What Is Better, Steel or Aluminum Flashings?

There are different kinds of sheet metal materials that can be used for roof-related flashings: these include copper, aluminum, pre-finished steel, stainless steel, and galvanized steel. The two that are used most often are stainless steel and aluminum.

When it comes to any kind of construction you need to make a choice between aluminum and steel. Aluminum and steel are both very durable and can be fabricated easily when designing roof-connected flashings. Before going for aluminum or steel flashing a deeper understanding of these two metals and their pros and cons is useful.

Steel and aluminum are generally used for the roof-related flashings such as roofing, copings, penetration pockets, counter flashings, and through-wall flashings.

Aluminum

Aluminum is easy to fabricate to the required conditions needed for sheet metal flashings. Special alloys can be anodized to get an array of colours and can be pre-painted with acrylic linings to have unique colours. Natural aluminum has an oxide film on the surface of the metal when exposed to other elements.

Benefits of Aluminum

Aluminum is a lightweight metal and reacts when coated. It is a great metal to work with because it can be fabricated easily to meet the needed configurations.

Precautions

You should avoid huge, flat surfaces which cause waviness in your sheets. Stainless steel or aluminum fasteners should be used. Aluminum metal cannot be soldered. When using aluminum for building purposes you should avoid direct contact with other kinds of metal and with mortar or concrete.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is cheap to maintain and durable. You can use stainless steel in conjunction with other metals without electrolysis.

Benefits of Stainless steel

Stainless steel has great corrosion resistance when introduced to the outside elements and does not need any artificial surface coatings. This metal needs little maintenance after installation. Stainless steel doesn’t decay easily even when exposed to concrete or mortar.

If you are unsure about what type of flashings to use, you can always contact us, and we can help you.

Since 2004, Klassen Building Supplies has been a leader in sheet metal fabrication, supply, and installation in the Vancouver area. Klassen also does considerable custom metal work.

If you have any questions about this article or any of our sheet metal supplies, please call us at (604) 543-7331 or use the convenient form on our Contact page. Klassen is based in Surrey, BC.