Modern developers use various newfangled coatings when arranging a roof, and such a thing as a copper roof becomes irrelevant today. If you look at the characteristics of this material, it becomes clear that this trend is completely wrong.
Evidence of this is the ancient monuments of architecture, covered precisely with copper sheets. After several decades, the roofing material has not lost its presentability and reliability, which indicates its durability. What else is good for a copper roof, what features it has and whether it has its inherent disadvantages, we will describe in this article.
General characteristics of the material
Copper is a unique and durable material. The duration of its operation is due to the special properties of the metal. In the process of use, copper sheets are gradually oxidized, becoming covered with a non-toxic protective layer - patina. It does not allow contact of the metal with oxygen, so that the roof is not exposed to its negative effects.
The copper roof is able to last more than a hundred years, while the first two dozen, it is only beginning to oxidize. This process can be divided into 3 main stages:
- Stage 1 - the surface of the roofing material has a brilliant appearance;
- Stage 2 - the roof begins to oxidize, becomes dull;
- Stage 3 - patina begins to form on the metal.
Oxidation of the material is observed during the period from the first to the third year of operation. Patina, on the other hand, begins to form only after 4 years, and this entire period takes about 20 years.
What types of copper are roofing materials made of?
Before turning to the question of how much copper costs, it must be said that this metal is of several types, which are characterized by different costs. Their main difference is the color that is changed artificially.
In order not to wait until copper acquires its unique qualities, modern manufacturers have learned to “age” it by exposing the metal to a variety of chemical compositions. As a result of this, we have a roof of four types. Namely:
- Classic copper . It is a soft, pliable material with a charming sheen and a reddish-yellow hue. During use, it will change its color. The cost of this variety is 1500-1700 rubles per m².
- Oxidized Copper . This is a metal that is artificially aged before stage 2 of oxidation. Copper sheet for the roof can be brownish and black. It has a price tag of 2500 rubles per m².
- Patinated copper . Such a roofing material is brought to the state of a 20-year-old metal, which is completely covered with a greenish protective layer. This variety is considered the most expensive. Its price tag starts at 3,500 rubles per m².
- Tinned copper . Roofing materials of this group are covered with tin on both sides. As a result, the manufacturer receives a metal of a light gray shade, which has a beautiful metallic luster. The cost of such material is about 3000 rubles per m².
Types of roofing materials made of copper
To the question "how much is copper for the roof?" the appearance of the roofing material also directly affects. Today, there are about a dozen different types of coatings, but we will consider the main 4 groups. It:
- folded materials;
- tiled varieties;
- checker coatings.
The most common to date is the folded copper roof. This variety is a sheet of copper that is stacked on a crate and fastened to each other by folding. Sheet material guarantees maximum tightness of the coating, even if it is laid on the base with a slight slope.
For roofs of complex geometry, tile roofs are more often used. It consists of small and flexible overlapping elements that form a simple and attractive pattern.
Drafts coatings are presented in the form of small plates having the shape of a rhombus, square or trapezoid. On both sides of these figures are fastening locks, ensuring the integrity and tightness of the entire coating. Such material can be used on both flat and complex roofs.
Advantages of the copper roof
Despite the high cost of the material, the installation of a copper roof is a rather profitable investment. Spending once, the owner of the premises protects himself from the hassle of a roof for many years. In addition, the advantages of such coatings include:
- Environmental friendliness . Copper is an absolutely pure and safe material that does not emit harmful substances when heated in the sun. Indisputable proof of this property is the use of metal in the manufacture of dishes and water pipes.
- Flexibility . The good ductility of the metal allows it to be used even on roofs of very complex geometry.
- Light weight . Despite the fact that copper is a rather heavy material, a roof made from it does not give a large load to the building. This is because the plates and sheets have a minimum thickness, so their installation does not require strengthening the foundation.
- Easy repair . If holes appear in the copper roof, they are sealed without dismantling the material. So that the repaired area does not spoil the appearance of the roof, it is treated with impregnations that create the effect of antiquity.
In addition, fire safety of the material, its resistance to environmental influences and ease of installation should be emphasized.
disadvantages
Speaking about the disadvantages of a copper roof, it should be noted that it is only one - high cost. Yes, this is true, but if you take into account that such a roof completely pays off to the owner after 30 years, and its service life is 4 times more, then there simply are no questions about the advisability of using such material.
For such a long period of time, owners of cheap coatings manage to completely replace roofing materials more than 5 times, spending much more money on repairs. Based on this, it can be argued that this drawback is very relative.
Preparation for installation
The advantages and disadvantages of a copper roof we examined. Now let's move on to laying the roof. This is an extremely responsible event. Here you cannot make mistakes or even the slightest errors, since the material is quite expensive.
If the house is under construction, then roofing work begins with the installation of a rafter system. At this stage, it is very important to treat all its elements with antiseptics and flame retardants, since if the rafters decay ahead of time, the roofing material will also have to be dismantled.
Arrangement of ventilation (in the space under the roof) requires no less attention. If the house has an attic floor, it is insulated and equipped with a supply and exhaust system. The insulation itself is protected by vapor barrier materials.
So that condensation does not form on the inside of the roof, do not forget about the arrangement of vapor barrier. For this purpose, a membrane material is used, which is laid parallel to the ridge, starting from the lower edge of the roof (10 cm overlap).
Further, the crate is arranged. Please note that the copper roof is laid only on a solid base, which is assembled from sheets of moisture-proof plywood or OPS-boards.
Mounting a copper checker
Installation of a roof made of copper (using checker type material) is the most labor-intensive and lengthy process. For this reason, this coating is chosen only in those cases when it comes to protecting oval, rounded and elliptical structures.
In order to save money, a copper checker can be made independently (at the place of work) by cutting shapes of the desired shape from sheet metal. Most often, the elements have dimensions of 21 x 21 cm or 33 x 33 cm. Such parameters allow you to cut the sheet with the least amount of waste. You can also purchase finished material.
The roof of the checkers is mounted using two types of locks (forward and reverse), which are located above and below each element. Through their engagement, the entire coating is assembled, while the upper checker should cover the joint of the lower elements.
Installation of tiles
The tiled copper roof is laid on the roofs of a simple configuration, the slope of the slopes on which is at least 35 degrees. Work is carried out in accordance with the following rules:
- The tile is fixed on a solid base with stainless screws and fasteners (clamps).
- In the valleys, a special lining material is laid, which is placed with an overlap of 20 cm.
- Laying of the roof starts from the ridge of the roof. The tiles are positioned with offset so that the upper plates cover the joints of the lower row.
- Each coating element is fixed at the base with 4 screws. If the installation of the roof is carried out in areas where a strong wind prevails, then the number of fasteners is increased to 6 pieces.
- At the end of the work, ventilated skates and snow-holding elements are installed.
Installation of a fold roof
The roof made of copper seam type is considered the most reliable, since it completely lacks holes from fixing materials. To create such a roof, sheet metal or roll metal is used. As fasteners they get clamps and double fold.
Before starting installation, vertical marking is made over the entire surface of the crate, the step of which corresponds to the width of the sheet of copper.
Clammers, for fixing the paintings at the base, are installed along the marking lines, every 40 cm (that is, 4 pieces per 1 m²). Along the perimeter of the cornices, abutment strips and skates, the step of their installation is reduced to 35 cm.
Next, the prepared copper sheets (paintings) with a thickness of 0.8 mm are laid on the crate. They are put on the clamps and, using a special tool, are folded at the seams. The height of the fold after crimping should not exceed 3 cm. Thus, the edges of the paintings reliably hide under the fasteners, which guarantees absolute tightness of the roof.
Copper Roof Maintenance
As mentioned earlier, a copper roof does not need special care. If for some reason she needed a repair, it is done without dismantling the material. If the work on its installation has been carried out efficiently, then the use of sealants and re-installation of the roof will not be required for many years.
The same goes for copper staining. Since its service life exceeds the life of any paintwork, you don’t even need to think about whether to paint a roof made of copper. The applied additional layer will fall off much earlier than the coating itself needs to be repaired.