The dream of owning your own home often comes with the idea of an open space, like a porch or patio at the back of the building. Somewhere to entertain guests, or to quietly enjoy the outdoors in the comfort of your own home. Indeed, there’s a deep satisfaction to be found lounging around outside, reading a book, listening to music or merely enjoying a drink. You get to relax in the sunlight and enjoy fresh air, avoiding being crushed in a café ‒ where sooner or later you’ll be pressed to move on, either by your desire to go home or by impatient staff.
However, patios and porches are subject to weather conditions by the fact that they are outside and open, so roofing provides a smart option. In some parts of Australia, like Brisbane, insulated roofing panels are a popular way to provide protection from the fairly consistent sunshine, and provide shelter from the rain and hail between December and March. Which type of roofing panel?
Corrugated Iron Roofing
If you’re just looking to protect your car from rain, hail and constant exposure to the sun, corrugated iron roofing, or CGI, is a good economical option. It’s a clean and straightforward solution, providing strength and durability, yet it is lightweight and flexible. For those thinking that it might look too rough and ready, corrugated iron roofing comes in colourbond colours and will complement any house design.
Insulated Roofing Panels
Insulated roofing panels are a step up from the CGI option. They bring with them an R-value, which states their insulating power. The higher the R-value, the better the panelling is at resisting the transfer of heat through it. This is a useful thing to know if you intend using your patio frequently. For enclosed patios, you’ll probably want to control the heating and cooling of your patio; the better insulated the roofing, the less energy it will take to control and maintain temperatures. The panels can be installed on any type of frame, and providing you use a qualified contractor to install them they will last a long time.
SolarSpan
SolarSpan is a type of insulated roofing. It’s an all in one solution that’s compatible with both steel or timber frames and is both a roofing sheet and an insulator. As such, it’s increasingly popular throughout Australia.
Insulated roofing comes in three levels of thickness, 50mm, 75mm and 100mm. Each one correspondingly provides a greater level of insulation, so it’s best to consult with your builder to find out which type of roofing is most suitable. If you don’t use the patio frequently then 50mm is often sufficient. However, if used frequently or you have severe weather regularly, it’s best to go with the 100mm.
Homeowners and businesses don’t always need or can afford an extra room. Sometimes they just need to provide extra cover to their porch or patio. Depending on what the area is to be used for, a range of different patio roofing is available ‒ all designed to utilise extra space whatever the weather.
