steel for your home, then get in contact with Western Roofing Systems today! Our professionals will be happy to answer all your questions and provide further details about stone-coated steel tiles, shakes, and shingles. We’ll also take care of the installation—we’ll get the job done right the first time.
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