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Copper Roofing Question

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Guest User
10/6/2002
We have decided to go with a copper roof as well we are planing on copper gutters. Some questions: 1. How long before the "shine" is off the copper. I'm betting as quickly as a week or two...we get a lot of sun where we live (position of the house) and don't want to blind the neighbors so to speak. 2. Is it common to get a copper roof and gutters/downspouts? or do people normally break up the lines of the roof with different metals. 3. What are any issues with insulation (is copper better than say aluminum or steel) as a roofing material.
Todd Miller
Isaiah Industries, Inc.
10/6/2002
Thanks for your posting, and thanks for choosing metal! 1) Exposed copper will eventually turn a dull brown and then eventually start to develop the characteristic patina. This process goes fastest in areas subject to salt air and fog as well as areas with acid rain. There are chemicals you can apply to create the patina immediately. The extreme high gloss of the natural copper will go away fairly quickly but you're probably looking at a couple of months rather than a couple of weeks. 2) The runoff from copper roofing is not compatible with other metals. I would suggest copper gutters and downspouts to capture water from a copper roof. 3) Bright copper is highly reflective of radiant heat, blocking the sun's rays and keeping buildings cooler in summer. That effect will diminish as the copper turns brown. As far as keeping heat in during the winter ... once heat from the home gets into the attic, it is quickly lost. In the winter, the best thing you can do is have insulation on top of your ceilings.
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