Cement roof or steel roof
Asbestos sheet vs GC sheet
A shed roof in this belt usually comes down to the corrugated cement sheet the trade still asks for as asbestos, or the galvanised GC chadra, and both are on this rack. The cement sheet's own makers say it sits cooler under the sun and quieter in the rain, and it is far heavier and wants careful hands. The steel sheet is light, comes in long single pieces and goes up fast. The frame under the roof, and what lives under it, decide.
- Comparisons
- 16 comparisons
- 2 brands stocked
- Own delivery, 34 blocks
- Open all 7 days
Asbestos cement sheet here means the corrugated cement chadra we stock in Konark, Everest and Charminar; the three names and their sizes are laid out on the asbestos cement sheet page. GC sheet is plain galvanised corrugated steel, stocked in Tata Shaktee, SAIL sheet billed as Bokaro, and Jindal, on the GC sheet page. Both kinds of roof stand over godowns, cattle sheds and workshops all across Saharsa, Supaul and Madhepura.
These two are different materials under different standards, cement under IS 459 and galvanised steel under IS 277, so this is not brand against brand but one kind of roof against another. The table holds the figures, the two sections after it give each material its due, and how the standards behind every sheet on this rack fit together is worked through in the guide to the standard behind each roofing sheet.
One roof, two materials
Cement against steel, six rows
The six facts that separate a cement roof from a steel one before any brand is named.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column
| What to compare | Asbestos cement sheet | GC sheet |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Cement bonded with fibre | Zinc coated corrugated steel |
| Standard | IS 459:1992 | IS 277:2018 |
| Thickness | 6 mm (Konark, Charminar) | 0.30 and 0.45 mm at this counter |
| Weight | About 12.3 to 12.7 kg a metre (Charminar) | Follows thickness and coating |
| Lengths | 1 m to 4.25 m published (Charminar) | 6 to 22 ft here, cut to order |
| Names on this rack | Konark, Everest, Charminar | Tata Shaktee, Bokaro (SAIL), Jindal |
Cement side figures are the makers' own, Konark and Charminar chief among them, and the steel side mixes the standard's entry with this counter's stocked list. A cell that names one maker is that maker's figure, not the whole category's. What is standing today in either family is a call away.
The thickness row and the weight row tell one story from two ends. A cement sheet is 6 mm of cement and fibre, and Charminar's own page puts it around 12.3 to 12.7 kg for every metre of length; a GC sheet is under half a millimetre of steel, and its weight moves with thickness, width and zinc coat rather than sitting at one figure. That gap is why the two roofs never swap onto each other's frames without the purlins being looked at first.
The lengths row decides how many joins a roof carries. Charminar's published list, the longest of the three cement names, tops out at 4.25 m, so a long slope in cement crosses in steps, each step lapping over the next. GC sheet at this counter runs to 22 ft in a single piece, with cutting to order past the list, and a slope covered in single lengths is fewer laps and fewer screws.
The cement side
Where the cement sheet still wins
Heat and noise are the cement sheet's case, and its makers put both in writing. Everest's own page says metal sheets heat up in summer while its cement sheet resists the heat better, and that in the rains a metal roof makes considerable noise where the cement sheet absorbs it. Konark says the same in its own words: a sheet that keeps the house cool in summer, warm in winter, and works as a sound insulator. Over a cattle shed, a workshop where men sit through the afternoon, or rooms people live in, that comfort is why this sheet keeps selling.
It does not rust, which its makers also print, and it carries real weight: Konark's own figure is 76 running metres to the tonne. On a frame built for it that weight sits solid; on a lighter frame it is the first thing to check. And the sheet asks to be treated the way its makers assume: Everest's forty year lifespan comes with the maker's own condition of proper handling and installation, because cement cracks where steel would only dent. Unload it, carry it and lay it with care.
The steel side
Where GC sheet earns the job
Weight and speed are the steel sheet's case. A GC sheet is light enough for two men to pass up without a crowd, it comes in single lengths no cement sheet's list can match, and a damaged sheet is swapped out in an afternoon's work. A frame drawn for a light sheet also carries less steel under it, though how much less is the drawing's decision, never the counter's.
Steel's answer to rust is zinc, measured in grams on every square metre, and SAIL publishes classes for its galvanised sheet from 80 right up to 600 gsm. The sheet is ISI marked material under IS 277:2018, with a test certificate travelling with a certified load. On the cement makers' two comfort points the steel sheet gives ground honestly: a tina roof runs hotter under the June sun and louder in the rain, which is what Everest's page says of metal sheet, and the galvanising changes none of it.
Our take
Which roof we would send you home with
Neither sheet answers every shed, we sell both every week, and so the honest counter answer is three questions. What is under the roof: animals, stored grain, working men, or rooms where people sleep? Where afternoon heat and rain noise matter, the lean is cement. What is the frame: purlins that already carried a cement roof take the weight again, while a light new pipe frame wants steel.
And what is the job: a repair matches the sheet already up, wave for wave, and a new long godown slope covered in single 22 ft steel lengths is the quicker build. Bring those three answers to the phone and the sheet nearly chooses itself. Both families stand in Saharsa in three names each, not every length is in every name on a given day, and the same call settles what loads.
Sources
The makers' pages and the standard's entry
Three cement sheet makers speaking for themselves, and the order that names the steel sheet's standard.
- Konark AC sheet, with the cool in summer line, the sound insulation claim and 76 running metres to the tonneUAL Industries (Konark)
- Charminar fiber cement roofs, with the weight, width and length figuresBirlaNu
- Everest fibre cement roofing, with its own heat and rain noise comparison against metal sheetEverest Industries
- The 2024 quality control order whose Schedule 1 carries IS 277:2018 for galvanised sheetMinistry of Steel
Questions
Cement or steel, what gets asked
Asbestos sheet aur GC sheet me kaun sa accha hai?
Neither beats the other on every roof, and we stock both. The cement sheet sits cooler and quieter by its own makers' account and suits sheds and rooms where comfort matters; the steel sheet is far lighter, comes in longer single pieces and goes up and gets repaired faster. The frame under the roof and the work over it decide, and we will say which way on the call.
Garmi me kaun si chhat kam tapti hai?
The cement sheet, by its makers' own pages. Everest writes that metal roofing sheets heat up in summer while its cement sheet resists heat better, and Konark says its sheet keeps the house cool in summer and warm in winter. A GC roof over a sitting or sleeping space carries that heat through; over stored goods it matters far less.
Barish me kis sheet ki chhat me awaaz kam hoti hai?
Cement again, and again from the makers' own pages: Everest says a metal roof makes considerable noise in the rains while its cement sheet absorbs the sound, and Konark calls its sheets very good sound insulators. Over rooms where people sleep or sit that is worth weighing; over a godown the drumming harms nothing.
Kya asbestos sheet ke liye zyada majboot frame chahiye?
Plan for the weight, yes. Charminar's own figure is about 12.3 to 12.7 kg for every metre of sheet and Konark gives 76 running metres to the tonne, far more than the same span carries in 0.30 or 0.45 mm steel. A frame drawn for GC sheet is not automatically a frame for cement sheet, so have the drawing looked at before the family is switched either way.
Asbestos ki purani chhat me GC sheet jod sakte hain kya?
As a rule no. The waves of a cement sheet and a steel sheet run to different widths and depths, and two profiles that do not match will not lap into each other, so the join leaks. A repair on a cement roof takes a cement sheet at the same pitch, the distance from one wave crest to the next; measure it across one old sheet and bring the figure to the phone.
Contact
Cement or steel, the roof itself tells us
Say what the roof covers, what frame it sits on, the span in feet, and whether this is new work or a repair. On +91 6202 967 218 we will name the family, the brand and the lengths on one slip, and tell you what is standing in each before anything is loaded.
Shop hours: All 7 days, 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM