Stone Coated Roofing Sheet vs PVC Tile Sheet

Mr Quyen - Santiago. Posted 14/11/2026

A stone-coated roofing sheet is a pressed metal sheet with a surface of bonded stone chips; an ASA/PVC tile sheet is a four-layer plastic sheet with an ASA top layer and no metal. Stone-coated sheets offer many colours, including mixed tones, but the metal can rust where it is cut or scratched. ASA/PVC cannot rust, weighs about 5.4 kg per m² at 2.5 mm and comes in five standard colours plus made-to-order ones.

Installers on a grey tile roof, Vietnam

Installers on a grey tile roof, Vietnam

What is a stone-coated roofing sheet?

A stone-coated sheet starts as a thin metal sheet with a protective metallic coating. It is pressed into a tile, shake or shingle shape, then given a surface of small stone chips bonded on with a coating layer. From the street it looks like a tiled roof with a slightly rough, matt finish. In West and East Africa it is one of the most common answers to "best roofing sheet in Nigeria" or Kenya, alongside plain metal sheets and aluminium.

An ASA/PVC tile sheet reaches a similar look by a different route. Santiago's sheet is co-extruded in four layers with no glue: an ASA top layer for sun and colour, virgin PVC, a PVC core and a milky-white PVC base. It is 1.05 m wide, covers 0.96 m and repeats a 219 mm tile step.

Stone coated roofing sheet colors vs ASA/PVC colours

Stone chips can be made in many colours, and some ranges mix two or three tones on one sheet to look like weathered tile. That variety is one of the main reasons people choose them. The colour sits in the chips, so the look depends on the chips staying in place; ask any supplier how the chips are bonded and what the warranty says about chip loss.

Santiago's standard colours are dark grey, red, blue, orange and chocolate; green, white and purple are made to order and take extra days. The colour is in the ASA top layer, which showed no colour change after 2,000 hours of artificial UV, and is rated for 30 years. The surface is smooth rather than gritty, so the two roofs look different up close even in the same shade.

Brown tile sheets in a factory, Vietnam

Brown tile sheets in a factory, Vietnam

How do they compare point by point?

Point	Stone-coated metal sheet	ASA/PVC tile sheet (Santiago)
Base material	Coated metal	Four co-extruded plastic layers, no metal
Surface	Bonded stone chips, matt and rough	ASA layer, smooth
Rust	Metal can rust where coating is cut, scratched or drilled	Cannot rust
Colours	Wide range, including mixed tones	5 standard, 3 made to order
Weight	Light compared with clay or concrete tile; ask the maker for the figure	About 5.4 kg per m² at 2.5 mm
Heat under the roof	Ask the supplier for test data	About 6 – 8 °C cooler than bare metal sheet (Santiago test)
Rain noise	Ask the supplier for test data	About 80% lower than bare metal sheet
Cutting on site	Cut edges expose metal	Cut edges are plastic all through
Accessories	Ridge, hip, edge pieces from the same maker	Ridge cap, hip ridge, three-way and four-way pieces, ridge terminal, eave sealing tile, wall flashing, ASA screw caps, same colours
Warranty	Ask in writing	10 years for 2.5 mm and thicker, installed as Santiago recommends

Santiago has tested its sheet against bare metal, not against stone-coated sheets, so no figure is given for that comparison. When you compare any two products, ask both suppliers for test results against the same reference.

Why do cut edges and scratches matter on a metal roof?

A metal roof is protected by its coating. Every cut at a valley or hip, every drilled hole and every scratch from a ladder or a dropped tool opens a small spot of bare metal. In a dry inland climate that may stay harmless for years; near the sea, in heavy rain belts or next to animal houses it is where rust starts. Installers usually treat cut edges as the maker instructs, so ask for those instructions before work starts.

An ASA/PVC sheet has nothing to rust, at the edge or anywhere else. The screws are the only steel on the roof, and ASA caps cover their heads.

Red tile sheets laid over an old metal roof, Vietnam

Red tile sheets laid over an old metal roof, Vietnam

Best roofing sheet in Nigeria and prices: what really drives the cost?

Searches such as "roofing sheet types and prices in Nigeria" want a number, but a price list goes out of date within weeks and depends on where you stand. It is more useful to know what moves the figure, so you can compare two quotes properly. Santiago's prices are quoted per order in writing.

Thickness or gauge: compare like with like; Santiago's minimum for roofs is 2.5 mm
Unit of the quote: per sheet, per running metre or per m² of roof cover
Accessories: ridge, hip and edge pieces, screws and caps can add a noticeable share
Waste: tile sheets cut to length in 219 mm steps waste less than fixed lengths cut on site
Freight and duty: for imported sheets, sea freight and the duty your customs broker confirms
Frame changes: purlin spacing less than 700 mm may mean extra purlins on an old roof
Life of the roof: a cheaper sheet that must be replaced sooner can cost more over the years

Which one should you choose?

Choose stone-coated metal if you want a gritty, traditional tile texture, a wide or mixed colour range, and your installers know how to protect cut edges. Choose ASA/PVC tile sheet if rust is your main worry, if you want a cooler and quieter space under the roof than bare metal gives, or if the building is near the sea, a farm or a workshop. For either, follow local building codes and have the roof frame checked by your builder or engineer; Santiago gives no structural, wind or fire rating.

Installer on a ladder beside a blue tile roof, Vietnam

Installer on a ladder beside a blue tile roof, Vietnam

How does a tile sheet compare with metal and clay roofs?

A one-minute short with English captions: Mr Quyen compares metal and clay roofs with Santiago ASA/uPVC tile sheets, first in the factory and then on finished red and grey roofs.

Heat and rain noise: Santiago ASA/uPVC roofing explained (Santiago video on YouTube).

Santiago – a leading exporter of ASA/PVC roofing from Vietnam

Santiago roofing is produced and loaded into containers at our factory in Vietnam. It has been exported to India since 2023, Thailand since 2024 and the USA since 2025. Every export shipment comes with a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and a certificate of origin (C/O) issued by Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade, which importers use to claim the duty preference of their trade agreement.

Item	Details
HS code	3925.90.00 (ASA/PVC roofing sheets)
Certificate of origin	Form D (ASEAN), Form AI (India), Form AK / VK (Korea), Form AJ / VJ (Japan), Form VC (Chile), CPTPP proof of origin
Shipped from	Vietnam, by container

Certificate of origin Form AI (ASEAN–India) for Santiago ASA/PVC roofing sheets, HS 39259000, certified on 24 September 2026. Buyer details are hidden.

Certificate of origin Form AI (ASEAN–India) for Santiago ASA/PVC roofing sheets, HS 39259000, certified on 24 September 2026. Buyer details are hidden.

The Santiago team beside a loaded export container at the factory, November 2024

Loading Santiago roof tiles into an export container

Frequently asked questions

What is a stone-coated roofing sheet?

A pressed metal sheet with a protective metallic coating and a surface of small stone chips bonded on, shaped to look like tiles or shingles.

What colours do stone coated roofing sheets come in?

Usually a wide range, often including mixed tones that imitate weathered tile. ASA/PVC tile sheets from Santiago come in dark grey, red, blue, orange and chocolate, with green, white and purple made to order.

Does stone-coated roofing rust?

The stone chips do not, but the metal underneath can rust where the coating is cut, drilled or scratched. ASA/PVC tile sheets contain no metal and cannot rust.

Is ASA/PVC quieter than stone-coated roofing in rain?

Santiago's test shows about 80% less rain noise than bare metal sheet. It has not been tested against stone-coated sheet, so ask both suppliers for test data against the same reference.

What is the price of roofing sheets in Nigeria?

Prices change with thickness, accessories, freight, duty and the unit of the quote, so compare quotes on the same basis. Santiago quotes per order in writing.