Steel is one of the most commonly used alloy made from pure iron and other elements. One of the most heavily used material in huge construction sites, steel has its use in every aspect of construction. Having said that, steel was not commonly used in residential construction but this has changed – during the last 3 – 4 decades, we have seen steel making inroads in residential construction as well. Making steel is no doubt a costly and energy hungry process. What makes it still viable is the fact that most of the steel we use today is actually recycled.
*Cool Fact* Steel is the most recycled thing on the planet. Well, keeping that in mind, it is undoubtedly the greenest construction material available today.
Compared to Other Metals
When comparing steel with other metals used in the construction like Coper, Zinc, Aluminum, it is cheap! Since steel is traded as a commodity, it is available at a cheaper price and can be acquired in bulk without having to pay anything extra. Excess steel can either be sold or kept safe for future use.
Types of Steel Roofing
There are mainly three types of steel roofing (You can also checkout our complete guide on metal roofing)…
Galvanized steel is created with a magical touch of Zinc on the actual steel to prevent it from corrosion. The outer Zinc coating extends the life of the steel by considerably slowing down the process of corrosion. Less corrosion means more strength and life of steel and thus galvanized steel is used extensively in construction and roofing.
Galvalume steel roofing is somewhat similar to the galvanized steel roofing. The only difference is instead of Zinc-only coating, gavalume steel uses a mixture of Aluminum & Zinc to provide prevention against corrosion. Aluminum is known to provide better protection against corrosion under certain weather conditions than Zinc. It also leaves the surface smoother, shinier and more uniform. Gavalume, due to Aluminum content looks better than galvanized steel but is more prone to scratches and is a little pricier too.
Weathering steel is more commonly seen in heavy construction like bridges, huge monuments, etc. In weathering steel, the outer layer of the steel is allowed to corrode intentionally to provide more solid protection to the inner layer of steel. Weathering steel might not look pleasing to eyes but offers great stability, design and durability. It is one of the strongest steel used in the construction process but often turns out to be the most expensive as well. Weathering steel provides great durability but only with proper and regular maintenance, which often comes with its own cost.
Steel roofing has seen some serious advancements in the past 50 years. It is flexible to use and more affordable as well. Since the continuous rise in other (similar) construction material, steel roofing is making its way in both industrial as well as residential construction. Steel roofing might not be the most durable option in the construction industry but it is an above average alternative with more pros than cons.