From 970 B.C., when metal coverings were installed on the temple in Jerusalem, to modern times, metal roofing has been used continuously. The Europeans were masters in the use of metal roofs to protect buildings, including such famous architectural achievements as the Pantheon in Rome (2nd century A.D.) and Notre Dame Cathedral (12th century A.D.).

The craft was imported to the Western Hemisphere about the time of the American Revolution. Early installations in the "New World" include Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia and Christ Church in Philadelphia.

When Steel was introduced into construction at the beginning of the 20th century, a new affordable building material became available for roofing. Metal was rolled into flat sheets stiffened by ridges then dipped into molten zinc to protect them from corrosion. All of this, when fabricated by an automated process in a steel mill, produced the cheapest and most available metal roofing material on the market, and its use grew tremendously.

Most recently, with the technological advances in automated roll-forming, coating, sealants and fastening systems, metal has become the fastest growing material used in roofing today. The metal industry projections show that roofing with metal will triple within the next five years.

The Evolution of Stone Coated Steel

During the 1940's a Bituminous Emulsion was sprayed on iron clad buildings as a protective coating, but mainly as camouflage on bunkers and airplane hangers against German air raids. Shortly after a New Zealand based company produced steel panels using this bituminous emulsion, then coated the panels with a stone chip. This chip helped prevent these panels from sticking together, but also provided a very attractive appearance and superior protection from the elements. Over the last 50 years the coatings have become state of the art and the variety of styles has greatly increased. Now consumers have several appearances to choose from including Tile, Shake, Slate, and Shingle, yet they have the reliability and strength of stone coated steel. This roofing material is now used in over eighty countries throughout the world.