Steep roof materials are roofs that are only recommended where water can freely and openly drain off the edge of the roof without retaining water for too long. The aim is to drain off water completely due to the high water permeability of most of these materials, for instance: the Thatched roofs. In areas where the International Build Code or similar is utilized, the minimum slope required is 2:12, though some countries extend this as high as 4:12
Thatch Thatch roofing is typically made of plant stalks in overlapping layers. •
Wheat straw, widely used in England, France, and other parts of Europe •
Seagrass, used in coastal areas where there are
estuaries such as Scotland. Has a longer life than straw. Claimed to have a life in excess of 60 years. •
Rye straw, commonly used in a barn. • Raffia palm leaves; a well organised raffia palm leaves is mainly used as roof houses in Nigeria, especially among the
Igbo. •
Rice straw, commonly used in Eastern Asia. • Water reed, commonly used in Ireland for
thatching.
Shingle A
shingle is the generic term for an individual roofing unit that is applied with other such units in an overlapping fashion. •
Wood shingle, shingles sawn from bolts of wood such as
red cedar which has a useful performance life expectancy of up to 30 years. However, young growth red cedar has a short life expectancy and high cost. In the United States and Canada, eastern
white cedar is also used. Some
hardwoods were very durable roofing found in Colonial
Australian and
American colonial architecture; their use is usually limited to
building restoration. All wood shingles benefit by being allowed to breathe (dry out from below). •
Shake (shingle), Are different than wood shingles in that they are split on one side and sawed on the back side. Commonly referred to as "resawn shakes". A cedar shake is
not the same as a cedar shingle. •
Asphalt shingle made of bitumen embedded in an organic or fiberglass mat, usually covered with colored, man-made ceramic grit. Cheaper than slate or tiles. The reduced cost of this particular style of roofing is especially apparent in its application and removal. Installation is very streamlined and a rapid process. Depending on the size of the roof and the experience of the crew, it is possible to remove old shingles and apply new ones on 2-3 houses in one day. Life span varies. Use only on slanted roofs. • Rubber shingle, an alternative to asphalt shingle, slate, shake or tile. Made primarily of rubber, often recycled tire-derived rubber. Other typical ingredients include binders, UV (ultraviolet light) inhibitors and color. Warranted and designed to last at least 50 years in most cases. •
Asbestos shingles. Very long lifespan, fireproof, and low cost but rarely used anymore because of health concerns. •
Stone slab. Heavy stone slabs (not to be confused with slate) 1–2 inches thick were formerly used as roofing tiles in some regions in
England, the
Alps, and
Scandinavia. Stone slabs require a very heavyweight roof structure, but their weight makes them stormproof. An obsolete roofing material, they are used commercially only for building restoration. •
Collyweston stone slate named after the village of
Collyweston •
Solar shingle • Metal shakes or shingles. Long life. High cost, suitable for roofs of 3:12 pitch or greater. Because of the flexibility of metal, they can be manufactured to lock together, giving durability and reducing assembly time. For a discussion of copper system shingles, see Copper in architecture#Wall cladding.
Slate While
slates have high cost, they have a life expectancy of 80 to 400 years. See the article
slate industry for an overview including names of quarries. Some of the famous quarries where the highest quality slate comes from that are available in Australia are Bethesda in Wales and areas of Spain.
Ceramic tile Tile roofing traditionally consists of locally available materials such as clay, granite, terracotta or slate, though many modern applications contain concrete. •
Imbrex and tegula, style dating back to ancient Greece and Rome. •
Monk and nun, a style similar to Imbrex and tegula, but basically using two Imbrex tiles. •
Dutch roof tiles, Netherlands •
Mangalore tiles, India
Metal roofing Metal roofing is any of a large variety of roof coverings made from
metal and is characterized by its high resistance, impermeability, and longevity. While there are an infinite variety of how to produce metal roofing, thicknesses, and types for metal/finishes used, roofing is generally grouped into 2 categories: Exposed Fastener Panels and Hidden Fastener Panels. Exposed Fastener panels are held down by fasteners through the outside of the metal, whereas Hidden Fastener Panels are held by hidden fasteners, clips, and sometimes adhesives. Typical metals include Galvanized Steel, Galvalume, Aluminum, Copper, or Vinyl 9Which while not metal is included in many cases for its matching profiles). •
Corrugated galvanised iron is
galvanised steel manufactured with wavy corrugations to resist lateral flexing and fitted with exposed fasteners. Widely used for low cost and durability. Sheds are normally roofed with this material.
Gal iron or
Corro was the most extensively used roofing material of 20th century Australia, but replaced in popularity by steel with longer-lasting, coloured, alloy coatings. •
Copper roofs can last for hundreds of years. Copper roofing offers durability, ease of fabrication, lighter weight than some other roofing materials, can be curved, low maintenance, corrosion resistance, low thermal movement, lightning protection, radio frequency shielding, and are 100% recyclable. Copper roofs have a high initial cost but very long lifetime: tests on European copper roofs from the 18th Century showed that, in theory, copper roofs can last one thousand years. Another advantage of copper roofing systems is that they are relatively easy to repair. •
Standing-seam metal roof with concealed fasteners. • Mechanically seamed metal with concealed fasteners contains sealant in seams for use on very low sloped roofs, suitable for roofs of low pitch such as 0.5/12 to 3/12 pitch. • Flat-seam metal with or without soldered seams. •
Steel coated with a coloured
alloy of
zinc and
aluminium. •
Stone-coated metal roofing. ==Low slope roofing materials==