You are considering going with steel roofing in Victoria for its long lifespan and aesthetics, but you probably haven’t thought of how steel roofing performs in Victoria’s rainy climate. There’s a reason why Westcoast Modern architecture features Standing Seam metal roofing, as you can see in our project gallery. Rainy and wet climates are what metal roofing is designed for. Here are some things to think about:

• Steel roofing sheds water faster than asphalt shingles. One engineer found that “switching from shingles to metal increased the flow rate by 137%”. That means that water leaves your roof more than twice as fast. Protrusions such as skylights and vents won’t get overwhelmed in sustained downpours that are common in Victoria.
• Moss doesn’t grow on a metal roof. Victoria’s rainforest climate mean’s that roofing maintenance is a constant battle with other types of roofing.
• Victoria’s humid climate can cause issues if your attic doesn’t have adequate ventilation. steel roofing is vented underneath the ridge cap in a way that doesn’t create another weak point such as standard attic vents on asphalt shingle roofs. Read more about ventilation here.
• Victoria’s temperature swings are quite mild compared to other climates. This means that expansion and contraction of the long metal panels are rarely a concern.
• Victoria’s windy oceanfront creates all kinds of problems for asphalt shingles. While shingles can be rated to withstand 150km per hour winds, this decreases as your roof ages and the tar that seals the shingles loosens. Standing seam metal roofing is rated for up to 225 km per hour and it’s wind resistance doesn’t decrease with age.

Picture a cliché West Coast A-frame cabin in the rainforest and I’d bet you’ll see it with standing seam roofing. You already know that steel roofing and Victoria’s West Coast go together, and now you know why. We specialize in standing seam steel roofing. Contact us for a free estimate anywhere in the Greater Victoria area.