Copper Roofing

There is no denying that copper roofing can be a very expensive affair. The cause alone is the enough to throw most individuals of the idea of going in for such roofing. However, you should not measure the dis-advantages of chosing copper roofing installation merely on the basis of the potential expensive price.

Rather, you should consider the cost versus benefits. If you are short of cash and if your house needs urgent repairs, it is obvious that copper roofing may not be a viable option. However, if you do have sufficient cash in hand, then you should consider going in for copper roofing as an investment. The advantages of going in for copper roofing are the same as advantages of going in for gold jewelry or diamond ornaments.

Once you install the right roofing on your house, you can rest assured that your roofing problems are taken care of practically forever. You will never have to spend excessively on maintaining your copper roof. This is because copper is a metal that lasts upwards of 100 years. You may have heard  horror stories from your friends and colleagues about spending thousands of dollars every year just to keep the roof maintained. You copper roof will be an exception because you will never have to heavy maintenance expenditures once you have installed copper roofing on your home or special building.

In our current times of cheap convenience and products, it seems strange to find something lauded for its longevity and durability rather than its ease of access or inexpensive costs. Roofing is one such product that could benefit from a little more longevity. The average asphalt shingle has an expected lifetime of less than ten years! This has to do with the aging process of sun exposure. Copper roofing shingles on the other hand will last for a century or more.

The reason that an asphalt or wooden shingle doesn’t last very long is that they are oil-based shingles. This means that their primary method of keeping water from seeping into your roof is placing a barrier of oil over the roof. In asphalt shingles this barrier is the tar underlay. In wood shingles it is the natural oil of the wood. The shingles let the water flow over them, but not seep into them. Unfortunately, as the sun shines on the shingles every day, it slowly dries the oil out of them. This process can be accelerated in high-traffic areas of your roof by running water. The shingles will first secrete their oil in the sun, and then the flowing water during rain picks the oil off the surface of the shingles and carries it away. This causes the edges and interior angles of your roof to wear out faster than the outside does.

Copper roofing panels on the other hand actually become more resistant to wear with time. Copper starts out a brilliant, deep hue of orange. As it starts to weather, it will deepen to a russet color. This change takes place in the first year of weathering in many cases. The next phase of weathering can take anywhere from 3 years to several decades. The copper roofing panels form what is known as a patina. The patina is a protective, oxidized layer on the outside of the shingle which is a green hue. This layer is all but chemically inert, which means the wind, sun, and rain will not cause it to wear away. The longevity of copper, even above other metals or stone, is due to the protective barrier it forms on the outside.

Having an understanding of cost-benefit ratio of different types of roofing allows homeowners and prospective builders to have intelligent discussions with their architect about which material will best suit their needs and budget. You can find several types of roofing materials on the market, and each has its own benefits and drawbacks. Generally, the more you pay the higher quality and more durable your roof will be.