When planning to replace the roof on a classic house, you can opt for a variety of materials. Some homeowners opt for relatively inexpensive asphalt shingles. Those with larger budgets may opt for natural or composite slate tiles, or possibly cedar shakes. This time, however, we would like to focus on a relatively niche material that, due to its high price and weight, is chosen extremely rarely. We are referring, of course, to copper. Well, actually, just do I need a copper roof?
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Why Do People Choose Copper as a Roofing Material?
According to Wikipedia, copper has been used in architecture since Ancient Egypt. At first, this metal was used for its ease of processing. Copper is pliable, and its melting point is relatively low. In ancient times, these were very valuable assets.
Later, architects and builders began to pay attention to other parameters of this metal. Copper roofs impress with their appearance, corrosion resistance and impact resistance – their flexibility makes them bend instead of cracking or crumbling.
Nowadays, architects choose to design copper roofs because of tradition – in many places, the vast majority of roofs are just covered with green sheet. Copper also remains one of the most long-lasting rooftop materials, offering up to 100 years of service! This is due, of course, to the fact that there is no risk of corrosion, and in the event of a possible hailstorm, the copper sheet can simply be sanded and evened out.
When is it Worth Installing Copper Roof?
Our blog already has an article on the pros and cons of copper roofs. This time, we’ll look at the issue from a slightly different angle and consider who should opt for this material.
You Can Spend Up to $100,000 on Roof Replacement
Well, there’s no fooling around – copper roofs can sometimes be incredibly expensive, and there’s no changing that. According to Angi.com, installing 1 sqft of copper roof involves an expense of $15 to $35. For larger homes, the cost can exceed as much as $100,000, and while this should be considered an investment in durability, trouble-free performance and aesthetics, the vast majority of homeowners are not in a position to spend such an amount on renovations.
Durability and Longevity are Most Important to You
One of the biggest advantages of copper roofs is their phenomenal longevity, which cannot be compared to any other material. Unlike asphalt shingles, which last 15 to 30 years of service, and composite cedar shakes, which you’ll use for 30 to 50 years, some copper roofs were installed 200 years ago and still look very good.
There are homeowners who don’t want to tie themselves to their homes for more than 10 or 15 years – they know they plan to move soon, prefer to enjoy using new products, or just like to renovate their homes. However, if you know you’d rather pay a little more to ensure your peace of mind and mental comfort, copper roof will be the perfect solution to your problem and meet that need.
You Like the Classic Architecture
Copper roofs are also liked for their aesthetics. Initially golden brown in color, the sheet metal tints to a distinctive green-blue color over time. Typically, this process takes 15 to 25 years, but delightfully, each roof will age differently, and the resulting pattern will gently evolve each day, especially in winter and autumn.
Copper, however, is a weak material in modern architecture, although you will certainly find projects where it looks very good. When designing minimalist buildings, many designers go for stainless steel or aluminum, which are much easier to paint or cover with specialized coatings such as Kynar500.
You Care About Sustainability
Technically speaking, copper is one of the most sustainable roofing materials, mainly due to its very long life and limited emissions.Although the production of copper roofs involves the consumption of large amounts of energy needed to melt copper, the emissions are spread over many years, and when it is replaced, it is possible to reuse the scrap created from demolition.
When it isn’t Worth Installing Copper Roof?
Unfortunately, copper roofs also have disadvantages and it is worth being aware of them. You should not decide to install a roof of this material if:
Your Roof Structure Is Not Adapted to Carry Heavy Loads
If your existing roof was made of asphalt shingles or cedar shakes, the supporting elements may not be adapted to handle the heavy loads generated by copper sheet. As with natural slate tiles, copper sheet is extremely heavy, making it necessary for sheathing and roof truss to be used to accommodate this. Generally speaking, rafters and purlins must be spread 2 times denser than normal, which of course translates into costs.
You Like to Change the Curb Appeal of Your Home Frequently
This point follows, of course, from the others – due to the high cost of installation and durability, frequent replacements of copper roof completely miss the point. Copper sheet is also not the best material for painting – it is very difficult to prepare its surface for any paint.
You Care a Lot About Silence
As with stainless steel roofs Glenview, copper roofs transmit sound very well, which, during rainy days, can simply be noisy in the attic and upper parts of the house. While the distinctive drumming or ringing may be pleasant for some people, many homeowners will experience discomfort.
Summary
Copper roofs have both advantages and disadvantages. While certainly, copper is a very durable, elegant and unparalleled material, its price and weight may disqualify it from being used in your case. Regardless of which roof you decide on, if you live in Glenview, Highland Park, Wheeling or Chicago, A.B. Edward is the best exterior contractor you can find.
