Can You Use Steel on a Round Roof?

Steel Roofing

• Metal or steel roofing has been around for many centuries. You may be familiar with the metal church domes of Europe and North America's older cities. Most of them are covered in copper -- the traditional material. In rural North America, you can also see many steel roofs covering barns and farmhouses. Copper and steel roofing is also used to cover low-pitched porches and shed dormers in American suburbs.

Technique

• Round roofs are covered in two metal roofing techniques. The first is the familiar standing seam method. Long panels of metal are installed vertically on the roof plane and attached to cleats to form a tight, standing seam with no exposed nail heads. More typical for round roofs are smaller panels of soldered metal. The metal is folded to cover the nail heads and soldered to form a unified, watertight surface.

Finding a Contractor

• Metal roofing requires very specialized skills and can be hazardous. This project is best left to professionals. Only the most advanced do-it-yourselfers who are familiar with metal work and roofing should attempt it. Look for a reputable roofer who specializes in traditional roofing techniques. Insist on seeing other metal roofs that he has installed before securing him for the job.

Alternatives

• You'll find wood shingle roofing on the curved eyebrow windows of Alternatives Arts and Crafts. Slate, too, can be installed on almost any roof shape and is just as long-lasting as metal roofing. Clay will work, too, on houses where red tile is appropriate. Once again, this is work best left to professionals.