{"id":78,"date":"2018-02-08T17:35:29","date_gmt":"2018-02-08T17:35:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.advaluminum.com\/blog\/?page_id=78"},"modified":"2018-02-08T17:37:04","modified_gmt":"2018-02-08T17:37:04","slug":"roof-weight-taking-load-off-metal-roofing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.advaluminum.com\/blog\/roof-weight-taking-load-off-metal-roofing\/","title":{"rendered":"Roof Weight – Taking a Load Off with Metal Roofing"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"strongAmong\u00a0all the questions a person might ask when looking at a home for sale, \u201cHow much\u00a0does\u00a0the roof weigh?<\/a>\u201d is probably not high on the list.\u00a0\u00a0But maybe it should be.<\/p>\n

When you\u00a0give it a little thought, you can see why this is true.\u00a0\u00a0Roofs are big and cover the\u00a0entire\u00a0house.\u00a0\u00a0Depending on the materials used\u00a0in its construction, a residential roof on a\u00a02,500-square-foot home can weigh\u00a0as much as\u00a050,000 pounds.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s like having five full-grown African\u00a0elephants lounging around up there.<\/p>\n

Some\u00a0people are surprised when they discover the weights of different roofing\u00a0materials.\u00a0\u00a0Most\u00a0are very surprised when\u00a0they find out that metal roofs come in at the lowest weight among all\u00a0\u201cstandard\u201d roofing materials while holding up over the years better than the\u00a0rest of them.<\/p>\n

Although\u00a0lightweight, metal roofing is ultra-strong and ultra-durable.\u00a0\u00a0It can maintain its\u00a0performance over 50\u00a0years, where you might only get 10 or 15 good years out of traditional\u00a0asphalt\u00a0shingles.\u00a0\u00a0You\u2019ll also be glad to know\u00a0that because of the method of laying and\u00a0fastening metal roofing panels, leaking\u00a0is just about impossible.<\/p>\n

Metal\u00a0roofs keep looking good year after year, even when subjected to excessive winds\u00a0and\u00a0pounding rains.\u00a0\u00a0And as for the\u00a0quality of life inside a home under a metal roof, consider that\u00a0these roofs\u00a0actually reflect the rays of the sun and keep the home cooler during the hot\u00a0summer months than other types of roofing materials.<\/p>\n

The problem with a heavy roof<\/h2>\n

A\u00a0well-constructed brand new home can easily support a roof weighing 40,000 or\u00a050,000\u00a0pounds.\u00a0\u00a0As the home ages,\u00a0however, its structural and support materials weaken.\u00a0\u00a0Whether it\u00a0is built with engineered or\u00a0dimensional lumber, and especially fire-treated wood, no home will\u00a0have the\u00a0same structural integrity at 50 years old as it did when it was new.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0concern here is that aging homes are more likely to move and shift under a very\u00a0heavy\u00a0roof, which can lead to multiple problems throughout the house.\u00a0\u00a0Very heavy windstorms and\u00a0worse \u2013 earthquakes\u00a0\u2013 can wreak havoc with the structure of an older home.\u00a0\u00a0Finally, should\u00a0there be a house fire, a\u00a0lighter roof is less likely to collapse and cause further damage.\u00a0\u00a0And\u00a0keep in mind that light metal roofs are\u00a0highly fire- and flame-resistant.<\/p>\n

Weights of various roofing materials<\/h2>\n

Here are\u00a0the weights per 100 square feet of common roofing materials.<\/strong><\/p>\n