What’s So Special About Colorbond Roofs?

Colorbond is a coated steel roofing material that has quickly gained popularity over the past years and is now used in many Australian homes. It is long-lasting, resistant to different weather conditions, and makes any home look good. Metal roofs and, in particular, Colorbond roofs are fast becoming the preferred roofing material for homes. Colorbond roofs are sturdy, thermally insulated, lightweight and very resilient. If you are building a new home, or having your current roof replaced, Colorbond roofing has a range of benefits.

Colorbond is a steel roofing material that has been coated. It’s long-lasting and can stand up to the varying Australian weather conditions. It makes your home look good. Compared to tiles, Colorbond roofing is strong yet lightweight.

It’s termite resistant, is non-combustible, and is resistant to chipping, peeling, cracking and corrosion. Being a lightweight product, there is no structural weight gain when installing Colorbond roofing. In fact, in older houses, it relieves a great deal of weight off the structure.

With Colorbond, the colour is bonded to the metal, it’s sturdy and requires minimal maintenance, it doesn’t need painting and being tough, it doesn’t crack or leak. Colourbond roofing just doesn’t make your home look good.

It comes in a range of different shades and colours, so you can pick the colour that suits your home best, and it can be installed practically straight away. The roof sheeting is also available in different profiles to suit the design of your home perfectly.

Being a thermally efficient material, it will insulate your home all year round, it radiates less heat, and it cools down faster than tiles do a night, especially if you choose lighter colours.

Colorbond roofing is easy to install, but it is important that it is installed correctly, with correct laps and flashing to ensure that the rainwater will flow off the roof correctly and not pool. A correctly installed Colorbond roof will definitely reduce the risk of leaking.

Metal roofs, and Colorbond in particular, are quickly becoming the preferred roofing material for homes in Australia. Why? Because Colorbond is stylish, lightweight, sturdy, thermally insulated, and highly resilient under the testing of Australian weather conditions.

It’s an option definitely worth exploring if you’re thinking about building or modifying your home, as using our material has a variety of benefits. Top Glaze has the best range of help if you’re looking for Melbourne roof repairs.

What Are the Benefits of Colorbond Roofs?

Colorbond fence material is lightweight and sturdy steel coated with high-quality paint that is extremely durable and tightly blended into the steel base. This is achieved with several special coatings between the steel base and the paint that make them fit together better.

Design Flexibility

Colorbond roofs deliver excellent spanning capabilities for efficient structures, allowing for a more column-free floor area. The wide colours in the Colorbond range also give building designers and owners more creative license to create a truly unique facade.

The Colorbond range is also available in several profiles to suit both the look and design requirements of your home. As an added bonus benefit, because the colour is bonded to the metal, it doesn’t need painting as often as other metal roofing materials.

Resilience

Colorbond is one of the toughest and most advanced building materials today. It’s been tried and tested for over 50 years in some of the harshest environments in Australia. It’s also termite resistant, meaning it not only looks good but is also long-lasting and durable. It’s a great option for dramatic roof replacement.

Water Collection

They can collect more water for your rainwater storage tanks. If natural water collection is important to you, either for your home, garden, animals etc., having a colour bond roof is better than a concrete tile because of its level of absorbency. Colorbond is corrugated metal with a bonded paint finish that seals it from moisture.

Weight

Tiles made of terracotta or concrete are much heaving. In fact, a colour bond roof is often 1/10th as heavy, meaning that the supporting roof frame doesn’t have to be as complex – reducing the cost of installation.

Furthermore, since terracotta and concrete tiles absorb water, they get even heaving during rainy weather. This extra weight also needs to be considered when designing the roof support structure. Colorbond roofs don’t absorb any water thus, you won’t have to worry about fluctuations in roof weight.

Fire resistant

I live in bushfire-prone areas, then you certainly should choose colorbond over tiles. It’s non-combustible and it’s much easier to seal corrugated metal sheets against flying embers and burning ash.  

Environmentally friendly

Metal roofing is 100% recyclable, and is one of the most re-used products out there. It’s not only efficient to transport, but also contributes to less on-site wastage, reducing the environmental impact of building sites.

Energy Efficient

Even though tiles are cheaper to buy, the final cost will actually depend on whether you add extra insulation, the installation costs, possibly painting, and the future maintenance required.

Thanks to thermatech technology (in-built in Colorbond), developed in 2008 and updated in 2013, Colorbond roofs harness their reflective powers and bounce back penetrating heat, cooling the house and allowing your air-conditioner to do its job, without adding further pressure from above.

What Is the Most Energy-Efficient Roof Color?

Your roof protects your tenants and their possessions, your investment, and (if done properly) your energy bills, especially in hot desert climates like Las Vegas. If you are replacing or improving upon your current roof, you may be unsure of how to get the most energy savings for your money.

When it’s time to choose a roof, lighter roofs do better than darker ones. However, there is no specific colour that will do best for your energy bills as good insulation is what makes all the difference in how much heat enters your building. Anything else is diminishing returns. Looking for a roof replacement? Check out Top Glaze for a wide range of roof services. 

Adequate ventilation and insulation in the building minimises the amount of heat that enters (and leaves in the colder months) and can lower energy bills all year long. The climate in which the property is located, as well as the type of property, will guide the insulation material that you choose. There are a variety of materials to investigate, including:

• Foam
• Fibreglass
• Cotton batting

Depending on the type of roofing you choose, you may only need to include an air space as insulation could allow mould or mildew to grow. Here in Vegas, however, insulation is extremely important.

Dark vs Light-Coloured Roofs

Have you ever walked outside in the dead heat of summer wearing head to toe black clothing? Your clothes absorb the heat from the sun and you are left a messy puddle. Whereas, if you wear white or light coloured clothing, the sunlight is actually reflected off of the fabric as opposed to absorbed by it. This is called “reflectivity” and, to some degree, it holds true for roofing materials as well.

A light-coloured roof will help prevent your property from “soaking up the rays” and costing more and more to cool. This can be a difference of 50 to 60 degrees from a dark-coloured roof, which then translates to less heat entering the building.

What Is Cool Roofing?

While roof colour plays a role in heat absorption, it’s not the only factor: material and reflectiveness also make an impact on the amount of energy required to keep your home and your family cool in the summer months.

There are a variety of roofing materials to choose from and some are better at reducing energy costs than others. In addition, some may be more expensive to install, but may lead to greater savings in the long run. For example, a metal roof is more expensive up front. However it may be the best bet for your monthly energy bills. You can also look into any of the following to determine the best choice for your climate, budget, and energy goals:

• Tile roofing
• Concrete
• Wood
• Asphalt

No matter which direction you choose, look for an Energy Star rated roof for maximum energy savings. A reputable, professional roofing company can help you decide what option is best for your home and situation.

Colorbond vs Tiles

While more and more people are making the shift to Colorbond roofing when building their homes, ultimately it all comes down to personal preference.

Tiles are a more traditional option, and provide a look for the home favoured by many. They have been used in Australia for the past 75 years, however nowadays tiling and metal roofing methods are equally popular, as the sturdiness and lightweightness of Colorbond is seen to outweigh the advantages offered by tiles.

When making your decision, noise is something you should consider. Colorbond is not known for its sound proofing qualities; tiles are quieter, especially when it rains. Many people like the drip-drop noise rains make against the metal roof, but others find it slightly bothersome.

It’s also possible that in some situations, tiles may be easier to modify if you wish to add a skylight or extension, later on, however, the difficulties of using Colorbond are negligible. 

Overall, Colorbond holds many advantages over the traditional tile. But, at the end of the day, you need to make a decision based on what roofing qualities and aesthetics are most important for your home. We have a wide range of Melbourne roof replacement services at Top Glaze.

Strength

Colorbond roofing is a lightweight but also very strong material. It can endure intense winds, is termite resistant, and non-combustible. It’s also resistant to corrosion, chipping, peeling and cracking. On the other hand, tiles are more likely to blow off in strong winds and are more easily corroded.

Also, due to the lightness of the material, there is almost no structural weight strain when installing Colorbond, contrary to tiles, which carry far more weight.

Long-lasting and little maintenance needed.

Colorbond is very sturdy and does not need much maintenance. The colour is literally bonded to the metal, which means painting is not required. Colorbond is also baked, making it tough and unlikely to crack and leak, like tiles often do.

Design-friendly

As well as giving your home a modern and minimalist look, Colorbond comes in different shades and colours, so you can pick the one that suits your home best and install it straight away. On top of that, roof sheeting is available in a range of profiles so as to suit the design of your home to perfection.

Due to its lightweight nature, Colorbond also offers greater spanning capability. This means you need fewer columns throughout your home to hold up the roof, allowing for more versatile and open floor space.

Insulation

Colorbond is a highly thermally efficient material, and in both summer and winter, it’ll insulate your home from extreme temperatures. It radiates less heat, optimising the solar reflectance, and it cools down quicker than tiles at night, especially when used in lighter colours.

Easy Installation

Colorbond comes in metal sheets up to 100 metres in length, which means it’s really easy to just roll them on-site without the need of having lap joints.

Waterproof

Water runs off very easily from colorbond roofing. Instead of the water pooling in certain areas, as can happen with tiles, the steel roofing’s ridges are made to eliminate rainwater quickly and easily, making your home low-risk for leaking.

Environmentally Friendly

Metal roofing is 100% recyclable, and is one of the most re-used products out there. It’s not only efficient to transport, but also contributes to less on-site wastage, reducing the environmental impact of building sites.

Cost

Even though tiles are cheaper to buy, the final cost will actually depend on whether you add extra insulation, the installation costs, possibly painting, and the future maintenance required. Colorbond can help keep the bills down thanks to it’s great in-built insulation, and requires little-to-no maintenance after installation. That’s why, for many people, Colorbond roofing works out to be cheaper than tiling.

Whatever roofing material you choose, it’s a good idea to add a reflective roof coating to the material to achieve higher reflectiveness. This is done by adding a silver or metallic-colored coating to your existing roof. Known as Elastomeric coatings, they will decrease your monthly energy bill and improve the overall wear and tear on your roof, allowing you to replace it less often. This type of coating will have a higher Solar Reflectance rating than a dark or black roof and may prevent up to 75% of solar heat from entering your home. Check with any warranties you may have before installing this coating as it may void an existing warranty.