ROOFING IN A NEW MODE
From thatch to stone and then to concrete and steel roofing’s ultimate aim is to provide shelter from rain,sun, winds and other negative factors. After taking a
long journey today roofing is a promising industry. Though it is not easy to shift from traditional patterns but changing architectural designs and induction of innovative technologies, and ofcourse changing taste and attitude of people have brought in new materials as roofing alternatives.
In India change in roofing patterns is quite slow specially shifting to pre-fabricated and pre-manufactured material use in homes. People still prefer hand made and brick and mortar constructions. But the slow shift is strong and people
are willing to consider better methods of building when there is a need for a fast and high quality construction. New metal roofing is trending at the moment and not because it is quick, but, it comes in various designs and colours.
There is a definite change and Indian roofing and wall cladding industry is poised for a sustainable growth and is preparing for the next generation of ambitious projects. The total market size for steel roof and wall cladding industry is approximately over a million tones and has registered almost double digit growth over past three years. Growth in the infrastructure and residential segments has been a major demand driver for roof and wall cladding industry. Customers are looking for architectural solutions which provide innovative shapes such as convex, concave in addition to a range of vibrant colours. Considering the high demand in the construction industry. Steel roof and wall cladding industry is witnessing considerable growth in the rural market.
The evolution of steel roof and wall cladding is taking Indian Construction Industry to a new level of innovation. In the last decade there has been considerable progress in this direction. Use of modern day construction technology, cost effective solutions, overall market awareness, the need for
innovative solutions are some of the key determining factors for increased demand of the steel roof and wall cladding.
Today Indian Construction market is witnessing a major shift from asbestos and galvanized steel sheets to Zn-Al coated sheets. Asbestos is supposed to contains carcinogenic material and has low strength and cracks easily.Steel roof and wall cladding bring in appealing aesthetic for prestigious buildings with benefit such as faster installation, quality material, high strength, corrosion resistant, cost
effective and durability. One important benefit of metal roofing and wall cladding is the support it renders to green house concept. The metal roofs can be totally recycled.
Apart from large scale benefits steel roofing and wall cladding pose several challenges such as the laws of thermal expansion. This requires extra care. There is also an urgent need to lay down Indian Standards for the design of roofing.
