Example:
I'm referring to the wave-like bumps on that dog house's roof. What do you call them?
6
-
12Do you mean the corrugations that were there before it was damaged? Those are the only bumps I see that I'd describe as wave-like.– Jon HannaCommented Jan 5, 2015 at 12:22
-
1I'd also guess that was iron or steel, galvanized (coated with zinc) to avoid rust.– Jon HannaCommented Jan 5, 2015 at 12:24
-
asbestos corrugated roofing ?– MistiCommented Jan 5, 2015 at 12:26
-
"Bumps". Or, if you mean the horizontal waves that were present from the start, "corrugations".– Hot LicksCommented Jan 5, 2015 at 12:36
-
1@MystiSinha - Definitely not asbestos. Probably steel, might vaguely be aluminum.– Hot LicksCommented Jan 5, 2015 at 12:36
|
Show 1 more comment
4 Answers
If you mean the bumps caused by damage then bumps would serve but dents would be common, and is particularly likely to be used when they are from damage.
If you mean the wave-like ridges across the entire surface, then corrugations. That sort of metal is called corrugated iron.
answered Jan 5, 2015 at 14:08
-
11It's important to note that the corrugations are not caused by damage - it's part of the manufacturing process and is intentional. Commented Jan 5, 2015 at 15:07
-
+1, Though I have never heard "corrugated iron", in California it is usually called "corrugated steel".– PhilCommented Jan 5, 2015 at 19:59
-
1@Phil you must have moved with the times; it's normally made of steel rather than iron and has been for some time, but "corrugated iron" remains as the name in at least some places as a hangover. Commented Jan 5, 2015 at 21:39
-
I've always thought such roofs were made exclusively of tin but maybe that's just a local idiom? Ngram suggests 'probably' Commented Jan 5, 2015 at 23:01
When metal surfaces are damaged via force, there are lots of different terms that may apply:
- dented
- crumpled or buckled (typically described vehicle crash damage--though buckling is also common with heat expansion)
- divoted or pocked (typically describes hail damage)
And even more generic terms such as 'smashed' work just fine in a lot of cases.
As other's have stated, the horizontal 'waves' aren't damage, but part of the manufacturing process.
When a metal surface becomes distorted (not as part of the design, as in corrugation) it can be said to have crinkles or to be crinkled. But that would be a lay term, not one that a metallurgist might use.
I would describe a damaged metal surface as wrinkled if it is deformed as the photo shows and not merely bent or corroded.
I would also use it to describe any corrugated surface, like corrugated paper, after being crumpled. I would also use this word to describe any smooth surface, as in a car body panel, after a collision. I think wrinkled implies unintended irregularity and hence damage. The asker does specifically state "damaged."
I have to assume that laypersons know that corrugations, when they appear, are intentional and not a consequence of damage since they appear in so many places and they are simply too regular in application to be the result of damage.
