Compare metal roofing and soft roofing

Metal tiles and soft roofing, which is also called soft or bituminous tiles, are two popular and approximately similar types of roofing. Which one is better — there is no definite answer to this question, since each of the materials has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, our experts asked professional builders to compare these two materials and determine the criteria on which you can make an informed choice.

Before comparing and drawing conclusions, you need to have an idea about the properties and features of each of the materials, and considering their characteristics, you can draw preliminary conclusions in favor of one or another type of roofing.

Advantages and disadvantages of materials

We have summarized all the advantages and disadvantages of each material in a table that will help you in choosing.

Characteristics and features

metal tile

Metal tile — sheet material, the basis of which is a thin galvanized steel sheet, with a thickness of 0.4-0.52 mm. In the manufacture of metal tiles, a flat base is processed under pressure, giving the sheet a relief shape that imitates the appearance of natural ceramic tiles. After stamping, the material is covered with several protective layers on both sides.

Coating

From the side, which in the design position on the finished roof will be facing down, the sheet is covered with layers of primer, passivation and paint, which serve as protection against corrosion. On the upper side, the sheet is also passivated and primed, but for the topmost, front layer, which, in addition to protecting against atmospheric influences and ultraviolet solar radiation, also performs a decorative function, several types of polymer compositions can be used. The degree of resistance of the roofing to external influences and the area of ​​use of the metal tile depends on the type of these compositions.

From this we conclude: if you choose one of the types of roofing for the roof of your house, in this case, metal tiles, you need to know that this material differs in types of front covering, and each type has its own scope.

Important! For the front coating of metal tiles, 3 main types of polymeric materials are used:

1. polyester (international designation — PE). An inexpensive type of protective coating, which is applied in a layer with a thickness of 25-35 microns, can be operated at temperatures up to 100 ° C and has a low resistance to mechanical damage and the ability to retain color;

2. polyurethane (PU or Pural), applied in 50 µm thickness, can be used at temperatures up to 120 °C, has good mechanical resistance, excellent resistance to UV radiation, corrosion and color retention for a long time;

3. plastisol (PVC), applied in a layer of 200 microns, can be operated at temperatures up to 60 ° C, has excellent resistance to mechanical stress and corrosion, but at the same time it has low resistance to UV radiation and color fastness.

Advice: Before purchasing a metal tile, you should determine what type of coating is applied to the front side of the sheets in the range offered, and based on this, decide which type of roofing suits you.

Polyester-coated metal tiles have proven themselves well when used in central Europe, where regions with a temperate climate are located. When using this type of material, special care should be taken during transportation and installation, since the front layer of metal tile sheets has a low resistance to mechanical damage, and then during operation, the damage sites become sources of increased corrosion.

The material coated with plastisol, although it has high resistance to mechanical stress, does not have sufficient resistance to large temperature changes and UV radiation, so it should not be used in the southern regions. Recommended for coating industrial and administrative buildings.

Metal tile coated with polyurethane is a material with excellent consumer qualities that can be used for roofing any buildings in any climatic regions.

Soft tiles

Elements of soft tiles, also called shingles or shingles, are made of durable fiberglass canvas. It is covered on both sides with bitumen that has undergone special training — modification or enrichment with polymer resins and synthetic rubber. As a result of the use of modified bitumen, the material acquires special elasticity, resistance to moisture, large temperature fluctuations, and harmful microorganisms.

In addition, soft tiles are covered on the underside with a self-adhesive layer for fastening to the base under a silicone film, which is removed before installation. And on the front side sprinkled with fine mineral chips, which serve as protection against mechanical influences, UV radiation from the sun and fire.

Now that you have an idea about the properties and features

materials, you can consider the factors that directly affect the choice of one or another option for roofing.

Dimensions, slopes and roof configuration

Finished products from metal tiles are produced with dimensions: 1120-1190 mm wide, 500 to 4500 mm long (sheets up to 7500 mm long can be produced on a separate order).

Unlike a metal tile, a soft roof is mounted from smaller elements — shingles. One shingle has the form of a rectangle 1000 mm long, 317 mm wide, even on one side and three or more large teeth on the other side, which can be of different shapes — trapezoidal, rectangular, rhomboid, petal, etc.

For metal tiles, building codes set limits for slopes of roof slopes — at least 14 °. There is no such restriction for soft tiles — the roof slope can be 90 °, that is, vertical. This means that metal tiles, unlike soft tiles, have limitations in use.

Important! It is rational to use metal tiles for simple-shaped roofs — with rectangular slopes, without bends and complex details. Soft tiles can be used for any type of roofs, including those with hipped, conical, pyramidal elements, vertical differences in height, etc.

Issue price

The average price for a metal tile is in the range of 180-480 rubles / m2, for a soft tile of comparable quality — 200-6 dollars / m2. However, when determining the cost of a roofing device, in addition to the price of the roofing material, it is important to take into account the cost of the base for the roofing.

The metal tile is laid on a wooden crate made of a small section of timber, which is attached to the rafters. To install a roof made of soft tiles, a more reliable foundation is required — in addition to rafters and lathing, a solid flooring from a draft board is laid under the shingle, along with sheets of plywood or OSB. In addition, before laying soft tiles, a lining carpet is laid around the perimeter of the roof, on the ridge and at fracture points.

As a result, the cost of installing a roof made of soft tiles is about one and a half times more than the price of a roof with metal tiles.

Mounting Features

If we compare the complexity of installation of these two materials, it may seem that the installation of a roof made of metal tiles is less laborious than covering the roof with soft tiles. Formally, this is true — the complexity and number of operations in the first case is less than in the second, but this will be true in the case of a simple single or gable roof. When constructing a more complex structure, difficulties arise, therefore, when comparing according to this criterion, the following features must be taken into account.

It is possible to cut metal tiles only with special metal shears or an electric jigsaw, but in no case with a “grinder”, which severely damages the protective coating at the cut points, which subsequently causes accelerated corrosion of the steel base. In any case, the places where the sheets of metal tiles are trimmed must be protected with additional primer and paint.

Difficulties are caused by the lifting and placement of large-sized sheets on the roof, for which it is necessary to have a larger number of workers in the team than with the installation of a soft roof.

Aesthetic component

Both types of roofing material can mimic, to varying degrees, the appearance of natural ceramic tiles. However, the possibilities of designing soft tiles go beyond simple imitation due to a richer range of used colors, shades and shapes of shingles, which opens up wide opportunities for architects to design a variety of building exteriors.

In addition, when installing a roof made of metal tiles, fastening of sheets with self-tapping screws is noticeable — this spoils the general appearance of the facades of buildings and gives an advantage in aesthetic perception in favor of a roof made of soft tiles. Bituminous tiles are mounted using hidden fasteners, which does not violate the solution of the overall architectural concept.

Life time

The service life of metal tiles is declared by manufacturers within 10-50 years, soft tiles — 15-70 years. More than 20 years have passed since the start of widespread use of metal tiles as roofing in EU, and many buildings covered with this material are still successfully operated without the need for repair. The same can be said about soft tiles, that is, enough time has not yet passed for an objective assessment of the compliance of both materials with the declared service life.

At the same time, according to consumer reviews, there are cases of corrosion phenomena on roofs made of metal tiles in places where whole sheets are cut, which can be attributed to the consequences of insufficient compliance with the work technology and additional protection.

Operation features

To compare both options for roofing, it is important to analyze some of the features of their operation. Roofing from metal tiles, unlike roofing from soft tiles, requires several additional measures:

1. lightning protection and grounding devices for the structure in order to prevent lightning strikes, which can lead to fire of the wooden supporting structures of the roof frame and disruption of electrical appliances at home;

2. installation of snow retainers, as there is a danger of an avalanche of snow from the roof slope. For the same reason, metal roofing requires snow removal as it accumulates;

3. additional protection by coating with a polymer film to prevent the formation of condensate on the inner surface of the roof due to temperature changes.

maintainability

It is easier to repair a roof made of soft tiles in case of damage during operation — it is enough to replace small fragments of the coating with new ones. Repair of a roof made of metal tiles is more difficult — it is necessary to dismantle and replace sheets of a large area, and then insulate all joints with a new one.

Noisy roof when it rains

One of the criteria that influences the choice of the type of roofing is the noise that metal tiles make when it rains. Here, the advantage is clearly behind soft tiles, which practically do not produce any noise during rain. However, if a metal tile roof is arranged above the attic, then the installation of insulation under the coating can significantly reduce the annoying sound of falling raindrops.

Conclusion

In conclusion, let’s say that the choice of one or another type of roofing depends on many factors — your financial condition, allowing you to choose may be a more expensive material, but with higher performance, on the specific conditions of the site and region where the construction is carried out, as well as on some other factors that you must evaluate for yourself and which we have tried to cover as fully as possible.