One of the best things about investing in a metal roof is the protection from the elements that your family’s home or your business’s building will enjoy. Metal roofs are designed to provide a solid seal from the rain and snow that can wreak havoc on a traditional shingle roof.
However, it’s a little bit ironic that while metal roofs keep moisture out of your home, they’re also at risk of condensation or “sweating”– which means moisture still gets into your home, no matter how well-sealed your metal roof is!
Do all metal roofs sweat?
Condensation is just a fact of nature. When it’s humid and the air cools down to its dew point, the opposite of evaporation will happen– water vapor in the air turns into liquid. So wherever there’s air, condensation is a possibility.
Additionally, a building with a metal roof is potentially susceptible to a higher level of humidity, which means more potential condensation.
In other words: metal roofs can sweat– but with proper installation, and with the proper steps taken to avoid condensation forming, your metal roof doesn’t have to sweat. So no– not all metal roofs sweat!
Proper Insulation
One of the key steps that should be taken when installing a metal roof is ensuring proper insulation.
If insulation is installed under the surface of the metal roof, it helps to keep the metal at a more consistent temperature, and prevents the surface of the metal from reaching the dew point and forming condensation.
Keep it ventilated
Your metal roof installers will also make sure that ventilation is effectively installed, creating airflow in the attic space of the house– which will help carry humid, moisture-filled air out of the house to keep it from coming in contact with the metal and forming condensation.
Pitch perfect
Another consideration to prevent metal roof sweating is roof pitch.
Although you might not imagine that the pitch of a roof would have much to do with condensation– the moisture-filled air is there regardless– it actually can have a major impact on whether condensation becomes a problem or not.
It all just comes down to gravity.
If a roof has a low pitch (in other words, it’s closer to flat than pointy), the condensation might collect and potentially even leak into the space below.
On the other hand, a roof with a higher pitch facilitates any moisture simply running right off the roof and draining properly away from the building.
Is a metal roof worth it?
With the potential risk of condensation, you might be wondering: is making the investment in a metal roof worth it?
The answer is yes– a metal roof is definitely worth the investment. As with virtually any problem that any type of roof faces, any potential issues are directly related to the quality of installation.
A metal roof installed by experts– like the ones here at Metal Roof Pros– is installed with careful consideration to all the possible environmental risk factors. We say “do it once, do it right!” for a reason: it’s what we do.
If you’re interested in a metal roof that’ll keep your home energy-efficient and will last for decades longer than a traditional shingle roof, it’s time to give Metal Roof Pros a call!
I have a gazebo with metal roof that I have closed in now. what can I use to stop condensation? I was thinking about using sunshade bubble foil. Will that work?
Thank You
Ron