Four Things You Need When Adding a Metal Roof to a Tiny House

A metal roof is great for a tiny house, as it's lightweight and long lasting. However, in addition to the metal roofing panels, you need a few other supplies if you are going to add a metal roof to a tiny home. Here's what you need:

1. Insulation

Roof insulation is critical for safeguarding the efficiency of your tiny home, but with a metal roof, it's also critical for sound control. The insulation options are diverse. You can choose from spray, batting, insulated panels or even straw bales, which are all installed from the inside of the house underneath the metal roof. In contrast, you can also use insulated metal roofing panels. Installed from the outside of the houses, these panels incorporate metal and insulation.

2. Rubber washers

When attaching the metal roofing to the joists of your house, you are likely to use self-tapping screws which create a hole in the metal as you screw them in. Even though the screws have a tighter fit than they would with pre-drilled holes, there is still a bit of space between the metal and the screws that may allow in rain.

This risk can be especially pronounced if you move your tiny home and the screws shake around in transport, potentially enlarging the holes. Cue rubber washers. Place the rubber washers around the screws before drilling them through the metal roofing. There the rubber creates a seal around the top of the screw. Alternatively, if using nuts and bolts, place the rubber washer between the bolt and the nut.

3. Flashing

Whether you are using sheet metal or metal roofing panels for the roof of your tiny home, you also need flashing. Flashing is specially manufactured pieces of metal that go over your roofing in specific spots such as the peak of the roof, near seals, in unique angles and sometimes on corners. You may need to speak with a professional roofer or a sheet metal manufacturer about creating flashings for your home's design.

4. Light Coloured Paint

Light colours reflect the sun's rays rather than absorbing them. As a result, if your tiny roof is a light colour, it won't heat up as much during the summer. You can order metal roofing dipped in a light coloured finish, or if you like, you can buy light coloured paint and paint your roof yourself.

For more tips and ideas on what you need when adding a metal roof to a tiny house, contact a specialist in new roof installation.


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