22 Feb

Colorbond vs Zincalume – What’s the Best Choice for Your Roof?

Every home relies upon a strong roof. It’s an essential feature of your property, and therefore an investment that nobody should take lightly. If you’re looking at roofing options, chances are you’ve come across both Colorbond and Zincalume. As two of Australia’s most popular roofing styles, many people find themselves torn between them. Which is better? Which is going to best protect your home? To help you figure out the right way to go for your property, we’ve broken down both products and their benefits.

This blog includes a description of both Colorbond and Zincalume roofs, detailing the strengths and weaknesses of each. For personalised roofing advice and other roofing services, contact O’Boyle’s Roofing today.

What is Colorbond?

Colorbond was created in the mid-nineteenth century as a stronger alternative to the constant corrosion of corrugated roofs. Colorbond steel was introduced as the perfect solution to roofing problems: durable, safe, energy efficient, and doesn’t need regular repainting to stay attractive. Since its first Australian introduction in 1966, Colorbond has quickly become one of the country’s go-to roofing options.

Colorbond roofs are built with a Zincalume core, but the steel comes pre-painted, and is built to be as strong and robust as possible whilst remaining lightweight. The key appeal of Colorbond roofs is that they’re thermally efficient, extremely resistant to corrosion, and that they remove the high maintenance remands of other roofs. The wide range of colours ensures that you can have the best of both worlds – one of the highest quality roofs in the market, as well as visual appeal to suit your home’s aesthetic.

Colorbond’s Advantages and Disadvantages

So, let’s break down Colorbond a bit more simply for you. To help you figure out the perfect roof for your home, here are just a few of the advantages Colorbond roofs have to offer:

Weather Resistance

Colorbond roofs have been tested against the extreme weather conditions found all across Australia. Heat, cold, wind, rain – Colorbond is built to withstand it all. It has even been proven to be compliant and effective for use in areas prone to bushfires. Thorough exposure testing has proven that Colorbond is an effective and tough roofing option throughout all extreme weather conditions.

Customisable Design

A perk of Colorbond roofs is that they can be easily adapted to suit the unique aesthetics and needs of your property. The broad range of design and colour options ensures that your Colorbond roof is entirely customisable to match the rest of your house. With 22 contemporary, classic, matt, or ultra shades to choose from, there’s no doubt that there’s a Colorbond roof that will complement your property perfectly. You can choose from any of Colorbond’s design choices (including corrugated, panel, and weatherboard) to build your perfect roof from scratch.

Energy Efficiency

The material of a Colorbond roof is designed to reflect the sun’s rays, keeping the inside of your home cool. Subsequently, your air conditioner use will reduce, bringing down your energy bills.

Durability

Colorbond roofing is highly endurable. Built with the best of modern roofing technology and five layers of protection to meet Australian standards, you can trust that your Colorbond roof is a long-lasting investment. The layers of protection and strength ensure that your roof will last for many years to come, needing nothing more than an occasional wash with water to maintain its sleek look.

The Disadvantages

There are plenty of reasons why so many Australians choose Colorbond time and time again for their home. As such an effective roofing option, you may wonder what disadvantages there are to going with Colorbond. Truthfully, the main disadvantage of Colorbond is its price. On top of installation costs, the price of Colorbond roofing can be higher than other roofs on the market. Long-lasting, high quality roofing serves as an investment, and when choosing your roof you’ll have to consider whether you want to pay extra for the enhanced durability, or go for more basic corrugated sheets.

What is Zincalume?

Introduced to Australia in the 1970s, Zincalume has quickly become a staple of many homes across the nation. This product is made from zinc, aluminium, and silicon – designed to be durable, reliable, and economic. For almost two decades now, thousand of Zincalume steel panels have been tested in extreme conditions, ensuring its resistance to all the elements and proving it to be one of the toughest steel materials on the market.

Similar to Colorbond, a big appeal of Zincalume is its long-lasting performance. It’s thermally efficient, highly resistant to corrosion, and requires little maintenance.

Zincalume’s Advantages and Disadvantages

Strength

With its mix of zinc, aluminium, and silicon components, Zincalume is one of the toughest steel products you’ll ever find. It remains incredibly durable throughout a wide range of extreme weather conditions, and is highly resistant to corrosion. Zincalume roofs aren’t going to get damaged quickly, and are considerably less likely to suffer from scratches.

Lifespan

Zincalume’s durability gives it an exceptional lifespan. The product was built and developed as a response to a need for better material than galvanised steel, and successfully stands as a more long-lasting alternative. Zincalume steel has been proven to last around four times as long as standard galvanised steel.

Affordability

Zincalume roofing stands as a more affordable option for homeowners. Tough, lightweight, resistant to corrosion, and weather resistant, it can offer many of the key perks you want from a roof without costing a fortune.

The Disadvantages

Unlike Colorbond, Zinclalume can’t offer custom paint or design. It comes in just one standard aluminium colour, unable to be tailored to the theme or design of your property and prone to dulling over time. Even at its shiniest, many find that the standard Zincalume colour can detract from the overall visual appeal of your home.

Due to this colouring, Zincalume is likewise less energy efficient than Colorbond. The shiny steel radiates heat, more likely to heat your home than cool it and making a negative impact on your annual energy costs.

Contact O’Boyle’s Roofing Today for Roof Advice

Colorbond and Zincalume are two of Australia’s most popular roofing styles. Choosing between them can be tricky, especially when both stand as highly reliable and durable options, but ultimately it all boils down to what you’re looking for in a roof. Want a tailored visual appeal on top of great quality? Go Colorbond. Looking for a tough roof at a lower budget? Consider Zincalume. If you’re looking for roof installation, or just some further advice on what to buy, O’Boyle’s has a team of experts ready to help. Contact Melbourne’s most trusted roofing company today to figure out what’s best for your home.