Corrugated Roofing: Plastic vs Metal

  • Written by Noah Dorsey
    on Mar 15, 2010
    To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience.
    Reviewed by
    Charles Ramos, Jr.
    on Jan 21, 2020

The differences between plastic and metal corrugated roofing range from slightly to extremely different. And yet, each has its positives and negatives when you are considering what you would like to use for your roof.

Plastic

Plastic does not handle extreme heat very well

Plastic tends to occasionally chip when metal will not as easily

Will provide natural lighting for indoors

If damaged during installation or in extreme weather a chip or crack can spread to ruin the entire panel

Plastic has more aesthetic appeal than metal

Typically more expensive than metal

Sometimes needs a special kind of paint if you want to paint the plastic panels

Not as flimsy as metal and the weight is usually better for extreme weather

Commonly more water-tight than metal

Metal

Commonly quite cheap and affordable

Is wholly more durable than plastic

Constructing a roof with corrugated metal is difficult to work with in windy weather because it is light-weight

Will have to be treated for rust

Can dent in extreme weather

Only a small crew needed when working with metal corrugated roofing

Can be painted very easily

Commonly rigid and flimsy

Nosier than plastic in extreme weather like hard rain or hail.

A false ceiling will need to be installed if you do not want the heat that the metal absorbs to radiate inside

How to Remove Paint From Plastic