Owning your own private access to a waterway is the ultimate dream of many an avid sailor, and if you are lucky enough to achieve this dream, you may want to build a boathouse on your property to make storing and sheltering your boat(s) easier. However, constructing your own boathouse can be a significant investment to say the least, and to make this investment worth it you should ensure the materials used in construction can stand the test of time.

Naturally, ensuring that your boathouse has a durable roof to protect your craft from the elements is vitally important, and choosing a metal roof is one of the best options available. Metal roofing has a number of advantages over other potential roofing materials that make it particularly suitable for boathouse roofing:

Durability

Metal roofing is one of the most physically enduring roofing materials available and can take a tremendous beating from heavy impacts, severe weather conditions and harsh cleaning chemicals without showing signs of damage. Despite the decidedly moist surroundings, rust is also a non-issue, as all metal roofing made by reputable manufacturers is coated with paints, powders or galvanised coatings that provide a long-lasting, waterproof barrier between the bare metal and the outside world.

Longevity

As a general rule, a metal roof will last as long as the coatings that protect it from rust, and re-coating a metal roof once its original protective coating wears out is a relatively simple and inexpensive process that only needs to be undertaken after many years of service. Consequently, a well-maintained metal roof can last longer than the rest of the boathouse. Choosing a more expensive, rustproof metal for your roofing, such as aluminium or stainless steel, can increase this longevity still further.

Environmentally friendly

Unlike other roofing materials commonly used for boathouses, like traditional clay tiles or asphalt slabs, metal roofing sheets are easily recycled. Choosing metal roofing can therefore keep the environmental impact of your boathouse project to a minimum, especially if you choose roofing made from already-recycled metal.

Choice of looks

While the metal roofing seen in industrial and agricultural settings might be grey and drab, metal roofing manufacturers offer roofing sheets in a wide variety of colours, shades and designs that can complement any boathouse design. Some even offer metal 'shingles' that closely replicate the look of desirable (but expensive and fragile) slate tiles, making metal roofing just as viable an option for modern and traditional boathouses.

Fireproof

You might not think the average boathouse is at any risk of fire damage, since it is routinely filled with water; however, the fuels and oils used to keep motorboats and yacht backup engines running are highly flammable and can easily set the dry portions of your boathouse (as well as the boat itself) ablaze if an accident occurs. Choosing a metal roof ensures that any fire that does start will not set the roof on fire, limiting the damage caused to your boathouse.

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