Choosing the right color for a metal roofing project can be challenging — with dozens of shades to pick from, it can be overwhelming determining what’s suitable for your specific situation. Knowing the advantages and features of individual colors can help narrow your search.
Sheffield Metals International (SMI), a provider of metal coil, sheets, and accessories, is committed to helping our customers with high-quality products, expert knowledge, and focused content on topics related to the metal roofing industry. Sheffield Metals also has an architectural team on staff that can help you meet your design needs and walk you through our color selections.
In this article, we’ll look at a popular color in the metal roofing industry — Burnished Slate. We’ll cover various aspects, including:
- What is Burnished Slate
- Burnished Slate benefits
- Burnished Slate drawbacks
- Burnished Slate best uses
- Where you can find Burnished Slate metal roofing materials
By the time you’re done reading, you’ll have a better idea of what Burnished Slate metal roofing is and whether it’s suitable for your next project.
What Is Burnished Slate Metal Roofing?
Burnished Slate metal roofing coatings refer to metal that is painted to look like slate. Natural slate is made from rock and is more expensive than metal roofing options.
The Burnished Slate metal roof color is dark brown with gray undertones, reflecting those same shades found in natural slate.
When compared to natural slate, Burnished Slate metal roofing coatings offer several advantages.
Burnished Slate Metal Roofing Benefits
Cost Effectiveness
True slate can be considerably more expensive than Burnished Slate metal roofing. With a Burnished Slate metal roof, you’ll get a similar color plus great functionality — standing seam metal roofs can last 60 years or more, and have exceptional durability in various climates, including areas prone to tropical storms and hurricanes.
Impressive Durability and Longevity
Metal roofing is one of the most robust roofing materials on the market. A PVDF coating such as Burnished Slate offers impressive defense against natural weathering elements like chalking and fading, and will protect your home or building while also providing long-lasting aesthetics.
Aesthetics
Standing seam metal roofs offer sleek, modern designs. With concealed fastener systems, these types of metal roofs can bring elegance to a finished project. Burnished Slate metal roofing coatings can tie these elements together, creating an aesthetic that’s impressive to the eye.
Energy Efficiency
Another significant advantage of Burnished Slate metal roofing is the cooling technology it provides. Cool metal roofing refers to the ability of painted metal roofs to reflect sunlight, dissipating heat and reducing overall energy costs.
Aside from reducing energy costs for an individual building, coatings with these unique cooling abilities can also help reduce the overall energy usage of towns and cities, reducing the phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect.
Drawbacks of Burnished Slate Metal Roofing
Not Authentic Slate
It’s important to note that Burnished Slate metal roofing refers only to a coating applied to a metal material. While it has a similar look and aesthetic to natural slate, they are not the same product. If you’re looking specifically for authentic slate, then this coating is not the right choice for you.
Lower SRI Value
Burnished Slate also has a relatively low Solar Reflective Index (SRI). A Solar Reflective Index is a measurement that determines a surface’s ability to reflect the sun’s solar energy and emit heat, measured on a scale from 0 to 100. The darker the surface, the lower the SRI, as it’s less effective at reflecting the sun.
While you won’t get as much energy savings in Burnished Slate as you would on a color such as Regal White, you will still receive energy savings that you may not get at all with other roofing materials due to the thermal emittance properties of the metal itself.
Thermal emittance provides a means of quantifying how much of the absorbed heat is rejected for a given material. The higher the thermal emittance value, the better (the more heat the roofing material emits back to the atmosphere).
Burnished Slate Metal Roofing Best Uses
So, what are the best applications for a Burnished Slate metal roofing coating?
Since Burnished Slate is an earthy, natural tone, it’s very versatile and can be used on both residential and commercial projects. It’s great for structures in a natural environment, especially those surrounded by mountains and forests, as the grayish-brown hues of Burnished Slate can blend in beautifully with the landscape.
Likewise, Burnished Slate coatings can act as a great complement to many different colors. If you’re trying to figure out what color siding goes with a Burnished Slate metal roof, consider similar tones such as gray or tan.
Burnished Slate metal roofs can also be used on homes with white siding or as an elegant finishing piece on a brick house.
Ultimately, deciding whether a Burnished Slate metal roof fits in with your project will come down to what you’re specifically looking for in your project.
Is a Burnished Slate Metal Roof Right for You?
Burnished Slate is a popular color in the metal roofing industry that goes with a variety of different applications. Still, it may not be the right choice for everyone. To determine whether it’s right for your project, there are a few steps you can take:
- Request color samples: One of the best ways to know if a color is right for your project is to see it in person. You can request color chips from metal roofing suppliers and use those to see how specific colors may look in different lights or next to specific areas of your home or building.
- Use a color visualizer: Tools like color visualizers can be extremely useful. With a visualizer, you can see how a specific color will look on your home or building. Simply upload a picture or use the provided standard photos, and choose the color you want to see.
- Reach out to a professional metal roofing supplier: It can also be helpful to reach out to professionals in the business who can help you determine what color would be right for you. The right architectural team can be instrumental in ensuring your color choice goes smoothly.
Where Can You Find Burnished Slate Metal Roofing?
Knowing specifics about your color choices is integral to completing a successful metal roofing project. Still, it can be challenging figuring out where to get a specific color and whether it will offer you the quality you need.
At Sheffield Metals, we offer Burnished Slate in 24-gauge, PVDF roof, wall, and trim colors. We also carry Burnished Slate touch-up paint. Feel free to request samples of this color and contact our architectural team with any further questions you may have.
