Gauge Thickness & Why It Varies
The following speaks to gauge thickness. If you are interested in the recommended gauge for your roof then please scroll to the bottom of this page and click on Metal Thickness. The actual thickness of metal roofing may not be as simple as you would think. However, there is a standard you can use as a starting place. For 26 gauge metal roofing the thickness should be .0188 inches or .478 mm. But that is not the whole story. Metal roofing, panels, is made from a coil which is several hundreds of feet long and that is split from a master coil many times longer. If you were to measure that coil at various places throughout its length you would come up with different measurements or gauge thicknesses. Herein lays a critical factor that needs to be understood. The range of thickness acceptable for a given gauge may vary from one company to the next. Why? Price! A Company buying and selling coil can buy their coil within a certain range of thickness within a given gauge. Buying within the middle range means some metal on the coil will be slightly higher than the middle, or standard thickness, and some slightly lower than the standard measurement for that gauge. However, to save money, a company may buy in the lower thicknesses of the range. When this is done, and since the thickness varies throughout the coil, a company may be getting some of their metal in the next lower gauge metal. Doing so they may be selling what is called a utility metal as a full or proper gauge thickness - it may be very close but not up to the proper standard. The major reason for the variances in the thickness of the metal on a given coil is the age of the equipment making the coil. Brand new equipment will turn out a consistent coil thickness. As the equipment ages consistency begins to waiver. However, the range within each gauge is expected to be sufficient to compensate for this variance. Buy from reputable companies who secure their products from quality suppliers and this will not be a concern. Remember, you more often than not get what you pay for. There’s usually a reason for a discounted product and it may be quality. For a chart of the standard thicknesses of steel at differing gauges, please review http://www.mesteel.com/info/carbon/thickness.htm
this chart of measurements. Metal Roof Panels
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