You likely haven’t put much thought into how much your roof weighs. But once you start to consider the question, it becomes obvious how important this detail really is. The roof is one of the largest features of your home. After all, it covers the entire house! Depending on the materials used in its construction, a residential roof on a 2,500-square-foot home can weigh as much as 50,000 pounds. That’s equivalent to having five full-grown African elephants up there.
Weight of Metal Roofs
Luckily, roofs come in many different materials – including our favorite, metal! On top of boasting environmental sustainability and energy efficiency, metal roofs also come in at the lowest weight among all “standard” roofing materials. Did we mention they hold up better than the rest of the materials too? The average weight of 100 square feet of different metal panels is as follows:
- 45 pounds: aluminum shingles
- 80 pounds: steel shingles
- 120-150 pounds: steel standing seam
Cons of a Heavy Roof
A well-constructed home can easily support a roof weighing up to 50,000 pounds. However, the homes structural and support materials weaken over time. And if the weight of the roof is too much, the aging home is more likely to move and shift underneath it all. Extremely strong windstorms and, even worse – earthquakes, can wreak havoc with the structure of an older home. And in the event of a fire, a heavier roof is more likely to collapse and cause further damage. Now is also a good time to mention that metal roofs are also highly fire and flame resistant.
So why should you consider a light metal roof? Not only for the above benefits, but also for their durability, insulating properties, fire-resistance and their ability to keep looking great decade after decade Metal panels are a wonderful, eco-friendly, and long-lasting investment to make for your home. If you would like to learn more about your metal roofing options, contact our qualified team of professionals at 1.855.838.9393 or info@londonecometal.com.
