History Of Zinc Roofing

Vmzinc history in metal roofing.

History of zinc roofing.

With average lifespans of 80 100 a zinc roof will far outlast most other roofing options. A brief history of zinc and copper roofing zinc the ancient babylonians and assyrians used zinc as part of the alloying process to produce brass but it was in the 13th century that india first obtained metallic zinc through smelting. Zinc has been used on roofs for over 150 years. Zinc has a rich global history and is known for its long lifespan.

Zinc roofing generally formed with copper and titanium has been made very popular in germany as well many other countries for about 300 years by european architects. The history of zinc man made zinc alloy products have been reliably dated as far back as 500 bc and zinc was first intentionally added to copperto form brass around 200 300 bc. Galvanizing with zinc to protect the base metal from rust was developed in france in 1837. In greece and egypt the use of zinc since antiquity has been proven with the discovery of jewellery and funeral urns.

Lead copper and tin plate most often came from great britain while the first zinc came from belgium. In 1834 the american architect william strickland proposed corrugated iron to cover his design for the market place in philadelphia. After developing an original production process an imperial decree was granted to jean jacques dony to mine the zinc ore deposit at la vieille montagne. In paris 85 of roofs are constructed of rolled zinc most of which are original roofs from the mid 19 th century.

Zinc started to be used in roofs in the 1700s and remains popular today as an alternative to copper. The ancient egyptians used aluminum and alum compounds to strengthen their roofing. For decades it has been the preferred choice for roofs all over the world in the form of architectural zinc rheinzink. This natural material has traced a prestigious course for almost half a century.

By the 1850s the material was used on post offices and customhouses as well as on train sheds and factories. Zinc standing seam roof in poland. As mines and mills opened in the united states domestic production replaced imports. As with other roofing materials the earliest uses of metals for american roofing employed imported products.

Flat seam metal roofing was used here on the problematic areas. Copper has always been a popular choice of metal for roofing because of its ease of handling and the beautiful way it ages. A metal roof is a roofing system made from metal pieces or tiles characterized by its high resistance impermeability and longevity. It is a component of the building envelope.