From stunning natural finishes to excellent durability, Colorbond is a popular exterior building material to complement stone, timber, concrete, and brick, playing a dual role in renovations with genuine versatility.
According to the Financial Review, BlueScope has a $1.8b plan to take Colorbond to the U.S, so these painted and coated steel products are constantly expanding to new markets and are always in demand in the Australian steel business. With this in mind, why should you choose Colorbond Colorbond for your property?
What is Colorbond Steel?
Colorbond Brochure: Roofing and Gutters, Colorbond Steel Surfmist in a Matt Finish
Refined and tested for over 50 years in challenging Australian conditions, Colorbond steel is inspired by natural colours and forms of Aussie landscapes, from the ocean to the land around it.
Colorbond isn’t only a gorgeous building material; it’s an enduring investment in your family’s home. With 22 striking colours in the core range and six colours in a premium Matt finish, there are endless opportunities to complement your home or commercial design.
Let’s examine what is possible when you renovate your home using Colorbond instead of regular aluminium, copper, concrete tiles or a tile roof for roof restoration.
The Properties of Colorbond Steel
Colorbond has many appealing properties. Let’s look at them!
1. Corrosion Resistance
Colorbond steel is manufactured to Australian standards (AS1397 and AS/NZS 2728 Type 3-4) with the Substrate meeting AS1397 and is considered more than just paint on steel.
- The steel base is manufactured to meet these strict standards for a range of applications, so you can expect the best in grade and strength for your project.
- The base of the steel is coated in BlueScope’s industry-leading metallic coating incorporating Activate Technology which offers corrosion resistance.
- A thin pre-treatment layer is applied to boost the adhesion of subsequent coatings.
- The topcoat of the Colorbond steel is an exterior grade paint baked on to provide extra resistance to flaking, chipping and blistering to ensure the finish remains as long as possible
- The minimal internal bend diameters for forming processes to achieve zero paint cracking and avoiding paint adhesion problems are specified in the T-bend flexibility
2. Versatility in Design and Colour
With 22 pale, mid and deep toned Colorbond steel core colours and 6 available in a Matt finish, you can pick the perfect colour scheme and design palette when you renovate your home or commercial building. What colours can you choose for your walling, cladding, fascias, downpipes, roofing, or garage doors?
Pale Tones
Naturally inspired, Colorbond pale tones are inspired, light, and equally at home on contemporary or heritage buildings.
Tones such as Southerly, Evening Haze, Dune, Papermark, Classic Cream, Dover White, and more are an excellent basis for dramatic contrasting colours and materials that improve your home’s energy efficiency and contribute to a cooling living environment.
Earthy mid-tones
Evocative and naturally inspired, these tones reflect Australia’s quintessential palette and blend beautifully with the landscape.
Welcoming and warm, tones such as Gully, Wallaby, Pale Eucalypt, Bluegum, Windspray, Basalt, and more layer well with other naturally-inspired building materials for a gorgeous aesthetic.
Deep tones
Bold and dark, these deep tones are beautiful for urban and rural locations with their visual simplicity and strength.
Suiting steel profiles and complement many design palettes, tones such as Jaspar Grey, Deep Ocean, Cottage Green, Ironstone, Manor Red, and more accentuate and contrast new architecture for a premium, design-driven feel.
If you plan to build in Australian marine and industrial environments, Colorbond Ultra Steel offers you extra assurance by giving your home another level of specialist protection.
3. Thermal Efficiency
21 of the core Classic colours in the Colorbond steel range (except Night Sky), and the six Matt colours feature a special Thermatech solar reflectance technology. This tech is designed to reflect more of the sun’s heat on sunny days, which can keep your home cooler in summer and reduce your dependency on air conditioning!
Likewise, choosing a pale-toned roof can contribute to cooler local communities. However, any potential glare problems sometimes associated with pale roofs may be overcome with design elements like orientation and roof pitch.
Some Colorbond steel products are delivered with CORSTRIP film (or other low-density polyethylene (LDPE) strippable film) that protects it from damage during roll-forming, storage, transport, and installation.
If you care about purchasing eco-friendly products, Colorbond contribute to environmental sustainability! Every Colorbond steel product uses recycled material, and the steel itself is 100% recyclable. Since Colorbond lasts years, this keeps resources in use for longer since they can be used time and time again for construction projects.
4. Ease of Maintenance
With simple cleaning procedures, you can expect long-lasting performance with Colorbond. Areas where the paint finish is naturally washed by rainwater often don’t need this maintenance (the roofing), but wall cladding under eaves, the top of garage doors and the underside of eave gutters, carports, and patios may need more attention.
These unwashed areas are areas of the building sheltered by general rain washing and not naturally washed by rainfall. Condensation, in this case, can be absorbed by dust and dirt that build up in these areas, and you don’t want corrosion!
Garage doors can be washed with fresh, portable water at the same time as your car, gutters, fascia, and eaves can be washed when windows are, and Colorbond fencing when you’re watering the garden!
In cases where this doesn’t remove all dirt, wash the surface with a mild solution of pure soap or non-abrasive kitchen detergent in warm water, and washing should be done with a sponge, soft cloth, or soft bristle nylon brush, not abrasive scourers or steel wool.
In coastal areas where marine salt spray is present and where industrial fallout occurs, the Colorbond steel must be hosed down at least every six months and every three months. Always ensure that debris (such as soil and mulch) doesn’t build up against them.Additional maintenance: ensure that fasteners used to fix Colorbond steel comply with AS3566. If you would like to learn more about cleaning Colorbond, read about how to maintain polycarbonate roof panels!
5. Easy Installation Process
Colorbond steel sheeting is always a quick and efficient installation process. Let’s look at some important things to know for installation!
- Use a power saw with a metal cutting blade, as it produces fewer damaging hot metal particles and leaves less of a burr. Alternative cutting tools such as electric shears and nibblers are suitable. However, extra care is required with the straightness of the cut
- When making holes, you can mask the area around the hole to protect the paint from damage by swarf, which is metal scraps or abrasive particles resulting from drilling.
- Always apply the bead of the sealant in a continuous line along the centreline of the fastener holes, so when it’s compressed, it positively seals the fastener.
- Use solid or sealed fasteners (screws and blind pop rivets); otherwise, you have to apply the sealant to the hollow centre of open pop rivets.
- Joints sealed with sealant must be mechanically fixed for strength. Fasteners in joints with simple seams (flat sheet steel joints) should be no further apart than 50mm.
- Neutral-cure silicone sealants have been successfully used with the range of steel finishes on our roofing and walling. These sealants are water resistant, non-corrosive, have good adhesion, are resistant to extreme temperatures, are excellent gap fillers, and are resistant to UV rays.
For comprehensive information, building professionals should consult the appropriate legislation, regulations, codes of practice and technical literature.
6. A Worthy Investment with Warranty
Colorbond for your home can cost up to $40 per square metre; however, it is a worthwhile investment due to its longer lifespan, being lightweight, having low maintenance needs, and increasing energy savings. And once you’ve purchased Colorbond, here are some things that you need to consider:
- Roof pitch and complexity. Steeper roofs can be challenging and take longer to install.
- Roof size and design. The larger the roof, the higher the material and labour costs.
- Location and accessibility. A challenging roof to access can increase installation costs.
When you choose Colorbond steel for your home or commercial project, you’re also getting the support of BlueScope, one of Australia’s largest manufacturers.Colorbond is backed by some of the strongest building product warranties for eligible applicants. For more information, speak to the Roofing Options supplier or BlueScope Steel directly to clarify what you’re covered for.
Types of Colorbond
What are the different types of Colorbond you can choose for your home? Thankfully, there are many variations to pick!
Corrugated 0.42 Steel Roofing
Corrugated steel roofing is the most common roofing sheet profile used in Colorbond and Zincalume steel. This durable and technologically advanced roofing material:
- Is a high tensile steel G550
- Has a base metal thickness (B.M.T) 0.42
- The effective cover is 762mm (width) per sheet +/- 2mm
- Rib height is 17mm +/- 1mm
- The roof pitch is a minimum of 5 degrees
Trimdeck 0.42 Steel Roofing
Colorbond has a higher rib profile, allowing the product to span further than other roofing products, and it has a minimum roof pitch of 2 degrees. Perfect for residential and commercial applications, here are some of its features:
- Material and high tensile strength steel G550
- It can be cut to custom lengths
- Rib height is 29mm +/- 1mm
- Roof pitch is a minimum of 2 degrees
- Available in 28 colours
- Manufactured using 100% Australian-made steel
Cliplock 0.42 Steel Roofing
Also known as Klip-Lok, this sheet offers superior water tightness with a strong higher rib profile that makes a bold statement rising from flat pans with longitudinal fluting. It offers long, straight lines for a crisp and clean finish. Ideal for flat roof designs, let’s look at some of the features:
- The base metal thickness (B.M.T) is 0.42
- It has an effective cover of 700mm (width) per sheet +/- 2mm
- The rib height is 42.5mm +/- 1mm
- The roof pitch – minimum 1 degree
Spandeck 0.42 Steel Roofing
This Colorbond roofing offers outstanding value for your roof and wall cladding with a long, wide, strong, lightweight, and economic profile. It is quickly and easily aligned for installation. What are some of its features?
The material has a high tensile strength G550
Has a base metal thickness (B.M.T) of 0.42
It can be cut to custom lengths
Manufactured using 100% Australian-made steel
Minimum roof pitch – 2 degree
To learn more, have a read of the reasons to invest in Colorbond corrugated 0.42 steel roofing for your property!
When considering all of your roofing options for your property, why make the switch to Cliplock steel roofing in comparison to other materials? Whether your old-style home needs a revamp or you want your business to look sleek to customers, you’ll never regret investing in Colorbond.
If your aim is an energy efficient option with layers of protection, Colorbond metal roofs have excellent aesthetic appeal and are strong enough in all harsh weather conditions. The Roofing Options team offer Colorbond roofing to Preston, Coburg, Reservoir, and Lalor residents looking for a new change!
Colorbond Steel Roofing: Order From Roofing Options!
If you’re a contractor, builder, homeowner, or DIY enthusiast, Colorbond could be the perfect way to transform your property’s exterior. As a leading source for roofing supplies in Melbourne, Roofing Options have a store in Cranbourne, Coburg, Campbellfield, and a convenient online store.
Supplying high-quality Steel Roof Sheets, Gutters & Metal Fascia, Laserlite 2000 & 3000, Sunlite Twinwall, Custom Made Flashings, and an in-depth knowledge of roofing materials, only giving you the best from trusted brands and manufacturers. This includes seasonal-proof products designed to suit all weather conditions!
If you want to talk to an expert, locally pick up, or have roofing supplies delivered, contact us today for competitive prices, Roof Sheets and Accessories that support all projects and level of customisation.
