What you choose for your home design depends on several things; personal preferences, budget, availability and even what the council may or may not allow in your suburb. Two of the most common materials for the roofs of homes today are tiles and Colorbond roofing. Most of the cheaper tiles are made from concrete, although you can get slate and terracotta tiles. Whether you are building a new home or doing a roof restoration, there are a few things to consider.
Colorbond roofing is often considered better than tiles for your home design for several reasons: –
- It is much lighter at only 10% the weight of concrete tiles. This has several advantages such as a lighter roof framework with rafters further apart.
- Colorbond roofing does not absorb water like tiles do, so it remains lightweight even in wet weather. Tiles become even heavier as they absorb the water and so all engineering specifications have to take this into consideration. The framework and rafters of the home need to be much stronger and heavier to bear the weight.
- Since steel roofing does not absorb moisture, if you want to harvest the rainwater from your roof, you will get much more from Colorbond. In addition, the water will be cleaner because debris and dust tend to blow straight off, rather than stick to it like it does to tiles.
- A Colorbond roof is much easier to seal against embers if you live in a bushfire prone region. This doesn’t have to be in a rural area; many city suburbs are in bushfire zones.
- Colorbond roofing is installed in such a way that rodents cannot get in, so you won’t have to worry about rats or possums running up and down your ceiling all night.
- Colorbond is more resilient than tiles to walk on so when you have a TV aerial or solar panels installed it won’t crack. That said, it is wise to walk on the high part of the corrugations rather than the valleys as these are strongest.
- If you have verandas or a roof with a shallow pitch, Colorbond is the ideal material to use due to its strength and light weight.
- It is also ideal for eaves and overhangs as it is lighter than tiles and requires less support. A roof must have a pitch of at least 20 degrees for tiles.
- There are many colours to choose from and you can even get the silver colour of the old- fashioned corrugated iron if you like that Australian icon as many people do.
- While Colorbond is not cheaper than the cheapest concrete tiles, it is more affordable than the expensive types. Besides, the cost is mitigated to some extent by the lighter framework and the speed of installing it.
- Many people love the sound of rain on the roof, especially after going through a dry time. Colorbond is ideal for this – even with insulation you can still hear it.
Colorbond suits many different types of homes and is becoming one of the most popular building materials for roofs. It is strong, durable and attractive, offering Australian residents a roof that is made especially to suit the environment in many ways. It is also an Australian made product, so those who feel the need to support the Aussie workforce know they are doing their bit by purchasing this type of roof.