Tin roofs

[mama24]

I'm from PA, but am in NC now. I never saw tin roofs up North, but everyone uses them for any outbuildings down here. I know they're cheap b/c I just replaced the tin roof on the ancient chicken coop that came with our new house (attached to the 100+ year old tobacco barn, but not nearly THAT old. lol) Anyway, just wondering what others thought of them and what their pros and cons are. Cheap is definitely a pro. Why aren't they used up North? Just b/c of snow or for other reasons? I have 30 chicks out there under a brooder lamp and have 40 more eggs in my incubator, so I need to get to work on some more shelters. Wondering if tin (I think it's actually galvanized steel) is the way to go or not.

 

[daver]

I used tin when I built ours this past spring, can't tell you why, it just happened. It has survived some pretty good storms so far.

Stayed reasonably cool over the hot summer, with good ventilation.

If it doesn't work out, I'll trry something else.

Dave

 

[kimisfishing]

I was given some corigated tin for my coop but have not used it yet. I want to before winter, so would be inerested in thoughts...

 

[fireguy56]

Hi, Corrugated, galvanized or zinc plated steel roofing has been used in the south for as long as I can remember. Proberbly over 100 years. Today there are newer profiles(other than old, school corrugations) to choose from. The panels are still steel, some with a galvalume finish to resist corrusion and some with a baked on finish(many colors) to choose from. The plus is 3' of coverage x whatever lenght you need. I have ordered panels over 30' in lenght for jobs in the past. Fairly cost effective compared to other roofing materials and with basic construction skills, not to terribly hard to install. so, in my book....for a chicken coop...great choice for long lasting, durable roof covering..dollar for dollar. Here is what I put on my first coop. Good luck .
Erik

This is called locally an r-panel, galvalume finish and 36" wide. Cost here about for a 12' long sheet @ approx. $21.00 per. Or, look on Craigslist for good buys on scraps, shorts, cut-offs, etc.. shorter pieces can be lapped.

 

[wyododge]

About the only down side I can think of is they are loud in the rain and hail. There is a metal roof on the old barn my coops is in. That roof is easily 40 years old. They go on really fast and you can put a clear or opaque panel in for natural daylight. If mine were free standin I would have a metal roof for sure. Heck the barn we are gonna build next summer is gonna have a metal roof.

Never thought of getting shorts and cut offs, that is a great idea!!!

 

[MadChickensVT]

12' x 3' for $21 is a deal. It's about $1sf around here for steel or shingles.

Steel lasts. Maybe paint it again in 30 or 40 years.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

I have some recycled metal roofing on my coop but it's laid over plywood with a layer of roofing paper in between. It was on a friends barn for a really long time before I got it, so it seems long-lived anyway.

 

[twentynine]

If you are in the south and don't have atleast one whole entire building constructed out of corregated galvanized roofing, you can't be a REDNECK!

 

[crazyhen]

If you use the roofing please overlape it on at least two ribs. My hb did one overlap and it leaks terrible. Another building has a two lap and does well. Gloria Jean

 

[Ridgerunner]

In some climates and conditions, moisture can condense on a metal roof. You can handle that with your method of construction, but that is not as big a problem in the South and handling it can run the costs up.

You can lose a lot of heat through a metal roof in the winter since that thin metal is such a good conductor.

Like practically any roof, you need to get a slope on it so water runs off instead of sets on it. Otherwise you are practically guaranteed leaks.

Properly supported, metal roofs can handle snow and ice loads just fine. But there are usually climate reasons why different materials are used in different regions.