What are the origins of metal roofing?

Metal dates back as far as the Earth itself. As a result of being present in the composition of the planet, metal was never actually invented, but many processes that involved the purifying of iron to make steel of various shapes and sizes were perfected in the 1840s and 1850s. Up until that point, the use of metal as a roofing material was generally uncommon. In modern times, homeowners are presented with a bevy of options in metal roofing and installation, ranging from do-it-yourself projects meant to last a weekend to grandiose and lavish roofing designed to make an statement of luxury and class. 

Before the process of refining iron into steel became widespread, metal roofing was hand-made and very individualized. One of the first known metal roofs was built in Warsaw, Poland, in the year 1701. Made entirely of copper and fashioned into an ornate and royal-looking configuration, the roof adorned the large and grandiose Copper-Roof Palace until it was burned to the ground in 1944. While the roof was constructed primarily as a display of wealth and resources, it had a number of practical uses including a lifespan far longer than roofs made of other materials. 

Americans started using galvanized steel, which they often corrugated using a hand-cranked wooden press, to top houses and buildings in the mid-19th century. An American named William Kelly learned in 1847 that filtering air through molten iron strengthens the metal by combining the elements, much like stirring ingredients in a mixing bowl. This discovery gave birth to the metal roofing industry, as it became a favorite roofing material of builders in states up and down the Eastern seaboard. Metal roofing has improved greatly in the 160 years since Kelly's discovery, but corrugated galvanized steel is still used for roofing in many third-world and developing countries.

It has been said many times that necessity is the mother of invention. The necessity to create roofing out of metal sprang from a shortage of wood and other materials and a desire to lighten the weight load that rested on top of dwellings. Makers of metal roofs soon found out that they last much longer than roofs made of traditional materials, in part because they benefit from being immune to fire, rain or even hailstorms. 

Metal roofs are just another brilliant invention along the timeline of modern mankind. Metal roofs of toady are incredibly lightweight and study, available in large sheets that can blanket an auditorium in a few hours using the proper equipment and manpower. Metal roofs are clearly an innovation that is going to be a popular choice well into the 21st century.