The very term does not even clear if we are talking about steel, aluminum, zinc roof, or copper roof. In fact, a metal roof does not describe one particular product, but an entire array of different products. When you hear the term itself, chances are that your mind goes to steel roofing, but this term covers a far wider range of materials.
A lot of options
You have plenty of options when it comes to choosing metal roofing materials, including aluminum, copper, stainless steel, and zinc. While each of the five types of metal roofing materials has its advantages, ultimately, your choice will usually boil down to cost.
In this article, we are going to walk through the differences among the options for metal roof materials, as well as the pros and cons for each of the materials, profiles, and sources. Some types are more popular than others, and in the sections below, Legacy Service will cover the four most popular types of metal roofing.
While Zinc may or may not be the best option for your specific situation, there are actually many reasons to opt for metal roofs overall. If you want a metal roof, it is probably best for the money, and it is also less susceptible to theft. Compared with other metals, zinc is cheap to purchase, and that makes theft of metals with a zinc roof highly unlikely, as opposed to lead, copper, or even stainless steel.
Refine your steel
Zinc requires only a quarter of the energy it takes to refine steel or copper, and, like other metals, zinc is 100 percent recyclable. It also has a durability of centuries, and since it has a low melting temperature, is uniquely sustainable. One of the downsides is that zinc is also susceptible to the effects of chalking, particularly in areas where water is collected and flowing.
Zinc has an even greater ecological benefit because less fuel is used in its production, literally boiling it down and shaping it into sheet metal coils used for making zinc roofing panels. Less energy is required to turn the raw material zinc into usable forms like roofing shingles.
Energy
Zinc also requires fewer energy resources and fewer carbon products to manufacture compared with some other popular roofing materials, such as shingles. Once zinc panels are removed from a roof, they can be re-used for other things, such as a galvanized metal roof.
If your budget is not that big, and you do not want something that has as much durability as zinc, a metal roof that looks similar to zinc could be a better value alternative. The longer lifespan of a zinc roof makes it more cost-efficient if considering your total lifetime costs, but actually, a zinc roof could even be cheaper in the beginning.
In the end
Zinc is actually currently very good compared with alternative metals such as copper and lead (naturally) and even stainless steel. Zinc is comparable to copper in price, and since it is a softer metal, it may take a pounding and big hailstone impacts, depending on panel or shingle construction.
