Types of patio roofs – the technical stuff!

Roof sheeting for patios

When you are selecting which roof type for your new patio in Brisbane there are really only three options that you should consider

1) W Pan which looks like a large w shape
2) V line which looks like a VJ board underneath
3) Insulated which have a colourbond™ profile roof, a polystyrene core and a flat ceiling

The following is a list of benefits and drawbacks of each product for your new patio roof

W pan

W pan is a very old style and system of roof sheeting, its main benefit is that it is relatively strong and being an older style of roofing it is also cheaper than most of the other roofs available for your patio in Brisbane. It is generally a colourbond™ product however due to the profile its reflective qualities for light underneath aren’t that good and its heat reflection is negligible as it reflects a little and absorbs a lot. Some manufacturers do offer this product in aluminium however in our experience aluminium has all the same problems as steel with the added problems of its paint oxidising very quickly, leaving you with a terrible finish, a high amount of heat transfer due to the metals properties, this is why high quality pots and pans tend to be made from aluminium as it can transfer heat to the inside, or to you under the patio, incredibly efficiently, and it tends to catch a lot of condensation under it causing mildew to grow.

Vline

Vline is the latest product out in single skin roof sheeting and it is made from high tensile colourbond™ steel. This product isn’t quite as strong as W pan however it does do its job incredibly well and you won’t regret having it as your new patio cover.

Vline has a flat surface underneath which reflects a reasonable amount of light around, this makes the patio feel light, bright and spacious rather than cold and closed in like some products. The only drawback to this product is that being single skin it tends to be a bit warmer than you would like underneath, there are some single skin products on the market that claim to have insulating and heat reflecting properties however in our experience this appears to be marketing hype

Insulated

Insulated roofs have been out on the market for a fair while now and an insulated patio in Brisbane is the best you can build for our climate, however it does come at a cost.
The roof has a profile on top, available in either corrugated or ribbed, a polystyrene core allowing for practically zero heat transfer and a flat white metal ceiling to give the maximum amount of light reflection under your patio. An insulated roof is the only patio roof available that is safe to walk on and it has the added bonus of a hidden section in the joins where wiring can be run so you can install anything from a ceiling fan to speakers up on the roof and out of the way. Due to these properties we always highly recommend an insulated roof to all of our roofs over decks, custom designed patios and in some application’s even carports in Brisbane. We have noticed there are some patio companies on the market offering wall panelling, which has two flat surfaces, as a roofing option. This is a product that was never designed to be a roof and while it may be cheaper in the long run it will cause you more headaches than the savings were worth. This is because it has no water runoff, joints which will leak due to not having an overlap and no strength to span distances needed by most roofs. As there are a lot of very reputable manufactures supplying purpose made insulated roofing at a reasonable price we recommend you avoid this panel at all costs.

– Gordon