The modern market for roofing is diverse. It would seem that a wide range of material resources should facilitate the choice of the best coverage, but the opposite is true. Due to the fact that many of the types of coatings are equally versatile and practically inferior to each other in quality, it is difficult to make a choice. For example, the choice between a metal tile or a soft roof: what even the most experienced qualified builder will not tell you better. The fact is that when choosing the optimal coating, you need to proceed from its intended purpose, the characteristics of the material and how it will lie on your roof.
Metal: description and parameters of the material
The metal tile is a roofing material made of galvanized steel sheets with a width of 0.8-1 meters, a length of 1 to 8 meters, and a thickness of 0.37 to 0.7 mm (the larger the thickness and length of the sheet of metal tile - the tougher the roof structure )
The metal tile consists of several layers:
- the outer layer is polymer, made of plastisol or polyester (performed in a variety of colors: from burgundy and red to green);
- primer layer (guarantees a high-quality base for the polymer layer);
- passivating layer;
- galvanized metal layer;
- steel sheet.
The appearance of the metal tile is identical to the natural tile.
The main advantages of metal are lightness (the weight of a square meter of coating is not more than 7 kg), simplicity and speed of installation, low cost and availability. The disadvantages of metal tiles are corrosion (it can be avoided if the coating is properly taken care of) and noise (for example, rain drumming on metal creates a lot of noise).
Soft bitumen roofing: features of the roofing material
The soft roof is a wavy or flat sheet of bitumen, with approximate sizes: 35-40 centimeters wide and 1 meter long (different manufacturers produce sheets of different sizes). The color scheme is as wide as that of a metal tile.
The basis of a soft bitumen roof is fiberglass, which plays the role of a connecting layer between two layers of oxidized bitumen.
The pluses of the bitumen roof include the diversity of its forms: a rectangular, two-layer “shingled” form, etc., as well as the noiselessness of the material and the ability to lay it on the roofs of even the most complex structures and shapes.
Cons of a soft roof: laying is carried out only on a solid base, which increases the total cost of arranging the roof.
Metal tile or soft roof? Comparative analysis of materials
In order for the comparative analysis to be the most complete, it is necessary to identify the main parameters for comparison:
- base for roofing material;
- cost and total consumption of material;
- complexity of laying work;
- the presence and features of additional layers of the roofing "pie";
- hardiness of the material in the cold period.
Base for roofing material
The first requirement to the base is the ability to support the weight of the roofing material. In this case, the requirements for the rafter system are almost identical: both the metal tile and the soft tile are equally lightweight material (the metal tile has a weight of 5-7 kg, and the flexible tile 7-9 kg per square meter), which exerts minimal pressure on the rafters. The optimal parameters of the rafter system for both types of roofing materials will be:
- range of installation pitch of rafter logs - 65-80 cm;
- timber with a section of 150x50.
The only difference between the base for these materials is the crate: a conventional step crate is suitable for a metal tile (the step should be equal to the step of the tile wave, i.e. approximately 30 cm), and the flexible tile needs a continuous crate design.
The basis for a soft roof is usually oriented-particle board (OSB) or moisture-proof plywood, which serves, moreover, as an additional heat and noise insulating layer.
Roofing difficulty level and material consumption
A flexible roof is much better suited to cutting than a metal tile: since it is quite plastic, an ordinary knife serves as a cutting tool. Therefore, this material is best suited for roofs with an ornate, complex geometry (roofs, on which there are many turrets, edges, corners).
In addition, this material is extremely economically consumed: having built even the most complex roof, the scraps will remain at best 10-15%.
Metal tiles can also be clad without problems, however, only on single- or gable roofs.
If on the roof there are complex elements, ribs and turrets, it is simply impossible to lay a metal tile on them without waste, and the waste is so great (sometimes they reach the level of 40-60%) that it is better and cheaper to lay a flexible tile.
Some types of roofs, for example: conical and domed, cannot be covered with metal tiles at all, only flexible roofing materials are suitable for them.
Calculation of the approximate cost of materials
The metal tile, as already noted, is quite low in price: a sheet of material with a thickness of 5 millimeters (the optimal thickness of the metal tile) costs about 13-15 dollars. Nevertheless, it is worth remembering that buying material is half the battle, the main expenses will be on packaging: glue, fasteners, etc., which make up at least 40-60% of the total roofing budget.
Warranty period for metal tiles is 5-20 years. It all depends mainly on the thickness of the tiles and the protective layer. Typically, tiles serve at least 7-10 years (maximum 40-50 years).
If the budget allows you to purchase a rather expensive roofing material, you should buy a composite tile, which is much better than metal in all respects, as well as its long-term almost half a century.
One sheet of composite tile will cost you 30-45 dollars. The guarantee for this material is not less than 30 years, but in reality such material serves faithfully from 50 to 70 years (of course, provided that it is correctly handled and taken care of).
A square meter of flexible bitumen roofing costs $ 7-20. The price of different manufacturers varies depending on the quality of the product and its characteristics: granulate, type of bitumen, sheet thickness, etc.
The warranty period for such coverage is 10-40 years. The most expensive type of flexible roof is a flexible tile with a copper coating. Such coverage will last more than 100 years, but it is prohibitively expensive: more than $ 70-80 per square meter.
The design of additional layers of roofing cake
In the case of soft tiles, you will not need any lining, soundproofing material: due to its structure, it muffles extraneous noise anyway. That is why it is great for attic roofing.
In turn, metal tiles are a very noisy material, according to consumer reviews, raindrops knocking on the iron roof inside are given off by a continuous, annoying hum. That is why, when choosing this type of roofing, it is necessary to take care of high-quality sound insulation (insulating material must be at least 15-20 centimeters thick)
Installation of roofing materials: conditions, methods of fastening and main features
As already mentioned, the metal tile spreads easily, but only on condition that the roof is simple: without protrusions, valleys and corners. Installation can be done in almost any weather.
The main limitation for this material is the prohibition of cutting with a grinder, because this deforms its protective layer, which seriously reduces the service life of the coating.
In addition, metal tiles need extremely careful transportation and hoisting directly on the roof: at least 2, or even 3-4 people should do this. Mounting is done carefully and carefully, for which self-tapping screws with special rubber gaskets are used.
The soft roof is mounted by means of nails, as well as an adhesive edging on the elements of the tile, which adjacent sheets of tile are fastened together. If the soft roof was fixed correctly, then the hats from nails will not be visible to anyone, because each subsequent layer of tile will be overlapped, and the hats will be hidden by the following sheets.
Soft tiles are best laid dry in early autumn or spring, when the temperature is average: hot weather, as well as too cold, are not suitable for installation. In addition, if there is no choice, and installation has to be done in hot weather, it is strictly forbidden to walk on top of the material, because this deforms its sheets.
So, if your goal is to cover the usual small one- or gable roof, then the question of what kind of material to choose should not arise at all, the metal tile will fit perfectly. If the roofing material is selected on a large house with viewing windows, complex decorative elements on the roof, an attic and chimney stacks - ideal, and sometimes the only option is flexible roof tiles.
Thus, the question of which material is better: a flexible roof or metal tile is relative, both materials have excellent characteristics, and a decision can only be made taking into account specific conditions: the budget for the construction, the types of roof and its functional state, personal preferences.