Metal roofs, and Colorbond® in particular, are quickly becoming the preferred roofing material for homes in Australia. Why? Because Colorbond® is stylish, lightweight, sturdy, thermally insulated, and highly resilient under the testing Australian weather conditions. It’s an option definitely worth exploring if you’re thinking about building or modifying your home, as using our material has a variety of benefits.
In this post we will talk about the advantages of Colorbond® roofs over tiles, and give you all the information you need to make your new home or next renovation a success.
What is Colorbond®?
Colorbond® is a coated steel roofing material which has quickly gained popularity over the past years, and is now used in many Australian homes. It is long lasting, resistant to different weather conditions, and makes any home look good.
Why get a Colorbond® roof?
1 – Strength
Colorbond® roofing is a lightweight, but also very strong material. It can endure intense winds, is termite resistant, and non combustible. It’s also resistant to corrosion, chipping, peeling and cracking. On the other hand, tiles are more likely to blow off in strong winds and are more easily corroded.
Also, due to the lightness of the material, there is almost no structural weight strain when installing Colorbond®, contrary to tiles, which carry far more weight.
2 – Long lasting and little maintenance needed
Colorbond® is very sturdy and does not need much maintenance. The colour is literally bonded to the metal, which means painting is not required. Colorbond® is also baked, making it tough and unlikely to crack and leak, like tiles often do.
3 – Design-friendly
As well as giving your home a modern and minimalist look, Colorbond® comes in different shades and colours, so you can pick the one that suits your home best and install it straight away. On top of that, roof sheeting is available in a range of profiles so as to suit the design of your home to perfection.
Due to its lightweight nature, Colorbond® also offers greater spanning capability. This means you need less columns throughout your home to hold up the roof, allowing for a more versatile and open floor space.
4 – Insulation
Colorbond® is a highly thermally efficient material, and in both summer and winter it’ll insulate your home from extreme temperatures. It radiates less heat, optimising the solar reflectance, and it cools down quicker than tiles at night, especially when used in lighter colours.
5 – Easy installation
Colorbond® comes in metal sheets up to 100 metres in length, which means it’s really easy to just roll them on site without the need of having lap joints.
6 – Waterproof
Water runs off very easily from Colorbond® roofing. Instead of the water pooling in certain areas, as can happen with tiles, the steel roofing’s ridges are made to eliminate rainwater quickly and easily, making your home low-risk for leaking.
7 – Environmentally friendly
Metal roofing is 100% recyclable, and is one of the most re-used products out there. It’s not only efficient to transport, but also contributes to less on-site wastage, reducing the environmental impact of building sites.
8 – Cost
Even though tiles are cheaper to buy, the final cost will actually depend on whether you add extra insulation, the installation costs, possibly painting, and the future maintenance required. Colorbond® can help keep the bills down thanks to it’s great in-built insulation, and requires little-to-no maintenance after installation. That’s why, for many people, Colorbond® roofing works out to be cheaper than tiling.
Colorbond® or tiles?
While more and more people are making the shift to Colorbond® roofing when building their homes, ultimately it all comes down to personal preference.
Tiles are a more traditional option, and provide a look for the home favoured by many. They have been used in Australia for the past 75 years, however nowadays tiling and metal roofing methods are equally popular, as the sturdiness and lightweightness of Colorbond® is seen to outweigh the advantages offered by tiles.
When making your decision, noise is something you should consider. Colorbond® is not known for its sound proofing qualities; tiles are quieter, especially when it rains. Many people like the drip-drop noise rains makes against the metal roof, but others find it slightly bothersome.
It’s also possible that in some situations tiles may be easier to modify if you wish to add a skylight or extension later on, however the difficulties of using Colorbond® are negligible.
Overall, Colorbond® holds many advantages over the traditional tile. But, at the end of the day, you need to make a decision based on what roofing qualities and aesthetics are most important for your home.
Kitome can help you determine which roofing option the right for your home. Our team of consultants can assist with any hurdles you come across throughout the whole home-build process. If you’re needing expert advice, contact us today or download our brochure for more information.
