Originally, Colorbond roofing was made of three layers - polyester, hot dip galvanised steel and a coating of polyethylene to give the colour.
The manufacturing process by Bluescope steel has changed over the years, now there are two Zincalume steel coated steel and metal tiles sheets with polyethylene between them. These two layers are also coated with two different coloured varnishes Tough then the whole sandwich is heated to give colour, strength, and water resistance. The Colorbond is not affected by rusting, discolouring, or rotting because Zincalume steel protects it from these effects.
Colourbond roofing and Zincalume are not the being the same thing. Colorbond steel sheets have a high-density polyethylene coating which Zincalume and other pre-painted steel material doesn't, resulting in a longer life for Colorbond steel. The main difference is that Zincalume roofing and other ordinary galvanised steel will rust, Colourbond steel won't. That's because the zinc in Zincalume gives it some protection against natural weathering whereas Colorbond has more of a 'lifetime' warranty so if it does rust within the warranty period of 20 years, you'll get it replaced for free.
Originally, Colourbond roofing was made of three layers - Polyester, Hot Dip Galvanised Steel, and a coating of Polyethylene to give the 'colour'. The manufacturing process and Colorbond roofing cost have changed over the years, now there are two steel sheets with polyethylene between them which are thermally efficient. These two Colorbond roofing layers come with two different coloured varnishes then the whole sandwich is heated to give colour, strength, and water resistance and to withstand corrosion. The roofing materials themselves are not affected by rust, weather conditions, discolouring, or rotting because the zinc in the steel protects it from these effects. The fact that Colorbond is low maintenance was one of its great selling points. It has to be painted once every 10 years or so as opposed to many roofing materials. The warranty period is generally 20 years.
Colorbond is a steel product and corrosion-resistant, not an aluminium one. Zincalume is an aluminium product, not a steel base with finish retains. The main difference between the two products is that Zincalume has a 10-12 year warranty and Colorbond has 20 years therefore very few costs of Colorbond roof replacement for aluminium.
Zincalume is an aluminium product, with the colours, strength, and water resistance of Colorbond steel and is durable for building. It doesn't rust like traditional steel roofing material, you can end up with a very long warranty.
Colorbond has been around for so long because it's of it's durability, there are some really interesting and unusual colours as well as the normal grey, brown or black. You can even colour your roof a nice pink shade. There is also a huge range of different textures for colour bond roofs available from smooth to corrugated or ribbed texture roofing. You can also get some more unusual colours as well as the usual grey, brown or black and copper surface with the Australian conditions. There is also a huge world range of different textures, installation and quality available from smooth to corrugated or ribbed texture roofing.
The only real alternatives to Colorbond are silicon Zincalume (an aluminium product with the color, strength, and water resistance of steel) or galvalume (a variation on the traditional hot-dip galvanised theme). Some say Zincalume material is better because it doesn't rust and with affordable installation, but does this matter? As long as you paint the roof once every 10 years or so, which you would with either product - do you care whether it's steel or aluminium? Galvalume is a hot-dip galvanised material that has been coated with an aluminum alloy to colour it. It's not as strong as steel sheeting though. Also, there are two different types of galvalume available, one with a smooth finish and one with a corrugated/ribbed texture. Some might say this is an advantage because you can get different textures and colours in one product, unlike steel which has only one texture.
Most colorbond roofs (including zincalume and galvalume) are installed in much the same way as traditional steel roofs. As such, if you already have a metal roof on your house, it's likely your installer will be able to do it very quickly because they probably already know how to install that type of roof and may even own the appropriate equipment.
Clean up existing roofing. This might take an hour or two which is also an advantages.
Place new steel sheets onto the structure using clips and bolts. Clip them together before placing them on the roof so you don't need to drill through them after they've been placed
Ensure there is no excess material hanging below wall plate height and paint with Zincalume or Colorbond paint.
If you're doing a roof that's been patched before, it might be more involved because the cladding may need to be cut back and then reapplied. It can also take longer if you have a lot of skylights to install. Colorbond may be sold is various sizes, possibly even as a roofing square.Working on a roof is a dangerous job. Professionals will follow clear guidelines, such as those outlined by WorkSafe ACT.