If you're roofing a barn, you probably aren't as concerned about properties such as sound deadening as you would be with the roof of your home. But you still need to look for specific qualities when choosing the best roof for a barn, whether you'll be housing hay, livestock, or something else in the building.
Here are some things to look for when choosing a roofing type for your barn.
1. Low Maintenance Needs
The lower the amount of maintenance needed, the better. Although you know every roof needs some maintenance, you probably aren't as invested in the health of your barn as that of your home. If you'd rather not spend a lot of money on barn roof maintenance every year, look for a low-maintenance material such as metal roofing panels.
2. Insulating Ability
While sound insulation may not be as important, you may want to consider how your barn roof will affect your heat insulation. Keeping out excess heat in summer and keeping in your livestock's body heat in winter may be very useful, depending on your climate and whether your barn has any heating mechanisms. Some roofing materials insulate better than others.
3. Affordability
A barn may be easier and even cheaper to construct than a more weatherproof building like a house. As such, you may easily find yourself with a very large barn to care for. The larger the barn, the more roofing material and labor time you'll need for a re-roofing project, so an affordable roofing material is essential.
4. Ease of Installation
An easy-to-install roofing material provides a number of advantages. The first one is that a quick, easy install will mean you're paying for fewer labor hours and the project overall will be more affordable. The second is that you'll be more likely to find plenty of roofing contractors in your area who can install that material. This way, you won't have to pay a premium for a specialty contractor.
5. Portability
Portability isn't always top priority, but it does make the roofing project more convenient. If your barn doesn't have a well-maintained road leading to it—or worse, if your barn is up on a mountainside or some other inaccessible location—portability could be a significant factor. A metal roof material, for instance, is easier to transport than tiles because of weight differences.
Choosing a roofing material for a barn may typically focus on practical factors such as performance and the installation process rather than aesthetics. Talk to a roofing contractor to help you find a material that strikes just the right balance between these practical factors to provide the best roof for your barn. A roofing company can provide additional information.
