Uses & Applications for Rusty Galvanized Corrugated Roofing Metal

What used to be scrap metal now adds flair and unique personality to creating that aged industrial look with decorating.  Old tin roofing now gets repurposed for so many different uses from wall paneling to ceilings.

We sell recycled rusty metal roofing in our online store for as low as a little over a buck per square foot! This very affordable option means that you can get reclaimed materials for area coverage at a low budget price. A number of other reclaimed wood paneling options usually cost about $7-20 per square foot.  The two make a nice complement to each other, too.  So if you really want reclaimed materials on your project but cannot afford to do wood paneling on the whole project then combine the used sheets of roofing metal with our barn wood blends of paneling.  For example on a 2000sf project if you used 1500sf of metal and 500sf of the barn wood blend you would have an average delivered cost of about $3.  Another advantage of buying from us is that we have very large quantities of material and pattern that is fairly similar where you can buy with a known price and no hidden fees.  If you have a large project and want to know in advance what size of material you will get from us, feel free to check before ordering. Our normal policy is to ship the size for your quantity that is the cheapest for us to ship.

You can also purchase this salvaged roofing for just a little bit more costly than comparable new galvanized corrugated roofing. The new metal is shiny doesn't look at home in applications where you are trying to get the look that only time can provide; it sticks out like a sore thumb.  There are alternative options of painted new metal that come in a number of interesting distressed patterns and patinas; there is also the option to buy new corten steel and prematurely rusting it.  Both of these options cost more than the used metal we sell, but they are a good solution where one needs waterproofing and a tight seal. We do not recommend using the used metal on roof decks where it is actually being used to shed water because all the holes and rust spots are too difficult to waterproof around.  Also, patterns vary and edges can be deformed so this makes it easier for pests such as wasps to penetrate and build nests. We only recommend the used material for decorative applications.

Here are more advantages of buying new virgin material: predictable patterns, low waste, can order in any size you want, consistent sizes make installation easier, readily available, can order more of same pattern and color at a later date to match, waterproof, can get matching trim and screws, might be a lower price after installation.

Here are some disadvantages of buying new material: boring repeatable colors don't look natural, clashes with real reclaimed materials, not recycled or as green, not original or you look like everybody else.

Advantages to using salvaged roofing: recycled content, true, honest, authentic, every piece is unique, instant results, no chemicals or artificial aging required to get old look, history, and story, use your imagination and creativity.

Disadvantages from used: doesn't seal or get complete coverage, higher waste factor, unpredictable colors, and patterns, may not have enough similar looking material to match for whole project, tears, bends, holes, patterns, and shapes may not match and make install difficult, no matching trim, may not get the exact size you want.

Here are some possible uses for used sheets of metal roofing: wainscot interior and exterior, concrete forms to add a pattern to the finished wall, insert in door panels, decoration in bars and restaurants, movie sets, accents around features such as a fireplace, shade such as a pergola, privacy screen, fence, chicken house, insert panels in dropped ceiling grids (works great on 2' patterns), barns, and artwork.

The source of our material has varied as much as the character in the material. We once got a load off of Basque sheep ranch that had currently been used as a windbreak on a fence, but that was its second life. Previously who knows the source.  Sometimes our material has already been recycled a few times before you use it for decoration. It is fun to see old factory stamps on the material such as "Sioux City Steel- USA"; made in America!  Most old western wood grain elevators are clad on the outside with sheets of tin that yields 1000s of feet when the structure must come down.  We just built a new building at our manufacturing plant.  We clad the outside walls with 25' long sheets of metal that we had bought from a local farmer after his shed had collapsed under a really bad snow. We were going to sell the material to our customers but it was the perfect quantity to wrap our own building and give us an opportunity to practice using what we sell. Most of our current inventory is the 5V pattern that comes off of old tobacco barns. It is interesting to see regional differences depending on the age and geographic area that will lend itself to the pattern and color. For example here in the northwest corrugated patterns are more common than the 5V which has flat sections interrupted by a V.

Let us know if you have any more ideas and creative uses for rusty galvanized tin.

Wainscot Old Corrugated Roofing Metal