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What are the disadvantages of a metal roof?

braddy009

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What are the disadvantages of a metal roof?
 
I've heard that during a rainstorm, it sounds like you're inside a tin can.
 
braddy009 said:
What are the disadvantages of a metal roof?
Click to expand...
Total destruction of your house/building if something catches on fire. My father-in-law has been a fireman for over 30 years and their policy is that they only run into a burning building with a metal roof if a person is in there. Otherwise, they basically just watch it burn. Apparently the metal roof traps the heat and basically makes it impossible to save anything and is extremely dangerous to be inside during a fire.

So, that's a pretty big disadvantage.
 
I’ve also heard this about homes with solar panels on the roof
 

Do metal roofs cause problems for firefighters?

Metal roofs are becoming more popular here in northern Michigan, according to contractors and material suppliers. But how are they impacting the fire departments when it comes to fighting a blaze at a home with a metal roof?On Thursday one Mecosta County
upnorthlive.com

Vertical Ventilation on Residential Metal Roofs

Matthew Osinski sheds light on the complexities of carrying out vertical ventilation on traditional metal roofs and today's advanced metal roofing systems.
www.firehouse.com
 
Yeah, I actually read that article when I posted haha. There are a lot of Google results out there with firefighters talking about the difficulties of dealing with a house that has a metal roof. Here's another decent one:

Steps to beat the residential metal roof

Metal roofing materials are becoming more common on residential structures and they present an array of problems for firefighters
www.firerescue1.com
 
The o-rings on the rivets degrade, and it leaks around the rivets.
 
Luce said:
The o-rings on the rivets degrade, and it leaks around the rivets.
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Never put an exposed fasterner roof on a residence. Oh, and no rivets, screws.
 
BirdinHand said:
Only one I’ve heard of is the initial cost
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Don't know where you live but here in Florida, in my community, metal roofs are cheaper the traditional roofing. I find nothing wrong with my metal roof and it will last for about 40,,50 years, not 20.
 
I think I've got a solution to the problem you mentioned! So, because rhe metal roof doesn't burn away, it remains in place and forms an impermeable, insulation barrier that keeps the heat in, probably causing quicker deaths.

Almost as bad, once the supports are weakened by the fire, the metal roof would then collapse down upon the structure, and anyone remaining inside.
So apparently it's a good thing for a roof to burn during a fire..

As soon as I realized that, the solution became obvious.... Magnesium roofing shingles!! Lol
 

  • Burning Magnesium. Burning or molten magnesium metal reacts violently with water. When working with powdered magnesium, safety glasses with welding eye protection are employed, because the bright white light produced by burning magnesium contains ultraviolet light that can permanently damage eyes.
 
braddy009 said:
What are the disadvantages of a metal roof?
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I am asking myself what to do about my 25 year old roof but I get no verifiable answers. What I think is they will outlast asphalt shingles (what I have) and there are two types of fold locking which just gets in the way of "it is harder to find roofers that can do it well" thus it is vey expensive to install.
 
Da Mole said:
You are totally misinformed. I have a metal roof and there is no sound due to rain.
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Bullshit.
My cabin has a tin roof.
 
Da Mole said:
You are totally misinformed. I have a metal roof and there is no sound due to rain.
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I have experienced some roofs with rain sounds and some that were quiet. It depends on how they were laid.
 
Da Mole said:
You are totally misinformed. I have a metal roof and there is no sound due to rain.
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a coordinated tin roof as shack ceiling is loud yes.
But a normal house has a thick plywood below the roofing material followed by an attic of air and insulation followed by a drywall ceiling within the house.
they are not equivalent.
 
Da Mole said:
Tin and metal are two different things. I am willing to be that your tin roof has no insulations either.
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I'll take your point 1 step further. I guarantee that your "tin roof" not only contains no insulation, it also contains no tin! But that's the same with "tin cans" and "tin foil" as well. Turns out that tin is
a terrible choice for constructing cans, foil and roofs with.... It's fairly rare, expensive and soft. It used to be used as an internal coating for steel cans, because tin doesn't easily oxidize, rust or corrode. So much for those "rusty tin cans", or "rusty tin roofs", as that would be an impossibility on at least 2 levels.

Oh, and tin melts at 450° f or 232°C, which means you can easily melt it in a pot on your stove, which is why it's used as a major component of solder. It's low melting temp makes it simple and fun to melt and cast things with, and it's resistance to corrosion means it remains mirror polished from the instant you pour it.
 
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