Is Corrugated Roofing Made Of Iron?

One of the most unique facts about corrugated roofing sheets is that the universal name for the material is still to-this-day known as corrugated galvanised iron, despite the fact that outside of vintage sheets, all corrugated roofing material made today is made of steel.

In fact, since the patent was approved for Henry Robinson Palmer’s corrugated metallic sheets in 1829, corrugated iron has been made of steel for nearly twice as long as it has been made of wrought iron.

However, some of the reasons that the name remains the same are because the fundamental reasons why corrugated iron is used remain very similar.

Corrugated roofing is exceptionally strong, robust and light compared to other roofing solutions, is easy to mass-produce and easy to build with, which is why it has remained a popular construction material for industrial buildings.

In New Zealand, in particular, corrugated iron has become a cultural icon and a symbol of versatility and resilience.

The first New Zealand Parliament building, constructed in 1852, used a corrugated iron roof, and since then it has been used for nearly every type of structure in the country, from red tin barns to fences and shelters for animals, some of which have since become iconic.

Certain corrugated iron buildings, particularly churches in the UK, have become listed buildings with considerable historical significance. The ‘tin tabernacle’ allowed for prefabricated places of worship, which were placed near factories, railway works and mines, as well as more rural locations.

Because of its reputation for dependability, often in combination with other corrugated iron structures such as shipping containers, it is no longer used purely for utilitarian reasons but as part of more stylish archaeological projects which celebrate this along with other rugged building materials.

Ultimately, however, the big reason why it is still called iron is that after nearly 200 years of service, the reasons why corrugated iron came into being as a lightweight, dependable and strong building material still exist to this day.