Some of the beautiful copper tiles we've supplied for homes in Nevada, California and Hawaii. Like what you see? Visit our site for more!
Showing posts with label copper roofing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label copper roofing. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Solid Copper Roof TIles in California, Nevada and Hawaii
Some of the beautiful copper tiles we've supplied for homes in Nevada, California and Hawaii. Like what you see? Visit our site for more!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Copper Roof Diamond Shingles - California and Nevada
Our beautiful custom diamond roofing shingles in elegant copper. Wow! Check out this incredible profile in other materials too.
Copper Roofing Portfolio
A few of our favorite copper roofs to follow, organized for your viewing pleasure.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Gorgeous Copper and Steel Mansard Roof in Reno, NV
This was a very interesting re-roofing project in which to be involved. The original black-painted wood shingles on this mansard were past their useful lifespan, plus the house was on the edge of a ravine so fire was always a concern. The owners wanted to do something permanent and distinctive with the mansard because it's an extremely prominent architectural element. They chose to have us fabricate new standing seam panels and supply the elegant Harlequin Diamond Roof Shingle in solid copper for the mansard over the front door. We also designed and fabricated the custom copper gutter system for the same area.
The steel standing seam roof panels had to be custom color-matched to the pre-fabricated metal roof edge detail of the new flat roof portion of the project. We were able to manufacture an exact color-matching finish for the new steel roof panels with a full 40-year fade warranty – even for the very dark color required by the owner.
To make for a truly unique and impressive statement, the owners selected a copper roof for the section over their entry – and not just any copper roof. We were able to supply our unique Harlequin Diamond Roof Shingle in solid copper - and in a pattern that echoed the diamond pattern in the beveled glass for the front windows. An unusual roof configuration for the area was made even more special and outstanding with the new copper roof shingles contrasting the dark metal roof panels for the remainder of the mansard.
To finish off the project, we designed a custom gutter system that completely covered the fascia board beneath the copper roof area of the mansard. Using an off-the-shelf gutter system would have made for a rather clumsy-looking assembly, so a custom configuration was decided upon and the result finished off the entire project beautifully.
The result? This distinctive home is now topped with a distinctive metal roof system that will undoubtedly last as long as this home is standing – and provide a beautiful, elegant architectural statement the entire time.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Update: Copper Roof Shingles Top a Winery Barn in St. Helena, Napa Valley
Here's another look at the material we supplied on the historic barn at Varozza Winery in St. Helena.
The client was restoring a civil war era barn that had housed the original wine-making equipment of the family. This particular property had remained in the family for over 100 years, but the barn roof was ready to be replaced. They wanted something more permanent than the through-fastened corrugated panels and composition roof that it had suffered through for the past 20 years or so, but they also wanted to maintain the rustic, historical look. The roof was part of a complete restoration that involved the stone work, the interior, the wine-making equipment, and some structural components.
We were able to source some re-claimed copper roof shingles that were being removed from another building. The resulting completed project met the client’s needs precisely. The roof looks like it was there from the beginning, it will never need replacing, and architecturally its completely consistent with the style and age of the old barn.
It's a truly outstanding and rewarding project, and something of which we’re very proud.
We’ll get some better photographs up in the spring when there is lots of green in the vineyard and on the hills in the background. It should be a cover shot for both Metal Roof Net and the vineyard for a long time to come!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Custom Copper Shingles in Napa Valley
This work in progress is an incredible 19th century barn in St. Helena. Check out the close-up of the cupola, which is a replica of the original designed off historical photos. And check out our site for more on the copper or this profile.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Copper Diamond Roof Shingles in Reno, NV
The pride of the neighborhood! Beautiful copper diamond shingles right here in Reno, NV. Get the details on this gorgeous profile and material here.
Comparing Copper to Synthetics (No, Really)
A potential customer shopping for his new roof received a bid for a Da Vinci product, which is pretty much a type of polymer substrate binding some inert bulking materials and formed to simulate wood shake or slate shingles. The Da Vinci product is yet another in a series of synthetic, imitation roof products that have entered the market over the last 25 years or so.
It's interesting to note that the history of these imitation products is very spotty. In fact, the list of spectacular failures is impressively long:
Cal Shake
Cemwood (Weyerhauser)
Everest (another try at a polymer substrate)
Mira Vista (Owens Corning)
Do a little Googling on these terms and you’ll discover some remarkably common threads, but primarily every single one of them were brought to the market as new, better than what they were copying, longer lasting, light weight, fire resistant, etc. etc. Every single one of them had a 50 year (or longer!) warranty – and every single one of them is gone from the market, leaving behind bad roofs and lawsuits. My (very strong) opinion is that if you want something that looks like wood, buy wood. If you want something that looks like slate, then buy slate. To me the synthetics are mostly marketing and salesmanship efforts.At least the brochures are pretty. Of course, it’s hardly a challenge to make the photograph of a new roof look good!
Exhibit A: photo of my neighbor’s roof. They bought a product advertising “GE Noryl Resin” “Lifetime Warranty” etc, etc. in 1993. You can see the result of this wonderful new polymer technology’s exposure to mother nature for 15 years. This product was another attempt to create an artificial copy of a natural product. It failed, and now my neighbor needs another roof after “investing” in this wonderful new technology just a few years ago.
Now please understand that I am not predicting that this is the inevitable outcome for the Da Vinci product. I am merely pointing out that is another in a long line of products attempting similar construction. Like the others mentioned, it’s only been on the market for 7 or 8 years and it’s too soon to tell if they have it now figured out. Maybe they do. The question I ask is, “Why would someone want to be a guinea pig for them?” Keep in mind that the piece of paper on which their warranty is written will not keep a single drop of water out of your house 10 years from now if their product suffers the same fate as all of the earnest efforts of the past. If it were one quarter of the price of the real thing, I could understand taking the risk, but it’s not even insignificantly cheaper.
My confidence in my materials is due to the abundance of certainty with regards to roofs: Metal roofs literally have centuries of proven performance. There are more than 1,000 years of experience to proclaim that a properly installed copper roof will last many generations on your home. No doubt about it.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Incredible Copper Shingles at Lake Tahoe
Ta-dah! We've been promising pictures of our stunning copper diamonds at spectacular Lake Tahoe and here they are! The project was for a California contractor whose client wanted an interesting but very rigid copper roof design that would stand up well to the heavy snow conditions at Tahoe. Obviously, they chose the Patagonia Diamond shingle in solid copper.
The design of this shingle severely limits the ability of snow and ice to "grab" the roof as it moves, thus limiting possible damage common to other types of roofs in snow country. In addition, we worked with the contractor to add a complementary bronze snow retention array, plus a unique concealed electric snow-melt system beneath the copper diamonds. This combination of features will help reduce ice accumulation on the edges as well as slow the rate at which snow accumulation dumps off the roof.
Here comes the sales pitch... Unique to Metal Roof Net, the Patagonia Diamond shingle is also available in Zinc, Steel and Aluminum and has diverse choice of details for hips, ridges, and gable edges. Check 'em out here.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Gorgeous Copper Panels in Southern California
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Copper and that oh-so-elusive patina
It's remarkably common to hear people ask about copper roof options and then at once ask if “it will go green.” The answer is yes - eventually.
When a new copper roof is first exposed to the elements, it usually has the appearance of a new penny – plus a few hand and foot prints! However, being a natural metal, copper will react to its environment. During the first few months of exposure, it will begin to darken, taking on a dirty gray-brown look that it will keep for a long time to come.
Copper goes green and turquoise after prolonged exposure to moisture. Without accelerating the process, it can take 20 years or more in dry climates for this “patina” to develop.
What is popular for people coveting that old copper roof appearance are artificial aging solutions for copper. These are concoctions of mild acids and other chemicals that dramatically age the copper in a short time – usually a day or two once applied. They can be applied before or after a copper roof is installed, and depending on the skill and experience of the applicator, they can immediately replicate the appearance of a copper roof with decades and decades of exposure.
Regardless, there’s nothing like the look of a real copper roof, and I’ve discovered that artificially aging copper roofs is as much art as science – and like any successful piece of art remarkably satisfying for all involved.
Check out our photos of natural aging ( the curved roof panels) and artificial aging (the shingles). Both of these were about two years old when the photos were taken. Could you tell if you weren’t told which was which?
More questions about copper and other metal roof materials? Download from our website a free copy of my booklet, “What Every Homeowner Needs to Know about Roof Replacement.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Copper Roof Shingles in Snow Country - Mammoth Lakes, CA
These gorgeous copper roof shingles top a home in snowy Mammoth Lakes, California. And as an aside, this particular image has really made the rounds online. You can find it on various roofing sites, all of which appear to take credit for the job. Rest assured, it's our material and our photograph - and we can prove it.
Chris on Copper Roofs and Roof Contractors…
I’m accused often of being overly opinionated about the status-quo in the roofing business, so I was gratified recently when an event occurred that convinced me anew that some of the WORST sources of information about roofing products are roofers!
A business associate told me of the problems friends were having with their home on the California coast. The story that was related to me was that their fabulous coastal retreat had a copper roof that needed to be replaced. I was informed that in the next day or two a contractor was about to replace their copper with asphalt composition – needless to say I was totally offended and asked if I could speak directly to the owners just to hear for myself the details of this interesting turn of events.
Luckily, we were able to reach the homeowners via phone almost right away. I was told that the house in question was about 40 years old and that they had owned it for two years. The copper roof apparently had a history of leaking, and they had contacted the local roof contractor for assistance in solving the leaks. They were told a few interesting things by this roofing “expert”: The copper tiles were a bad design and were problematic by themselves; the particular stamping on their roof was no longer in production as a result of the design problems; the roof could not be repaired; the only solution was to remove it and replace it with an asphalt shingle roof.
I begged them to stall on the project long enough to get another opinion, as I was certain that they would regret throwing an exotic and beautiful copper roof away for a tract-home roof with a limited life-span. I offered to inspect the roof myself and offer my opinion as to the possibility of a repair. Not seeing the home meant I was still just shooting in the dark, but my experience was that only the most peculiar site conditions could warrant such a drastic solution. They agreed that the contractor’s solution sounded strange and they agreed to delay the job long enough for me to make my inspection.
I arrived at the site to find a fabulous ocean-front home worthy of a Hollywood movie. On top of the classic 60’s West Coast modern architecture was a solid copper shingle made here in the USA. A quick inspection revealed that the roof was in very, very good condition (with only a couple of flashing problems around some skylights clearly noticeable). I also immediately identified the profile and manufacturer (still in production today and readily available). In fact, I was quite surprised at how good the roof looked. I noted that the on-the-coast location made for a particularly windy and wet site (the home has large barn-door type storm shutters for the windows as a testament to the extreme weather conditions that occur at this location).
Once inside the house, there were a couple of dried water spots that were pointed to on the ceiling as evidence that the roof was leaking. No question, there was a problem. However, the problem was merely one of a few missed steps in the original installation and but for a little time and effort to reinstall the roof with the right care and attention for this particular location, the copper roof could be saved and continue for generations to provide a classy, beautiful, and functional roof covering for this special home. I reported as much to the owners and offered to write a specification for the removal and reinstallation of the copper roof that would address the few problems that were there.
The next day, I received a telephone call from the contractor. Amazingly enough, he had found the source of the copper tiles! AND, he agreed that there was nothing really wrong with the roof as installed save for a few detail problems. He confessed that his advice to the homeowners was simply based on the fact that HE DID NOT WANT TO BOTHER taking the time to remove and reinstall the copper! His convenience trumped the long-term interests of his clients.
This episode reinforces what I am heard to repeat time and time again: The typical roofer operates in very small area of the roofing business, and his interests and those of the building owners for whom he works are not always the same. Make certain that before you let your valuable piece of real estate “go under the (roofer’s) knife” that you get at least one other opinion.
A business associate told me of the problems friends were having with their home on the California coast. The story that was related to me was that their fabulous coastal retreat had a copper roof that needed to be replaced. I was informed that in the next day or two a contractor was about to replace their copper with asphalt composition – needless to say I was totally offended and asked if I could speak directly to the owners just to hear for myself the details of this interesting turn of events.
Luckily, we were able to reach the homeowners via phone almost right away. I was told that the house in question was about 40 years old and that they had owned it for two years. The copper roof apparently had a history of leaking, and they had contacted the local roof contractor for assistance in solving the leaks. They were told a few interesting things by this roofing “expert”: The copper tiles were a bad design and were problematic by themselves; the particular stamping on their roof was no longer in production as a result of the design problems; the roof could not be repaired; the only solution was to remove it and replace it with an asphalt shingle roof.
I begged them to stall on the project long enough to get another opinion, as I was certain that they would regret throwing an exotic and beautiful copper roof away for a tract-home roof with a limited life-span. I offered to inspect the roof myself and offer my opinion as to the possibility of a repair. Not seeing the home meant I was still just shooting in the dark, but my experience was that only the most peculiar site conditions could warrant such a drastic solution. They agreed that the contractor’s solution sounded strange and they agreed to delay the job long enough for me to make my inspection.
I arrived at the site to find a fabulous ocean-front home worthy of a Hollywood movie. On top of the classic 60’s West Coast modern architecture was a solid copper shingle made here in the USA. A quick inspection revealed that the roof was in very, very good condition (with only a couple of flashing problems around some skylights clearly noticeable). I also immediately identified the profile and manufacturer (still in production today and readily available). In fact, I was quite surprised at how good the roof looked. I noted that the on-the-coast location made for a particularly windy and wet site (the home has large barn-door type storm shutters for the windows as a testament to the extreme weather conditions that occur at this location).
Once inside the house, there were a couple of dried water spots that were pointed to on the ceiling as evidence that the roof was leaking. No question, there was a problem. However, the problem was merely one of a few missed steps in the original installation and but for a little time and effort to reinstall the roof with the right care and attention for this particular location, the copper roof could be saved and continue for generations to provide a classy, beautiful, and functional roof covering for this special home. I reported as much to the owners and offered to write a specification for the removal and reinstallation of the copper roof that would address the few problems that were there.
The next day, I received a telephone call from the contractor. Amazingly enough, he had found the source of the copper tiles! AND, he agreed that there was nothing really wrong with the roof as installed save for a few detail problems. He confessed that his advice to the homeowners was simply based on the fact that HE DID NOT WANT TO BOTHER taking the time to remove and reinstall the copper! His convenience trumped the long-term interests of his clients.
This episode reinforces what I am heard to repeat time and time again: The typical roofer operates in very small area of the roofing business, and his interests and those of the building owners for whom he works are not always the same. Make certain that before you let your valuable piece of real estate “go under the (roofer’s) knife” that you get at least one other opinion.
Going green, naturally. Mostly.
I’m often asked about the green look that copper roofs sometimes display. The questions are often something like, “Do your copper roofs have that green antique look? Does it come that way, or do you do something to it after it’s installed?”
The answer is this - copper roof products (as opposed to copper look-alikes which are usually painted steel) are invariably formed from long, thin sheets of solid copper. Copper, when new, looks like a shiny new penny. Like an old penny, as copper ages it begins to darken. If exposed to enough moisture over time a copper roof will eventually turn a blue-green color. Both the darkening and eventual greening of the copper are referred to as a “patina” or “verdigris.” Both of these are terms used to describe the accumulated layer of oxidation on the surface of exposed copper.
There are commercially available pre-patinated copper sheets available from which to form copper roof products, but the problem to my mind with such processes is that they yield a remarkably regular finish. The one characteristic of old, exposed copper is that it is anything BUT regular!
Look at the attached photo of an aged copper roof in Hawaii and you’ll see how completely irregular the appearance of an old copper roof is – and to me that’s a huge part of its charm.
The most successful way to emulate that appearance on a newly installed copper roof is to apply one of the commercially available solutions designed to rapidly oxidize new copper. This application can be done on the ground before the copper pieces are assembled on the roof, or it can be sprayed or brushed onto the completed roof. The configuration and complexity of the roof should be considered in the decision as to what is best.
My experience is that carefully spraying the installed roof yields the most natural look because of the fact that the natural drip lines of a copper roof are accentuated normally and spraying an installed roof maintains that appearance. One note of caution about spraying a copper roof: It will continue to change after it has been sprayed. I have seen that the rapidly developed patina layer isn’t as well adhered as a naturally occurring one and so it is more prone to looseing some of the green layer to rain or snow. However, once the loosest of the green patina has been eroded, it settles back to a look that is impossible to distinguish from an old copper roof.
Chris on Copper Roofs and Roof Contractors
I’m accused often of being overly opinionated about the status-quo in the roofing business, so I was gratified recently when an event occurred that convinced me anew that some of the WORST sources of information about roofing products are roofers!
A business associate told me of the problems friends were having with their home on the California coast. The story that was related to me was that their fabulous coastal retreat had a copper roof that needed to be replaced. I was informed that in the next day or two a contractor was about to replace their copper with asphalt composition – needless to say I was totally offended and asked if I could speak directly to the owners just to hear for myself the details of this interesting turn of events.
Luckily, we were able to reach the homeowners via phone almost right away. I was told that the house in question was about 40 years old and that they had owned it for two years. The copper roof apparently had a history of leaking, and they had contacted the local roof contractor for assistance in solving the leaks. They were told a few interesting things by this roofing “expert”: The copper tiles were a bad design and were problematic by themselves; the particular stamping on their roof was no longer in production as a result of the design problems; the roof could not be repaired; the only solution was to remove it and replace it with an asphalt shingle roof.
I begged them to stall on the project long enough to get another opinion, as I was certain that they would regret throwing an exotic and beautiful copper roof away for a tract-home roof with a limited life-span. I offered to inspect the roof myself and offer my opinion as to the possibility of a repair. Not seeing the home meant I was still just shooting in the dark, but my experience was that only the most peculiar site conditions could warrant such a drastic solution. They agreed that the contractor’s solution sounded strange and they agreed to delay the job long enough for me to make my inspection.
I arrived at the site to find a fabulous ocean-front home worthy of a Hollywood movie. On top of the classic 60’s West Coast modern architecture was a solid copper shingle made here in the USA. A quick inspection revealed that the roof was in very, very good condition (with only a couple of flashing problems around some skylights clearly noticeable). I also immediately identified the profile and manufacturer (still in production today and readily available). In fact, I was quite surprised at how good the roof looked. I noted that the on-the-coast location made for a particularly windy and wet site (the home has large barn-door type storm shutters for the windows as a testament to the extreme weather conditions that occur at this location).
Once inside the house, there were a couple of dried water spots that were pointed to on the ceiling as evidence that the roof was leaking. No question, there was a problem. However, the problem was merely one of a few missed steps in the original installation and but for a little time and effort to reinstall the roof with the right care and attention for this particular location, the copper roof could be saved and continue for generations to provide a classy, beautiful, and functional roof covering for this special home. I reported as much to the owners and offered to write a specification for the removal and reinstallation of the copper roof that would address the few problems that were there.
The next day, I received a telephone call from the contractor. Amazingly enough, he had found the source of the copper tiles! AND, he agreed that there was nothing really wrong with the roof as installed save for a few detail problems. He confessed that his advice to the homeowners was simply based on the fact that HE DID NOT WANT TO BOTHER taking the time to remove and reinstall the copper! His convenience trumped the long-term interests of his clients.
This episode reinforces what I am heard to repeat time and time again: The typical roofer operates in very small area of the roofing business, and his interests and those of the building owners for whom he works are not always the same. Make certain that before you let your valuable piece of real estate “go under the (roofer’s) knife” that you get at least one other opinion.
A business associate told me of the problems friends were having with their home on the California coast. The story that was related to me was that their fabulous coastal retreat had a copper roof that needed to be replaced. I was informed that in the next day or two a contractor was about to replace their copper with asphalt composition – needless to say I was totally offended and asked if I could speak directly to the owners just to hear for myself the details of this interesting turn of events.
Luckily, we were able to reach the homeowners via phone almost right away. I was told that the house in question was about 40 years old and that they had owned it for two years. The copper roof apparently had a history of leaking, and they had contacted the local roof contractor for assistance in solving the leaks. They were told a few interesting things by this roofing “expert”: The copper tiles were a bad design and were problematic by themselves; the particular stamping on their roof was no longer in production as a result of the design problems; the roof could not be repaired; the only solution was to remove it and replace it with an asphalt shingle roof.
I begged them to stall on the project long enough to get another opinion, as I was certain that they would regret throwing an exotic and beautiful copper roof away for a tract-home roof with a limited life-span. I offered to inspect the roof myself and offer my opinion as to the possibility of a repair. Not seeing the home meant I was still just shooting in the dark, but my experience was that only the most peculiar site conditions could warrant such a drastic solution. They agreed that the contractor’s solution sounded strange and they agreed to delay the job long enough for me to make my inspection.
I arrived at the site to find a fabulous ocean-front home worthy of a Hollywood movie. On top of the classic 60’s West Coast modern architecture was a solid copper shingle made here in the USA. A quick inspection revealed that the roof was in very, very good condition (with only a couple of flashing problems around some skylights clearly noticeable). I also immediately identified the profile and manufacturer (still in production today and readily available). In fact, I was quite surprised at how good the roof looked. I noted that the on-the-coast location made for a particularly windy and wet site (the home has large barn-door type storm shutters for the windows as a testament to the extreme weather conditions that occur at this location).
Once inside the house, there were a couple of dried water spots that were pointed to on the ceiling as evidence that the roof was leaking. No question, there was a problem. However, the problem was merely one of a few missed steps in the original installation and but for a little time and effort to reinstall the roof with the right care and attention for this particular location, the copper roof could be saved and continue for generations to provide a classy, beautiful, and functional roof covering for this special home. I reported as much to the owners and offered to write a specification for the removal and reinstallation of the copper roof that would address the few problems that were there.
The next day, I received a telephone call from the contractor. Amazingly enough, he had found the source of the copper tiles! AND, he agreed that there was nothing really wrong with the roof as installed save for a few detail problems. He confessed that his advice to the homeowners was simply based on the fact that HE DID NOT WANT TO BOTHER taking the time to remove and reinstall the copper! His convenience trumped the long-term interests of his clients.
This episode reinforces what I am heard to repeat time and time again: The typical roofer operates in very small area of the roofing business, and his interests and those of the building owners for whom he works are not always the same. Make certain that before you let your valuable piece of real estate “go under the (roofer’s) knife” that you get at least one other opinion.
Copper Quiz Time
1. What's the most enduring copper icon in U.S. history?
a) The Statue of Liberty
b) The Space Needle
c) The Gateway Arch
2. Philadelphia's Christ Church is the oldest copper-roofed church in America, dating back to when?
a) 1929
b) 1866
c) 1727
3. Copper protects itself from corrosion by forming a distinctive
______.
a) patinant
b) patina
c) pertina
4. Only two naturally occurring metals have distinctive colors. One is copper. What's the other?
a) silver
b) mercury
c) gold
5. What makes copper so environmentally friendly?
a) Because of its inherent value, copper roofing doesn't end up in landfills but is salvaged and recycled.
b) Copper roofing has one of the highest recycling rates of any engineering metal.
c) Copper's recycle value is so great that premium-grade scrap has at least 95 percent of the value of primary copper from newly mined ore.
Answers: 1)A 2)C 3)B 4)C 5)ABC
a) The Statue of Liberty
b) The Space Needle
c) The Gateway Arch
2. Philadelphia's Christ Church is the oldest copper-roofed church in America, dating back to when?
a) 1929
b) 1866
c) 1727
3. Copper protects itself from corrosion by forming a distinctive
______.
a) patinant
b) patina
c) pertina
4. Only two naturally occurring metals have distinctive colors. One is copper. What's the other?
a) silver
b) mercury
c) gold
5. What makes copper so environmentally friendly?
a) Because of its inherent value, copper roofing doesn't end up in landfills but is salvaged and recycled.
b) Copper roofing has one of the highest recycling rates of any engineering metal.
c) Copper's recycle value is so great that premium-grade scrap has at least 95 percent of the value of primary copper from newly mined ore.
Answers: 1)A 2)C 3)B 4)C 5)ABC
Copper - Who Knew?
Check out this great article about the many uses of copper - inside the home and out. Here's a little excerpt:
“The fact that you can install it as roofing and it will outlive the house is a great selling point.” He also likes the color evolution of copper. “As it ages, it gradually changes colors from a bright shiny appearance quickly to a dark brown appearance and then over a period of many years to a patina green.”
“The fact that you can install it as roofing and it will outlive the house is a great selling point.” He also likes the color evolution of copper. “As it ages, it gradually changes colors from a bright shiny appearance quickly to a dark brown appearance and then over a period of many years to a patina green.”
The Copper Roofing Boom
Things go in and out of fashion, and copper roofing is no different. While you need only look back at history to understand that copper was once widely used as a durable, elegant roofing material, times changed and new materials took its place. But copper is back - with a vengeance. Why, you ask?
Two big reasons - one, people are demanding quality. Builders, architects and roofers answer that demand with copper, which - and here's reason number two - has become easier to install.
So if copper is enjoying a resurgence in the roofing industry, doesn't that beg the question, "Will we run out?"
Luckily, the answer is no. That's because copper roofing is made from copper scrap, and copper is one of the most thoroughly recycled metals around. In fact, almost half of the copper used in the States today has been used in some capacity before. Part of the reason for this is that's it's so durable. It corrodes veeeery slowly in natural environments, which is why those centuries-old buildings still have their original copper roofs. Once copper forms its protective patina, that soft gray-green color that develops in the first few years following installation, corrosion rates drop to negligible levels.
Now, can you really think of anything better for your own roof?
Two big reasons - one, people are demanding quality. Builders, architects and roofers answer that demand with copper, which - and here's reason number two - has become easier to install.
So if copper is enjoying a resurgence in the roofing industry, doesn't that beg the question, "Will we run out?"
Luckily, the answer is no. That's because copper roofing is made from copper scrap, and copper is one of the most thoroughly recycled metals around. In fact, almost half of the copper used in the States today has been used in some capacity before. Part of the reason for this is that's it's so durable. It corrodes veeeery slowly in natural environments, which is why those centuries-old buildings still have their original copper roofs. Once copper forms its protective patina, that soft gray-green color that develops in the first few years following installation, corrosion rates drop to negligible levels.
Now, can you really think of anything better for your own roof?
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