Roofing has come a long way from being just a protective shelter for our homes. Today, roofing trends showcase the best in sustainability, technology, beautiful designs, and strength, especially Colorbond steel.
Whether you’re building a new home or planning a roof replacement, considering the latest roofing trends can add value, energy efficiency, and style to your property.
This blog will discuss some of the top roofing trends to consider for your next project.
Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Materials
Image Source: https://colorbond.com/inspiration/inspired-homes/embracing-sustainability-and-environment
Are you leaning towards greener building solutions? Colorbond steel is a sustainable roofing material.
Resilient and durable, Colorbond steel can handle Australia’s harsh climate. Its long life span helps to conserve resources and energy that may otherwise be invested in products that don’t last as long.
Colorbond is recyclable and reduces waste
Colorbond is manufactured sustainably. BlueScope Steel (a trusted Australian manufacturer) aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cut back waste during production.
All Colorbond steel contains recycled content, and the steel itself is 100% recyclable, so it won’t end up in landfill. In some cases, it can be reused without reprocessing, saving on energy and resource use. Since Colorbond steel lasts decades, it doesn’t need to be replaced as often, cutting down on construction waste and environmental impact.
If you collect rainwater, for example, Colorbond roofing has a smooth, non-porous surface that supports water run-off, so it makes the process easier. Unlike some roofing materials that can lead to harmful substances in a water supply, Colorbond is safe for rainwater harvesting and supports sustainable water management practices!
Aesthetic Trends: Colorbond Colours of Australia
Colorbond design trends are always in style. With 22 colours and six Matt options, you can find the perfect colour scheme and design palette.
Pale Colour Palettes
If you love the look of minimalism, Colorbond has gorgeous pale stones such as:
- Dover White
- Surfmist
- Paperbark
- Classic Cream
- Shale Grey
- Southerly
- Dune
- Evening Haze
These pale tones are naturally inspired, light and equally at home on contemporary or heritage buildings, providing an ideal base for dramatic contrasts in both colour and material.
Flat and low-pitched roofs, in particular, suit minimalist home designs and give you more space. Choosing Colorbond paler tones creates cooler roofs and makes a difference to the energy efficiency of your home.
Midtone Colour Palettes
Traditional roofs are limited to earthy tones like terracotta and grey, but Colorbond makes a statement with bold and unconventional colour trends with mid tones:
- Basalt
- Bluegum
- Windspray
- Gully
- Wallaby
- Pale Eucalypt
Naturally inspired and evocative, these earthy mid-tones pay tribute to Australia’s gorgeous landscape. Warm and welcoming, each colour layers well with other naturally inspired building materials.
Deep Tone Colour Palettes
Bold and dark tones are popular in urban and rural locations. Their simplicity and strength suit all steel profiles and complement many design pallets. Accentuate and new architecture with premium colours such as:
- Woodland Grey
- Monument
- Ironstone
- Night Sky
- Deep Ocean
- Cottage Green
Leading Australian roofing manufacturers, such as Colorbond, offer a wide range of bold and customisable colours suited to various architectural styles.
Can you combine different roofing materials, such as steel, timber and concrete? It can add texture and depth to your home’s design. Some popular mixed-material styles include:
- Pair Colorbond roofing with wooden eaves for a natural yet modern feel
- Using stone tiles alongside Colorbond steel for a rustic-meets-industrial aesthetic
- Blending different Colorbond roofing colours to create contrast and visual interest
If you have a look in mind, feel free to reach out to a roofing contractor who can put forth a recommendation!
Intelligent Roofing Technologies
Let’s look at Colorbond’s unique roofing technology and how it is the future of sustainable building!
Activate technology
Offering corrosion resistance in all weather conditions, Colorbond (and Colorbond Ultra steel) has a patented Activate technology by BlueScope, and this has a unique 4-phase microstructure.
The microstructure of the AM alloy coating contains aluminium-rich areas within a Zinc-rich matrix. Likewise, the Zinc-rich region also includes fine particles of Magnesium-Zinc and Magnesium Silicicide.
(This is a sample exposed to weathering for 6 years in Rockhampton, a severe UV environment.)
This careful process control ensures that most of the Magnesium Silicide is towards the bottom portion of the coating layer, closer to the base steel, while most of the magnesium zinc is towards the upper portion.
All in all, the Activate technology delivers outstanding corrosion resistance and conserves natural resources.
Thermatech
Colorbond’s Thermatech is state-of-the-art and has stood tall as a roofing technology. It is a special reflective paint finish at the top of Colorbond sheets, allowing heat to bounce off the sheet instead of transforming through the metal. This is unique to Colorbond; even non-insulated roofing will protect your home all year round.
Improving the solar reflectance properties of Colorbond’s standard colours, even darker colours (such as Monument) in the Colorbond range perform well without changing their appearance.
Thermatech keeps properties cooler on hot days by absorbing less heat from the sun or increasing the solar reflectance index (SRI) without impacting the colour of the roofing. The SRI of Colorbond’s Classic Finish Dover White, for example, is 88. Surfist, which is part of the Matt Finish range, has an SRI of 78. This is in contrast to traditional roofs, which only have an SRI of 17 on average, meaning a higher indoor temperature.
Thermatech gives you a cooler roof and cooler buildings similar to lighter-shaded colours, lowering your roof temperature by up to six degrees and reducing electricity consumption by up to 15%.
If you’re extra concerned about heat and want to achieve an attractive underside finish on your roof sheet, insulated panel sheets have Thermatech coating on top.
To learn more about Colorbond, read the reasons to invest in Colorbond corrugated 0.42 steel roofing!
Why is Colorbond a Popular Roofing Trend?
There are many reasons why Colorbond steel is a solution for applications such as roofing and walling.
It’s been tested in Australian conditions
Buildings in Australia can face challenging weather, from extremes of heat and cold to dust, rain, wind and hail. For this reason, Colorbond steel is consistently assessed at outdoor sites around Australia and in accelerated laboratory testing.
Backed by 20 years of testing, Colorbond undergoes corrosion testing, durability tests, application testing for building and manufacturing common building products used across the industry, and outdoor exposure testing.
It is durable
Colorbond has five layers of protection designed to endure the harsh Australian environment and provide long-lasting durability you can trust.
This high-quality steel is coated in an industry-enhanced, corrosion-resistant Activate technology. Colorbond is then further improved with a pre-treatment, primer and a baked-on topcoat.
It withstands fire
Walling, roofing, gutters and downpipes made from Colorbond steel can be used as part of a compliant system in bushfire-prone areas. This includes the most extreme BAL-FZ (Bushfire Attack Level – Flame Zone) as defined in AS 3959:2018.
According to the CSIRO’s research and investigation into the performance of residential boundary fencing in bushfires, steel fences offer greater protection for people’s homes against bushfires than any other alternative materials due to being non-combustible.
Of the different materials tested, pre-painted and metallic-coated sheet steel (Colorbond) performed best under all exposure conditions, even when faced with a 30-minute flame immersion test used to mirror the potential effects of a house fire, which is common during bushfire events.
It’s easy to maintain
Colorbond steel is easily maintained by regular washing with clean, fresh water, which prolongs its life and maintains its appearance for longer periods of time.
Areas such as wall cladding under eaves or the underside of eave gutters only need a hose down every 6 months. There is no build up of debris (such as soil and mulch) against Colorbond steel products.
It is warranty-backed by BlueScope
BlueScope Steel is one of Australia’s largest manufacturers. BlueScope offers a range of warranties subject to application and eligibility criteria.
You can apply for a warranty using a Warranty Management System, which allows specifiers, builders and installers to get a pre-approved warranty if eligibility requirements are met.
Why should you choose Colorbond guttering for your property? With Colorbond steel, you’re not just building. You’re building for your future. You’ll experience the difference and greater sustainability advantages it brings to your project. With strength for decades, energy efficiency and recyclability, you can expect life-long performance.
Interested in Colorbond Roofing Technologies in Melbourne? Call Roofing Options!
Roofing trends are evolving, but Colorbond steel will always be at the forefront. Whether you’re an architect or builder, own a home, or plan on renovating a home you’ve just purchased, Colorbond is a trusted choice for the commercial, industrial, public, and residential sectors.
Are you looking for reliable Colorbond roofing supplies for your Frankston, Cranbourne, Carrum Downs, Dandenong, Berwick, Langwarrin, Clyde, Officer, or Narre Warren property? The Roofing Options team helps you find the right roofing products.
Supplying steel roof sheets, Laserlite 2000 & 3000, Sunlite Twinwall, Sunglaze, Suntuf EZ Glaze, Ampelite Polycarbonate Roofing, gutters & metal fascia, and custom-made flashings, we can give you long-term value.
Contact us today, view our online store, or visit us in Cranbourne, Coburg, or Campbellfield.
