5 Reasons Why Homeowners Should Choose Their Own Metal Sheet Roof
In general, there are two or three ways you can hire a contractor: you can pay a lump sum to the contractors for all expenses, or you pay the contractors for only labouring services. Alternatively, you can purchase construction materials by yourself and hire a contractor for some specific jobs, but the overall construction is still under the care of the contractor. This will depend on your initial agreement made before entering into a service contract.
For the main structural work, concrete work, plumbing work, and electrical system, Home Idea recommends a lump sum contract for ease of the contractor’s operation, plus the homeowner will not be worn out buying materials themselves. However, it works for which you already have a clear design or which have a direct impact on living, such as bathroom work, flooring, and roofing, it is recommended that homeowners play a role in choosing materials to ensure that you get a house that meets your needs, both in terms of usability and aesthetics. This article will explain how to choose roofing metal sheets, which are available in many specs and grades. You should study in order to identify the spec that is best for your roofing project before talking to the contractor.
First of all, we must clarify that this article is not intended to criticize contractors. Good contractors will carefully select good quality materials for homeowners to meet their budget. However, there are many contractors with bad intentions who falsely claim to meet specifications and who also abandon jobs. A house is a homeowner’s dream, and you should study to understand materials and specifications in order to avoid problems that may arise.
Once the installation is completed especially for house roof, it is almost impossible for a homeowner to inspect anything. Choosing good materials from the beginning or having them installed by experts will prevent many problems that may arise later.
1. Various thicknesses for various applications
In general, contractors will choose metal sheets of 0.3 mm thickness for homeowners. This is a standard thickness for house roofing. However, if a homeowner wants a roof that reduces both rain noise and heat, the recommended thickness is 0.4-0.47 mm, or at least 0.35 mm. Do not choose a thickness of less than 0.3 mm because it is not suitable for roofing; it is best for fencing or other projects that do not require much durability.
2. General metal sheet roofs are unpainted
General metal sheet roofs can be divided into two types, namely pre-painted and unpainted. Often, we hear technicians and contractors saying “This spec is enough, it works just like the others.” This is because most contractors stick to their own standards. Especially for a flat roof or lean-to roof that is hardly visible from the ground, the contractor often tells homeowners to choose a normal metal sheet (unpainted). However, do you know that pre-painted metal sheets do not only enhance roof appearance? Quality metal sheets are coated with heat-reflective paints that help prevent heat from entering the house.
3. A roof with a very low slope requires a Klip-Lok system
Normally, a metal sheet roof is recognized for its low slope. The popularity of metal sheets contributes to the recent increase in modern-style roofs. The minimum slope degree for general metal sheet roofs is five degrees. However, if you want a lower roof slope or overlapping metal sheet roof that resembles a concrete slab roof, you need to install your roof using a boltless system such as Klip-Lok instead of a bolt system.
The bolt system cannot support a roof with a slope lower than five degrees because it will cause slower drainage of rainwater, resulting in leakage in the bolt area. The Klip-Lok system enables installation without bolting, which makes it possible to have a flat roof throughout, allowing the roof to be sloped as low as two degrees.
At this point, you may be wondering what the difference is between two and five-degree slopes. For a roof that is 1-5 meters in length, the difference is less obvious. However, for a roof that is longer than 10 meters, a slope with a three-degree difference will greatly affect the length of the roof edge, which causes the roof slope to increase and resemble a lean-to roof. As for general roof shapes, such as gable, hipped, and lean-to, the homeowner can choose to install BlueScope Zacs metal sheets using the bolt system, which will save you construction costs on the Klip-Lok system.
4. Insulation is a must-have
It cannot be denied that metal sheets are better thermally conductive materials than roof tiles. Metal sheets also have many other advantages, such as fast heat transfer, ease of installation, and low weight. Moreover, they can be used for a wide range of roof shapes. Users need to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the material they choose. Metal sheets should always be used together with insulation.
The insulation preferred by contractors is PU foam insulation pre-installed on metal sheets, commonly known as the sandwich roof. The advantages of this insulation are ease of installation, soundproofing, and heat resistance (depending on the quality and thickness of specific model). As for its common disadvantages, if a contractor chooses a poor quality sandwich roof, after a while, the PU pad will gradually peel and fall off. High-quality roof materials will thus ensure that they are long-lasting.
In addition to PU insulation, homeowners can choose other types of insulation, such as PU spray foam insulation, which adheres better than a sandwich roof. Homeowners can also install fibreglass insulation with a 6-inch thickness on the ceiling. Fibreglass insulation helps your house keep cool and provides soundproofing benefits. Keep in mind that installing a metal sheet roof without any insulation will make your house too warm and uncomfortable.
5. Use metal sheet roofing specialist technicians only
Homeowners can rest assured with a contractor installing your roof if the contractor is skilled and experienced in house construction. However, not many homeowners spend enough time and effort on selecting contractors. As a result, they end up with inexperienced contractors and encounter problems in the installation process, such as metal sheet specification not matching purlin spacing, improper installation, a bent roof, and other small problems caused by failure to clean the roof after installation is completed, which may cause bigger problems in the long run.
To avoid some of these problems, you may want to opt for separate contracts. For example, you can contract a construction contractor for your house structure but hire the metal sheet roof manufacturer directly to specifically take care of your roof. This way, you can be assured that you will get skilled and experienced craftsmen who have been trained for roofing. Usually, the installer will double-check the roof structure drawings with the homeowner to ensure appropriateness and accuracy.
6. Roof sheets must be continuous throughout the roof
The outstanding property of the metal sheet is that it can prevent leakage better than other types of roofing materials. This is because metal sheets can be manufactured to cover continuously throughout the roof. Therefore, you should take special care to prevent a contractor from buying partial sheets and using a joining method because the joints can leak. Homeowners should insist on continuous metal sheets only, otherwise, the outstanding property of metal sheet will be lost.
Always have BOQ
The six criteria above cannot be successfully met if the homeowner does not clearly set material specifications. Usually, a house construction project requires a BOQ (read more, What is a BOQ?). Normally, there should be two sets of BOQ: One is from the architect who designs the house and the other is from the contractor. After the homeowner has discussed the specifications with the contractor, a verbal discussion is not enough; you should have written evidence. The BOQ is an important piece of evidence that tells you the brand, model, and thickness of the metal sheet material and the type of insulation to be installed. It can be considered a protection against construction fraud to some degree and smooths the construction process. Choosing your own materials will also boost pride for the homeowner. Before building a house, you should study various information to avoid mistakes later. Thanks to https://www.banidea.com/how-to-choose-metalsheet/ for the information.
