Corrugated roofing, unlike flat roofing materials like asphalt shingles, is designed to help water flow off roof tops so that there is no chance of it accumulating and causing leaks or attracting disease-bearing insects like mosquitoes. Corrugated roofing cuts and installs easily, with its sections overlapping both laterally and vertically to make it waterproof.

The History Of Corrugated Roofing

Perhaps you have property with corrugated roofing. Perhaps you’ve never heard of corrugated roofing and want to know if the roof needs to be replaced with another material. If you live in a rainy area of the world, your corrugated roofing was made just for rolling water off of your home. Here’s a basic history of corrugated roofing.

What Is It?

Corrugated roofing is usually made of corrugated iron. What is corrugated? That means “wavy”. When the roof material is wavy instead of flat (like asphalt shingles), then water can best flow right off. Standing water is a big no-no on the top of any roofs. Not only does it make water damage, which will eventually cause expensive leaks, but standing water is a Hilton for mosquitoes and other annoying insects.

Corrugated roofing works best when the roof itself is a triangle shape, instead of being completely flat.

Corrugated roofing is sometimes referred to as CGI, which stands for “corrugated galvanized iron”. CGI was invented in the 1840’s as a new, lightweight yet tough construction material. Most of CGI concentrated on roofing. For the first time, a cheap, commercially available and sturdy roofing material was available to everyone.

Not Just Iron Anymore

It’s not the iron that makes corrugated roofing, but the waves. Some people didn’t like iron’s ability to rust or dent when large tree limbs fell on it. And, makers of roofing materials are always after the better roof – ideally, cheap, sturdy and easy to install and maintain. Corrugated roofing comes in many materials nowadays. You can choose from stainless steel, fiberglass, aluminum, zinc, coated or painted steel.

One of the loveliest historic homes that has corrugated roofing is in Scotland. It is called Glenlair, and was the home of Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell, who developed a lot of things, but the only one this writer can immediately grasp is that he helped develop color photographs. He also had great taste in homes. Although Glenair is still suffering from the effects of a huge fire in 1929, it and its corrugated roofing are still standing and still beautiful. The grand old house is slowly being restored by private donations.

Another historic building with a corrugated roof that’s on this side of the Pond is The Captain Coghlan House in the Yukon. It was made very early in the last century with corrugated roofing of metal. In 2005, the Yukon Historical & Museums Association gave the house an inspection. Over 100 years old, the roof was considered in ‘fair” condition!

Its only drawback is that the relative scarcity of copper makes copper roofing more expensive than either tin or aluminum roofing, but there are roofing companies which offer somewhat cheaper copper roofing made from recycled copper. Like all roofing, copper roofing should be inspected regularly so that any damaged or loose shingles can be replaced.

What You Need To Know About Copper Roofing

Copper roofing looks great. Many old historical buildings that are being restored are getting copper roofing. Copper first was used as a roofing material successfully over 2500 years ago. And you can get copper roofing in different colors other than copper. Is copper roofing suitable for your home, though?

Whole Roof Or Part?

Copper roofing is popular because it’s light, it works and looks pretty. However, it is also more expensive than other roofing materials – but not as expensive as slate shingles. Why is it more expensive? Well, copper is not as abundant a metal as iron, tin or aluminum, for example. Because of the costs, you may decide on only to get part of your roof made with copper, such as the down-spouts, gutters or trim.

You have to shop around not only for a good roofer, but for copper roofing materials. Fortunately, copper is a recyclable and roofing supply companies can melt down other unwanted copper products to make sturdy copper roofing. Sometimes these recycled copper roofs can be cheaper. Hussey Copper Ltd of Leetsdale, Pennsylvania, for example, makes recycled copper roofing from copper coils.

How Hard Is It To Install?

Unlike slate roofing, copper roofing is a lot easier to install, which cuts down on labor costs for you. Copper roofing tends to come in shingles and is installed exactly like asphalt roofing shingles, which are the most popular kind of roofing in the world. Any good roofer will know how to install shingles. Compare roofers before deciding on one. Even the best copper roofing cannot do its job if installed wrong. So, if you’ve never installed roofing shingles before, now is not the best time to learn. Leave it to a contractor.

How Strong Is It?

Hoe strong is copper roofing? There are copper roofs still “standing” in hurricane-prone Florida. When installed properly, copper roofing can last a century or more. It is mostly impervious to severe weather conditions. Copper roofs work well in tropical areas and areas with winter.

You need to do your part to help your copper roofing do its job. It’s good to have it inspected once a year by a roofer (perhaps the one who installed it) to see that there hasn’t been any damage from flying tree limbs or hailstorms or whatever God chooses to drop out of the sky. Getting the roof inspected can save you a lot of money and headaches in the futire.

While metal roofing is relatively lightweight and easy to handle, there are tricks to installing metal roofing correctly which can mean the difference between a water and windproof finished roof and one which is both leaky and infested with insects and birds.

Installing metal roofing requires that the old roofing materials be removed and that the roof itself be tested for weak areas, or replaced entirely if necessary. 30-pound roofing felt is used to seal the surface beneath the new metal roofing.

Before Installing Metal Roofing Consider Installer’s Abilities

If a homeowner has no experience and little knowledge of hand tools, when installing metal roofing it may be best to allow a professional to do the job. While the job is not usually that hard, there are some tricks that can make it easier. It is also one of the jobs that knowing the tricks can prevent leaks and stop the birds and bees from taking up residence in the roof.

Ideally, installing metal roofing is done on a new or cleaned roof with no existing shingles or roofing paper. If an existing roof has been cleared of old materials, all the old nails must either be pulled out or pounded into the wood. Additionally, all of the roof’s surface must be analyzed to insure none of the wood is rotten or weak. It is easier to replace the wood sub roof before applying a new roof surface and is also cheaper.

If the existing asphalt shingles only consist of a single layer they do not necessarily have to be removed. Using one-inch by four-inch boards, spaced two-feet apart running from crown to edge, installing metal roofing over the existing shingles is possible. If the old roof is removed, a layer of 300-pound roofing felt will be needed to seal the underlayment before installing metal roofing.

Prevents Leaks

Once the first metal roof sheet is installed, the second sheet has to be placed on top to overlap the initial sheet. When installing metal roofing with a ribbed finish, it should lay over at least the width of one rib. For the sheets with a hump along one edge, laying the next sheet over the hump will prevent rain and snow from being blown under the seam.

Along the lower edge of the sheet ends, at the roof edge, a fascia piece will need to be installed to put a finishing edge on the roofline. When installing metal roofing this can also help close the gaps at the end of the sheets, preventing birds and bees from making a new home in the roof. For The steel sheets with the hump on one side, gluing a foam rubber strip in the gap, at least three-feet deep, will add additional insurance against critters making it their home.

At the peak of the roof, where the sheets come together, additional closures and sealants will be need to also bock that end of the sheets. Additionally, a roof cap needs to be screwed down while installing metal roofing to prevent wind and water damage to the roof.