Selecting a steel roof to top your new building provides more advantages than just keeping the wind and rain out. The roof can improve the appearance of the building, and a building that looks good is more likely to attract business. Steel roofs can be designed to match the aesthetic beauty of the rest of a building, as they are available in a vast assortment of shapes and finishes. Quality does not have to be sacrificed for appearance ““ there is more than meets the eye involved in roofing design. Read on to learn more about the various types of steel roofs that can provide just what you need and the look you want. 

Like the rest of the steel building, steel roofs have a reputation for being highly efficient and water proof. In fact, recent innovations have improved the entire building system. They continue to require very little maintenance over the life of the building and they may even come with a guarantee from either the manufacturer or the supplier. The end result is a roof that can last for decades and protect not only your “stuff”� but, more importantly, keep your people comfortable as well. 

Obviously, a roof’s main function is to keep water out, and a steel roof is no different. A steel roof that facilitates water-shedding will have a minimum pitch of “three on twelve”� and still be able to maintain that great look. When a steel roof is built to be water-tight, it is able to handle “water-ponding.”� This type of roof design is called “hydrostatic.”� Minimally pitched styles are frequently used in waterproof roofs, mainly because a flat roof allows water to collect and possibly leak inside. It is possible to create the look of a flat roof that is actually pitched. This is done by embedding the roof below the top of the walls so that it is out of sight and yet is still able to shed and drain water when necessary. However, even waterproof roofs cannot prevent leaks at certain key locations such as eaves, ridges, and rakes ““ regardless of what the pitch is. In order for a roof to be classified as waterproof, the pitch needs to be at least “one on twelve.”� When the rainfall average for a given area is high, the pitch is usually steeper to allow for faster drainage. 

“Structural roofing”� is another type of waterproof design. Even without assistance from decking, structural roofing can span the distance between widely spaced roof purlins. While structural roofing works best with steeper inclines, it works effectively with more gradual inclines, too. 

“Roof decking”� is another type of steel roof. This type of roof is able to sustain a construction worker’s weight of 250 lbs. and comply with certain wind uplift requirements. Roof decking, or closely spaced sub-purlins, provides the rooftop support to any nonstructural or architectural roofing. An architectural roof is very comparable to that of a water-shedding roof in that they both perform the same function, but it also offers its own aesthetic value. Although severely pitched roofs are feasible with this type of roofing design, considerable structural reinforcement plus superior sealant quality is necessary. The bottom line is that you can have a roof on your new building that not only looks great, but also keeps you warm and dry inside””if you build it with steel.