A Brief History of Standing Seam Metal Roofing  

Today, you can probably find a standing seam metal roof on your nearest street corner. With their sleek, modern designs, premium paint finishes, and durable, long-lasting structural benefits, standing seam roofs have become a go-to for home and building owners — especially in areas with severe weather. These types of roofs can help fend off the hurricanes of Florida, the straight-line winds of middle America, the wildfires of California, and the heavy snows of Colorado. 

But where did standing seam metal roofing get its start? How did we get to where we are today, with impressive technology like cool metal roof coatings and alloys that are nearly impervious to rust?  

The history of standing seam metal roofing goes back thousands of years — all the way to the ancient buildings of Rome and Sri Lanka. In this article, we’ll track standing seam metal roofing from its humble beginnings and trace it throughout history to today and beyond, to see what’s on the horizon.  

The Ancient Romans Use Metal Roofing  

Metal roofs first appeared more than 2,000 years ago — in the civilizations of Ancient Rome. The Romans used lead sheets for waterproof roofing. Copper was also a popular choice for metal roofs in the Roman Empire and around the world. Copper was used on the original dome of the Pantheon — an ancient Roman temple — and on other ancient temples in Sri Lanka.  

While copper and lead were malleable and weather-resistant, they were expensive and labor-intensive. Installers would have to hand-form sheets and fasten them with primitive joints. While far from the technology we have today, these ancient uses would be the precursor to modern standing seam metal roofs.  

Metal Roofing in the Middle Ages  

Lead and copper continued to be the metal of choice into the medieval period. Though still not widely used for typical homes and buildings due to cost and workability, lead and copper standing seam roofs began appearing on Europe’s cathedrals and castles. These roofs were prime examples — even back then, before modern innovation — of metal’s impressive durability, as they lasted hundreds of years.  

St. Mary’s Cathedral in Hildesheim, Germany, for example, installed in 1280, was known to have a copper standing seam metal roof which survived more than 600 years, until its destruction from bombings during World War II.  

By the 1700s, a new, cheaper, and more workable material had entered the roofing market: tinplate, iron sheets coated in tin. Tinplate would go on to become the first widely used, accessible metal roofing material for everyday buildings.  

Standing Seam in the Industrial Revolution  

Once alien to the new frontier, standing seam would jump the pond from Europe and spread to the American colonies, where it would quickly gain momentum. The Christ Church in Philadelphia (built in 1727-1744) featured a standing seam copper roof.  

The industrial revolution brought new waves of innovation for manufacturing, driving down the cost of production and making materials like iron and steel easier to produce in sheets. In the 19^th century, roofers started experimenting with new coatings to prevent one of the most common issues for metal roofs of the time — rust. Some of the key advancements of the 1800s included:  

• Tinplate: Installers could fully solder this material for watertight seams. It offered decent rust protection and became common on American homes and public buildings by the mid 1800s.  

• Terneplate: More durable than tin alone and preferred for its matte finish, terneplate was a lead-tin alloy coating over iron or steel.  

• Zinc: A go-to choice for European buildings, specifically in Paris, where the rooftops all have an iconic gray look. Zinc gave roofs long life and flexibility in designs — ideal for complex shapes and steep roofs.  

• Galvanized iron: The 1830s ushered in a galvanized metal coated in zinc. This technology, combined with corrugated metal sheets, became a go-to option for roofing on industrial and rural buildings.  

By the end of the 18^th century, standing seam systems were starting to resemble what they are today — metal sheets joined with raised seams to shed water and allow for thermal expansion.  

Early 1900s – Aluminum and Stainless Steel  

At the onset of the 1900s, aluminum was introduced on metal roofs, valued for its light weight and natural resistance to corrosion. It was especially popular in coastal areas.  

Stainless steel also made its debut, showcasing strength and its near immunity to rust, though it was used sparingly due to its high price.  

Thanks to its balance between affordability and performance, galvanized steel because the default for mass-market metal roofing across the United States.  

Late 1900s Ushers in Modern Standing Seam  

In the 1970s, everything changed in metal roofing with the invention of Galvalume® — a zinc-aluminum coating that dramatically improved rust resistance for steel. Around the same time, PVDF paints hit the market, revolutionizing color stability and aesthetics. Metal roofing leapt forward in this time period, bringing with it the modern advantages we see today: 

• High-performance coatings: PVDF paint systems offer impressive color retention and fade resistance. Low-gloss, textured products can improve aesthetics even further while supporting workability for contractors.  

• Floating clip systems: Floating clips allow panels to expand and contract, offering flexibility to the systems that uphold their durability.  

• Onsite rollforming machines: The popularity of metal roofs meant more market share for contractors and installers to enter the game. The invention of the portable rollforming machine allowed contractors to form the panels they needed onsite, without having to run back and forth from a supplier.  

• Material options: Today, home and building owners can choose from a variety of metal roofing materials and panel profiles, optimized for their unique climate and budget.  

Modern standing seam metal roofs can last fifty years or more with minimal maintenance, outliving nearly every other commercial metal roofing material.  

The Future of Standing Seam Metal Roofing  

So where is metal roofing headed? 

There’s been massive innovation already, and metal roofing is leaps and bounds ahead in terms of durability and longevity when compared to traditional roofing options. No one has a crystal ball, so it can be difficult trying to predict what will happen next. We may see innovative software for metal roof designs, like augmented reality. Smart roofing technology and drone assistance for installation may be possible. 3D printing could become a factor.  

Metal roofing is forecasted to see steady growth in the next decade and beyond, which means installers and suppliers will always be seeking ways to find answers to common home and building owner needs. And there’s no telling what — and when — that next breakthrough will be.  

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Sheffield Metals is proud to supply metal roofing materials, including coils, sheets, and accessories, to the metal roofing industry. You can find more free content on the Metal Roofing Channel and the Metal Roofing Learning Center. And if you’re a homeowner looking for a contractor to install your next metal roof, feel free to contact our team today.