 METAL ROOFING

Steel roofing panels are very lightweight with the heaviest product weighing about 1.5 pounds per square foot when installed. The products are initially produced in giant rolls at the steel mills. They are then coated with a metallic coating to prevent rust at the steel plant. The rolls are then painted at a coil coating plant using high-speed paint lines that bake on the coating. The painted coil is then shipped to a roofing manufacturer where it is formed into long panels by a process called rollforming or they are stamped into individual shingles using large presses. Steel residential roofing is made in thicknesses designated by gauge and is generally 24 to 26 gauge, with the higher gauge being thinner than the lower. These gauges are appropriate since most residential metal roofing applications are over a solid substrate.

There are differing levels of paint quality for metal roofing-all affecting the price of the finished product. The principal attribute that consumers are concerned about is fading of the original color. When exposed to sunlight (ultra-violet light) paints fade over time, some more than others. Generally, in this situation you get what you pay for.