Not all metals get along!
Metal roof corrosion happens. This idea may be foreign to us guys who don’t recall chemistry class in school, but it is necessary to understand similar vs. dissimilar metals when roofing. Anytime you are selecting metals that are in direct (touching) or indirect (runoff) contact with one another, you should have referenced the “Electrochemical Series” chart. If you have ever heard the term “galvanic corrosion”, this is what it is referring to. When an electrolyte (moisture) is in the presence of two metals, the less noble metal will experience accelerated corrosion. The Electrochemical Series is a chart that orders metals from the least noble (anodic) to the most noble (cathodic). Therefore, the further apart the metals on the chart, the faster/more aggressive corrosion will be.
Examples:
1) Copper and Stainless Steel – Since these metals are next to one another on the chart, they are compatible and therefore commonly paired together for roofing purposes.
2) Zinc and Copper – Never pair these two metals together for installation. They’re separated on the chart and galvanic corrosion will show quickly. Be careful of copper runoff from plumbing pipes that may leak onto zinc roofing material.
With a little bit of advance planning, you can prevent metal roof corrosion. Don’t forget to reference this chart to make sure you don’t run into this ugly and destructive problem.
It helps to know about the different types of metals that I can pair together to help prevent corrosion. I’m having a metal roof built on my house, so this seems like important information to know before I install anything. I’ll be sure to pair copper and stainless steel together since they are compatible for building a roof that won’t corrode so easily. Thanks for the tips!
I can’t stop telling that this post is going to help many people who are considering installation of metal roofs. There are many roofing contractors who do not give the right advice to their customers or either they don’t have the knowledge. At Countrytowne we always resolve and answer questions from many homeowners and we give them the right suggestion and answer so that when they are fully sure about the metal roof installation they can go with it. Every person looking for metal roofing option should understand this chart and make a smart decision so as to avoid corrosion and repair costs.