Why is Copper Colored Metal Roof Better

Last Updated: 2022-02-16By Sofia K.

Copper roofs have been popular for over two hundred years. A distinctive feature of these roofs is their brilliant golden color. Also, such roofs are the most durable and can last more than a hundred years.

Nowadays, you can find metal roofs made of copper that was installed back in the 19th century. Despite their age, they are in good condition and perform the main function of protecting the house from external influences.

Despite such positive characteristics, roofs made of copper are quite rare. This trend is because the cost of such roofs is very high and can go up to $ 40,000 – $ 50,000 for a roof of 2000 sq. ft.

In addition, copper roofs require careful maintenance. If you do not carry out regular maintenance, the copper roof will oxidize and turn into blue-green colour.

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Modern Types of Copper Colored Metal Roof

Modern metal roofs are made from cheaper metals. Galvanized steel, aluminum, and zinc are commonly used. Roofs of this type are covered with paint on top, so they can be completely different colors, including they can imitate a copper roof.

Copper colored metal roofs are almost as good as real copper roofs. Stainless steel or aluminum is used for these roofs. The average service life of such metal roofs is 50-60 years. In addition, they have a lower cost and ease of maintenance.

Steel Roofs

The most common copper colored metal roofs are stainless steel roofs. This material is very easy to use and metal profiles are of different types.

Steel roofs are most commonly used in cold regions. The steel roof can handle large amounts of snow without deforming. Also, steel roofs have good sound insulation and you will not hear a knock when it rains.

Aluminum Roofs

The second most popular metal for roofs is aluminum. This type of roof is more used in coastal areas and places with high humidity. This is due to the high corrosion resistance of aluminum. Aluminum is also resistant to moisture, which is very important in such humid climates.

Differences between Copper Colored Metal Roof and Copper Roof

Externally, copper colored metal roofs are almost indistinguishable from real copper roofs, which are considered very luxurious and look expensive.

Advantages of Copper Colored Metal Roof:

Lower Cost of Roof
Lifespan
Permanent Color
Simpler Maintenance

Lower Cost of Roof

One of the most important reasons why copper colored metal roofs are more common than conventional copper roofs is the huge price difference. The cost of installing a copper roof is $ 40,000 – $ 50,000 is not affordable for every homeowner.

Material	Cost per sq. ft.	Cost of 2000 sq. ft. Roof
Copper	$17 – $23	$34000 – $46000
Steel	$9 – $11	$18000 – $22000
Aluminum	$11 – $13	$22000 – $26000

Prices may vary depending on the city.

It is also worth noting that the difference in the price of the selected material for the roof is present not only during installation but also during repairs. If the roof is damaged, the repair work is significantly cheaper when you have a steel or aluminum roof than a copper one.

Lifespan

Undoubtedly, copper roofs boast a very long service life that can exceed 100 years. However, it is highly unlikely that you would want to live in such an old house.

On average, the optimal age for a home is up to 50 – 60 years. Copper colored metal roofs in steel and aluminum have the same lifespan, which makes their use even more logical. There is no point in installing an expensive roof that can last longer than the house itself.

Permanent Colour

Copper roofs tend to change color if not cared for properly. Chances are, you’ve seen old copper roofs in blue-green instead of the usual gold.

This color change occurs when copper is oxidized by rainwater. To maintain its natural shiny color, the copper roof must be constantly looked after. It is necessary to clean and process the metal.

As for the copper colored metal roof, they do not experience such problems. Since the color of the metal roof is given by the paint, no oxidation processes affect the color of the roof.

In addition, the paint used is additional protection for the metal roof, which protects it from corrosion and organic bacteria. You don’t have to worry about the roof losing its color over time. This can only happen if you remove the paint from it.

Simpler Maintenance

Nowadays, homeowners are increasingly choosing building materials that require minimal maintenance time. Because of. People do not want to waste their precious time on such worries, metal roofs are becoming more and more popular.

Roofs made of steel or aluminum can serve your home for ten years without the need for repairs. Especially durable roofs in which polymer materials or special paints are used for covering.

As we noted with copper colored metal roofs, the paint is an additional layer of protection. Therefore, unlike conventional copper roofs, these roofs will require much less maintenance. In addition, even when it is necessary to clean the roof or replace parts of it, it is much easier and cheaper to repair a roof from steel and aluminum than from copper.

What Types of Homes prefer Copper Color Roof

Shiny copper roofs have been a reflection of the wealth of homeowners for centuries. Nowadays, they are still attractive, however, with the development of architectural design, styles have appeared in which this roof will be inappropriate.

One such example is minimalist home design. An important feature of this style is the minimum of details and the prevailing light neutral tones. Based on this, a bright copper roof will be superfluous for such a house.

Likewise, copper or copper colored metal roofs are not recommended for high-tech homes. Although metallic shades and strict lines prevail in this style, the standard copper roof will be superfluous here.

Bright copper roofs work best with classic-style houses. Examples of such styles are:

Classic Style
Scandinavian
English
Classic American
Gothic
Renaissance Style

These styles have distinctive classic features, which include clear geometric shapes and straight lines. Also in such houses, there are attics, which give the roof of the house a beautiful shape.

Another reason why these house styles are combined with copper colored metal roofs is their wall decoration. Depending on the style, it can be made of red or white brick, light plaster or stone. Each of these materials accentuates the vibrant color of the copper roof, creating a luxurious exterior for the home.

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Each building has some sort of driveway or at least should have. The main reason is for vehicles to come closer without need to walk all the way. Some homes are residential with small driveway for their car to come in and park before garage or front entrance, and others can be large commercial buildings with loading docks, delivery entrances and casual parking entrances. On Point Remodeling was asked for suggestions on residential driveway for new home construction, and we decided to write detailed article for all our readers. Using this guide you can select the material for your driveway and see what works for your budget. Here are the materials for driveway we will be discussing in our guide:

Asphalt
Concrete
Paver Stone
Crushed stone
Brick
Seashell
Gravel

To find good contractor for your driveway, you can either ask our team by email or try to find someone local that worked with neighbors or nearby buildings.

Installation process of any material surface on your driveway

a) Demolition and Excavation – Before anything is done, your contractor will get heavy machinery and scratch off old layer of driveway. They need to go down at least 5-6 inches to insure proper layering before your final layer of material is installed. b) Material Purchase and Delivery – At this point your contract is signed and you already know how the surface will look. Contracting company purchases necessary materials and delivers them to site. Double check if material is correct and not damaged. c) Preparation of Sublevel – Whatever you place as final material, it cannot just be installed directly on top soil. Gravel is the first choice of material that goes down at this stage. Other preferred material is screen sand that can go on top of gravel and works better with stone and bricks. d) Compaction of Ground – To prevent your driveway from moving and changing shapes, all the layers from bottom up have to be properly compacted. Do not leave any spot untouched while doing this or you can get small holes and cracks in driveway after installation. E) Final Installation – This is when all the magic happens. After all preparations and dirty work the final installation is made literally within hours and you can enjoy new driveway. Stone and brick is set up by hand, while other materials require some sort of machinery with manual labor to even out surface.

1. Asphalt

Probably the most used material for road top surfaces as well as driveways is asphalt. This is a mix of gravel and sand that is mixed in and combined by asphalt cement with crude oil. Pros of Asphalt Driveway

Very popular and easy to find materials/contractor
Completed in 1 day and you can drive on it after
Patches and small holes can be fixed fast

Cons of Asphalt Driveway

Easy to damage and cracks appear in few years
Almost everyone else has same surface
Oily surface and chemicals used in mix

Prepared for asphalt driveway will cost you around $5 per square foot to finish. The contractors that take care of entire process from taking out old driveway surface, install subsurface and compact the ground with new asphalt on top, will charge on average $5500 per regular size driveway at single home property.

2. Concrete

What we call concrete is a mixture of Portland cement, aggregate as well as sand with gravel. Suggested thickness of concrete for driveway is 6 inches. The mixture needs to cure without being touched or driven on top for several days. Pros of Concrete Driveway

Durable material for large weights
Long lifespan if installed properly
Winter and summer friendly

Cons of Concrete Driveway

Has marks and stains over time
Hard to repair without replacement
Super hard to DIY

To hire contractors for concrete driveway it will cost around $7-$9 per square foot. This will include site preparation with gravel spread and new concrete installation. They will order full truck of concrete (or several for larger driveways) to pour inside forming. Smoothening and curing is required after installation.

3. Paver Stone

The most luxurious material that you can use to create driveway path with is paver stone. It is made out of natural stone with uneven rough shapes that have different line patterns. Paver stones are very heavy and are perfect for weights on top of them. Almost every city in Europe has roads and walks made out of stone that were installed centuries ago. Pros of Paver Stone Driveway

Creative designs can be done
Personal looks, can match the house
Can replace single stone in minutes

Cons of Paver Stone Driveway

Weeds growing through
Stone can move over time
Most expensive material

There is wide selection of stone that can be purchased for your driveway. On average we recommend settling with $17-$20 per square foot for stone with installation included. Working with this material is very intense labor and we recommend hiring professionals that do this type of work every day.

4. Crushed Stone

Our readers sometimes mistake crushed stone with gravel, but this is not the same material. Crushed stone material is achieved when machine is mechanically crushing larger pieces of unused stone for this specific purpose. It is larger than gravel and can have smooth finish. Crushed stone can also have a mix of colors, which is much pleasant to eyes than gravel. Pros of Crushed Stone Driveway

Low maintenance required
Fits rural area style
Can be reused for other purposes

Cons of Crushed Stone Driveway

Gets very hot during summer
Can be messy after many drives
Hard to remove snow and ice

Buying crushed stone and installing it on your driveway is as easy as it gets. Similar to other rough materials discussed in this post, only small tools like shovels, dolly and buckets are required to spread it on the road. The cost of crushed stone driveway is between $4 and $6 per square foot from professional local contractors that can finish the job in several days.

5. Brick

The same brick we see being used in wall construction can be installed as top driveway surface. Brick is manufactured by compressing clay with plastic mass. It is heated to extreme temperature and dried up to become as solid as you know it. Pros of Brick Driveway

Variety of selections in shapes and shades
Bricks are recyclable
Slip resistant with rough top part

Cons of Brick Driveway

Needs regular maintenance
Change color over time
Old fashion looking

Installing brick on driveway costs $10 per square foot, which is not too far from masonry brick laying as part of the wall. To save money you can use or purchase old brick, that was part of a wall before. Do not mix these two jobs and contact landscaping professionals instead of masonry contractors that work with bricks.

6. Seashell

This material is popular on the coast line where shells can be found near the water. Construction companies use seashells to add in other materials as well as spread them on driveway in rough condition, without adding anything else. It usually comes in white or pearl color and darkens within year because of mixing with sand and dirt. Pros of Seashell Driveway

Environmentally friendly
Has natural drainage
Creates worm vibe of beach house

Cons of Seashell Driveway

Break and crack under light weight
Sharp and very hard to walk on
Gets stuck in shoes and tires

To deliver and spread seashells on driveways costs below $4, which is only slightly more expensive than rough gravel. As you go further from coast line, cost of material increases due to delivery. This material is elegant and very soft. We recommend adding edge lines with darker color landscape material to create visual path.

7. Gravel

This material is used in other construction mixes and underlayment systems. It’s literally fragments and small crushed stones that are put on top of soil. It is easily spread out by hands and anyone can do it. Pros of Gravel Driveway

Cheapest of them all
Easy DIY Job
Can install another material on top

Cons of Gravel Driveway

Needs to be graded very often
Will mix with dirt and leaves
Washes up with heavy rains

It is rough material and can be purchased in bulk (by metric tons or cubic meters). The cost of driveway with gravel should not exceed $3 per square foot, but you can save tons of money by purchasing materials and doings installation by yourself. You do not require specific tools or heavy equipment for the job and delivery of gravel can be arranged directly to your project.

Conclusion

To properly finish any and all of these driveways requires skills and experience. There is no way you can complete any of these projects without heavy equipment and tools that regular home owner’s just store in their garages. Most of those who will read this post will prefer to install asphalt driveway, because of its popularity and low costs. We want to encourage home owners to go for personal preference and what matches your house, rather than getting the most affordable and popular items. Driveway jobs have to be completed fast; otherwise you will need to park elsewhere while the project is running. To not overpay, ask us for quotation sample on material you prefer in specific region where the work need to be done and our team can provide some numbers.

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