A FEW WORDS IN DEFENSE OF TIN ROOFS

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True, they can be noisy, ugly, and hot. But they have their good points, too. So here are . . .

By Cathy J. Flamholtz

If properly maintained, metal roofs don't have to be eyesores. And you can spot "tin tops" on jut about avery style and size of building around. For example; [1] painted steel "shingles" on a beautiful older house, [2] terneplate on a turn-of-the-century railroad station, [3] a copper-topped gazebo, [4] aluminum on a smaller home, and [5] galvanized steel, the "old standards",

When my husband and I first moved to the country, I was amazed at the number of homes in our neck of the Georgia woods that had metal roofs . . . and at the number of those tin-topped abodes that displayed "For Sale" signs out front. So the next time I spoke with a local realtor friend, I asked him if he found it difficult to market metalroofed houses. At the question, his face cracked with a knowing smile.

"Anything with a tin roof is going to sell for less . . . if you can find a buyer for it at all," he told me. "Even your typical back-to-the-lander doesn't want to take one of those buildings on. And most of the people to whom I do manage to sell metal-topped homes tell me they plan to replace the roof as soon as they get the money together."

"Well," I said to myself, "if my friend is right, and if my area is typical, it seems that buying a home topped with tin might be one way to save a good bit of money . . . and such a move could make it possible for a would-be ruralite to settle in the country that much sooner." In short, my curiosity was whetted, and—since we had some city friends looking for a bargain-priced house near us—I decided to learn all I could about metal roofs. I wanted, above all, to discover why they suffer such a poor reputation . . . and if they deserve it. It's taken some time, but what I've learned has really opened my eyes to the hidden benefits of tin-tops . . . and I'd like to share some of that knowledge with you here.

TIN AND ITS KIN

First of all, most "tin" roofs aren't made of tin. You see, there are several metals used for roofing. Below, I've listed those you're most likely to encounter, along with some of the strong and weak points of each.

Tin: The more accurate term here is terne, or even terneplate . . . but no matter what moniker you hang on the stuff, it's one of several soft metals treated with a coating of lead and tin. A tin roof that's properly installed can last a good 40 to 50 years.

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