Solution for covering a building which differs from tile or slate, the steel deck roof is quite recent since it has only been on the market for about thirty years. It no longer has anything to do with the unattractive corrugated iron that was placed at the time on garden sheds and other annexes because she knew how to evolve in order to respond to requirements owners. Knowing a real boomit now imposes itself in the residential area since we can totally cover our maison of one steel deck roof. Let’s discover its variations, their advantages and their disadvantages without forgetting to approach the budget to envisage to buy and to make pose this type of metal coverknowing that its price varies according to many criteria.
Main characteristics of the steel deck roof
L’steel is the majority material which composes this roof presented in the form of plaqueshence its name steel deck roof.
Steel tray is the other possible name for the ribbed steel sheet. This is used as a metal cover, and its use has evolved over time as its design has been improved. Thus, from a simple light cover intended to protect a garden shed, then an agricultural shed, it now finds its place in the sector of the construction and some renovation of habitat. She knows a real craze with professionals such as architects wishing to satisfy their customers.
The steel deck roof is available in many colors et textures because manufacturers want to offer aesthetic solutions. Thus, a steel deck roof can perfectly embellish a new construction or renovation but also give a neat appearance to an agricultural building. Simply choose the appropriate model from different systems, namely:
- The imitation slate or tile steel tray : it is the modern version of the lightweight corrugated iron roof, and which can be improved with an optional anti-condensation felt layer.
- The single skin steel deck :this is the cover most commonly used for agricultural buildings, for example.
- The double skin steel deck which includes insulation: this roof is perfectly suitable for an altitude above 1,000 meters, and can therefore be considered as a mountain cover.
- The carrier steel deck : it includes insulation and sealing support.
- The standing seam steel deck : this roof is unsuitable in the mountains, but it is on the other hand quite common in the plain. It is appreciated for its aesthetic side, its speed of implementation, its affordable price, but also because it can be suitable for a curved work.
- The insulated sandwich panel : with its insulating foam core between two sheets of steel, this roof offers good technical performance.
Advantages of steel deck roofing
What we appreciate in the steel deck roof are the following advantages:
- Its lightness since its weight is a maximum of 5 kg/m²,
- Its quick implementation and without great complexity,
- The ease with which it can be harmonized with different types of constructions,
- The possibility of using it even when specific standards such as anticyclonic (or para-cyclonic) and paraseismic are required,
- Adapts to all shapes of slightly sloping roofs,
- Its great resistance to corrosion, UV, climatic variations, fire, strong winds, humidity and therefore mold and moss,
- Its exceptional lifespan estimated at a good hundred years,
- Its ability to meet rigorous climatic requirements,
- The fact that it is perfectly adapted to a light frame,
- The possibility of installing it as cladding,
- Its aesthetic appearance thanks to its wide range of models and finishes (zinc-coated, galvanized or even lacquered roof) which gives the construction a contemporary style, knowing that it can also be chosen from an interesting palette of colors that can imitate the appearance of tiles or slate.
Disadvantages of steel deck roofing
Appreciated for its many advantages, the steel deck roof does have some disadvantages, listed here.
- Very airtight if the steel deck roof is not galvanized, which leads to condensation problems inside the house or any other building,
- Can only be installed on a roof with a slope of at least 5% but not exceeding 15%, i.e. low slope roofs (neither flat nor too steep),
- Sensitive to pollution which promotes wear by oxidation,
- Does not constitute a good thermal insulator except in the case of steel deck roofs incorporating insulation that protects the habitat from cold and excessive heat,
- Is not a good acoustic (sound) insulator,
- Involves the application for a building permit,
- May be prohibited by local planning regulations,
- Can be a source of discomfort in the event of torrential rain or hailstorms because the sound of drops or hailstones falling on the roof can be amplified. This is enough to disturb the tranquility of the occupants, especially in the rooms located just under the roof.
Steel tray roof: what budget to plan?
Once we have weighed the pros and cons of a steel deck roof, all that remains is to get closer to the local professional roofers to find out about the feasibility of his project. It is generally recommended to request three or four quotes – free of charge and without obligation, through an online comparator, which is very practical and ultra fast – in order to compare services and rates.
He is of course highly preferable to don’t go it alone in the installation of its roof, whatever it may be. The roof of a building must always be installed in the state of the artand this type of work involving many risksit is necessary to take all the precautions necessary and have sufficient experience in this field to avoid accidents.
Regarding the cost of installing a steel deck roof, and although this cover is less expensive than tile or slate, for example, it is necessary to provide a sufficient budget which varies according to the type and system of deck steel, the complexity of the site, the surface of the roof of course. The price can therefore only be obtained on estimate, since it is calculated on a case-by-case basis, each site being different.
As to cost of the roof itself, it varies according to the type and system of steel deck that is chosen but also according to the finish. Of course, the price is higher for a perfectly insulated roof. A simple sheet metal roof for a shed that imitates tile costs on average €18/m². For information, for a single skin steel deck roof, it is necessary to count between 19 and 23 €/m², from 30 to 36 €/m² for a standing seam steel deck roof and from 45 to more than 80 €/m² for insulated sandwich panel. These prices are out of pose.
Of course, you also have to add all the material unavoidable such as edge plates, ridge caps, copper gutters, fixings, snow guard hooks and other chimney accessories, for example, as well as transparent lighting plates. Only one quote prepared by a roofer who has come to inspect the site of the necessary work can indicate precisely the total price of a steel deck roof, installation included.