The time has come for you to re-roof your home. Although it can be an expensive experience that often leaves homeowners filled with dread, there is an option which can ensure your roof against structural damage in the event of a fire. Structural steel trusses are more commonly used in warehouse construction, but you can opt to use them in place of wood trusses in your home. Here are three benefits to making this (albeit expensive) switch to steel trusses.

You Cannot Ignite Steel

If there is a short in electrical wiring or a rodent chews through electrical wires, those wires can ignite wood trusses rather quickly. If you have steel trusses instead, the steel may conduct some of that electricity if the wires come into direct contact with the trusses, but the trusses will not ignite. In fact, they could become a sort of electrically charged barrier against anything that lands on your roof or scampers through your attic, but they will never ignite.

The Steel Trusses Will Still Stand Even After Fire Has Taken the Rest of Your Roof

While this is an oddly comforting thought and you may even picture a burnt-out industrial look to your home, it is still a major benefit. If some of your home is still salvageable from the fire, the steel trusses will clean up nicely and aid in the quick rebuilding of your home's roof. Additionally, this same benefit works to your advantage if you live where many tornadoes break out because your roof will hold and hold its shape while a roof with wooden trusses will get shredded. If you choose wooden trusses instead of structural steel, it is highly probable that you will have absolutely no roof left to work with when the time comes to rebuild. 

Steel Trusses Will Never Rot or Rust

Wood trusses often encounter their arch enemies--wood rot and mold. With steel trusses, you will never, ever have to worry about wood rot, mold, mildew or water damage of any kind. Most steel is also resistant to rust and corrosion, a major benefit to you in the event that your new roof develops leaks in the future. Then your roofing contractor only has to replace the other parts of the roof affected by the varied types of water- and moisture-related damage. If you want to completely avoid water damage, you can incorporate a steel roof over the top of your steel trusses, ensuring that you will probably never have to replace your roof again. For assistance, talk to a professional like Garelick Steel.