Are metal tiles noisy in the rain and what it depends on
In the rain metal really is louder than soft shingles, but according to the available data the difference is 6 dB, and the main factor is said to be not the material. How loud a roof is is decided by something else: what the sheet lies on and what is under it.
Yes, a metal roof is louder in the rain than soft (asphalt) shingles: according to the manufacturer ATAS, citing a Swedish study, by 6 dB. But ATAS itself names installation method as the main factor. On a solid base metal is quieter than ordinary conversation; on sparse battens it is louder. So the question “which material” comes after the question “what will be under the sheet”.
What is known about 6 dB and where the figure comes from
The 6 dB figure is given in the ATAS International technical bulletin “Sound emission of metal roofing” (LRD0120): in the rain metal is 6 dB louder than soft shingles. The bulletin refers to measurements by the Acoustic Group, University of Luleå (Sweden). Two caveats worth knowing before you forward the figure to an architect.
- We did not find the original report. Many roofing sites repeat the figure, but we have no primary source that can be opened and checked. This is not our measurement.
- ATAS makes metal roofing itself. This does not cancel the bulletin’s data, but it is worth reading it knowing that.
How to read decibels: to the ear, +10 dB is perceived as roughly twice as loud (HyperPhysics, Georgia State University). Six decibels is below that threshold, so the sound is louder, but not twice as loud.
What matters more than the material: installation method
ATAS names installation method as the main factor and explains that the roof deck absorbs or muffles sound. Set against a chart of typical noise levels, the picture is as follows:
| How the metal is laid | Rain on the roof, by ear |
|---|---|
| On a solid base | Quieter than ordinary conversation (about 60 dB) |
| On open, sparse battens | Louder than ordinary conversation |
The level of ordinary conversation, about 60 dB, is taken from the CDC/NIOSH reference (Noise levels by decibels). We do not give exact figures for the two table rows: in the ATAS document they are given graphically, and we could not confirm in the source text the numbers for each option that roofers’ sites repeat.
In practice the conclusion is simple: the same sheet sounds different depending on the construction under it.
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Calculate a roof →Which layers dampen sound
ATAS names three things that absorb rain sound: the deck (base), the underlay and additional layers in the slope, that is, insulation and acoustic mats. In essence, the more soft and dense material there is between the sheet and the room, the less you hear the impact of a drop.
- Solid base. The sheet lies on a plane rather than hanging between sparse battens.
- Underlay. The layer between the sheet and the base.
- Insulation in the slope.
Rattling and banging: the cause is not the rain
Sounds that are not about drops are a separate matter. Roofers link rattling and banging to uneven battens and a sagging sheet: the sheet does not sit flat and vibrates. It is important to understand the status of this claim: it is the industry experience of installers (for example, the GrandKrovlya company article), with no measurements behind it. But you can and should check that the battens are level before the sheet is laid; this needs no instruments.
How rain noise is actually measured
If a manufacturer writes about rain noise, it is useful to ask how it was measured. A laboratory method exists: the roof is sprayed with artificial rain according to EN ISO 10140-5:2021, annex H (described, for example, in a Holzforschung Austria paper at Forum Acusticum 2025: Stenitzer et al.). The question “was it measured by this method” weeds out claims without numbers.
Bedroom under the roof: a benchmark
If the room under the slope is lived in, you need a benchmark to compare against. For a bedroom, the WHO recommends a level below 30 dB(A) for healthy sleep (cited in the same Holzforschung Austria paper). This is a general benchmark for the conversation with an architect, not a promise of any material: the outcome depends on the whole construction, from the base to the insulation.
Composite tiles: what is known and what the manufacturer claims
Composite tile is also a steel sheet with a stone coating on top. KAZROOF (the option in our calculator), according to the manufacturer’s description: 0.45 mm steel, aluzinc coating, stone chips, acrylic glaze, total thickness 2.1–2.4 mm (kazroof.kz). The manufacturer claims that the stone chips dampen the impact of a drop. We have not seen independent measurements, so we will not call composite “silent” or attribute a decibel figure to it.
A comparison of the materials by price, weight and warranty is in the article “Composite tiles or metal tiles”. The practical conclusion for noise is broader: whichever material you choose, it has to be laid correctly. According to ATAS, installation method matters more than the coating itself.
What to ask the contractor before installation
- Will the sheet lie on a solid deck or on sparse battens? According to ATAS, on a solid base metal is quieter than ordinary conversation, and on open battens it is louder.
- Is there an underlay under the sheet and insulation in the slope? The deck, underlay and insulation are the layers that absorb sound.
- How will the levelness of the battens be checked? Uneven battens and a sagging sheet are a frequent cause of rattling, based on installers’ experience.
- If rain noise is claimed, was it measured to EN ISO 10140-5? If there is no figure or the method is not named, it is just a claim.
If the answer to any question is “I don’t know” or “as usual”, it is better to clarify it before ordering the material, at the design stage.
Frequently asked questions
Louder than soft shingles — by 6 dB according to ATAS, citing a University of Luleå study. But ATAS names installation method as the main factor: on a solid base metal in the rain is quieter than ordinary conversation (about 60 dB), on open battens louder. We did not find the original Swedish report, and ATAS itself makes metal roofing.
Lay the sheet on a solid base, add an underlay and insulation in the slope — according to ATAS, these are the layers that absorb sound — and check that the battens are level: in roofers’ experience, uneven battens and a sagging sheet cause rattling and banging. There are no measurements for rattling; this is installers’ practice.
The manufacturer KAZROOF claims that the stone chips dampen the impact of a drop. We found no independent measurements, so it cannot be claimed that composite is “silent” or quieter by a specific number of decibels. A verifiable answer comes from the roof construction: base, underlay, insulation.
The WHO recommends less than 30 dB(A) in a bedroom for healthy sleep. This is a benchmark for the conversation with an architect, not a guarantee for a specific material: the outcome depends on the whole roof construction.
Sources: ATAS International, Tech Tips LRD0120 “Sound emission of metal roofing” (PDF); CDC/NIOSH, Noise levels by decibels; Stenitzer et al., Holzforschung Austria, Forum Acusticum 2025 (PDF); KAZROOF composition — kazroof.kz. We did not find the original University of Luleå report. This material is for reference and does not replace an acoustic calculation of the construction; the exact bill of materials and the roof build-up are confirmed by an engineer from the project.