The Advantages of Metal Roofing
The advantages of metal roofing materials are numerous, yet many people still stubbornly persist in their use of the old industry standards. Here are just a few ways that metal roofing is superior to conventional roofing materials.
Low Heat Conduction
Metal roofing materials are shiny, are reflect the sun’s rays on those hot summer days. This means that less heat makes it into your home, translating into less power used for running air conditioning. This means lower energy bills, which are always beneficial to the good old bottom line. This benefit will help you save money each and every month over the long run. This can even be enhanced with certain finishes or paints, which is why metal roof paint has special formulations.
Reduced Leaking
For roofs with low pitch, leaking is one of those possibilities that never goes away using conventional roofing materials, no matter how minimized it becomes through various tricks and techniques. However, with metal roofing materials gently pitched roofs can be covered with virtually no risk of leaking. The minimum pitch is 3 in 12, meaning a three inch rise every foot.
Non Flammable Materials
One of the great benefits of metal is that it doesn’t burn. Compare that with asphalt shingles, which are a definite fire risk. Metal roofing materials are inflammable and safe. This can go so far as to reduce your home owners insurance depending on your state and location. The other real benefit of this is that your home is practically immune to catching on fire from lightning strikes, no matter what the myths may say.
Light Weight
Contrary to popular belief, metal roofing materials actually weigh less than tile or concrete roofing. Much less. Metal roofing is super lightweight - 50 to 150 pounds per 100 square feet. Compare this to concrete at 900 or tile at 750 and its obvious just how much you’re saving. This keeps the supports in your house free of extra weight, meaning they’re less likely to break or require maintenance. You may even be able to reduce the number of supports you need. Different metal roofing materials have different densities, so don’t expect each to have the same weight. For instance, copper roofing will always be lighter than steel roofing for the same area covered.
Longevity
Longevity is where metal roofing materials really shine. Simply put, the metal roof should last as long as the house does. You’ll rarely need to do any maintenance or repairs since the metal is durable. It seals out water and is resistant to conventional roofing’s four biggest fears: fire, mildew, insects, and rot. You can easily measure your metal roofs lifetime in decades, not years.
Ease of Installation
Metal roofing installation is not as difficult as many would make it out to be. This is because it comes in multi-shingle sections, which skilled professionals can put in place quickly. Installing metal roofs can be difficult to do yourself, so you should generally consult local contractors before undertaking the task. With a metal roof, you won’t need to worry - you’ll be covered.
Metal Roofing Savings
Metal roofing materials may cost more at first to purchase and install, but they offer huge benefits in long term savings. They do this through a variety of different methods which home owners can exploit, including low life-cycle costs, reducing energy costs and consumption, helping increase the property value of the house, and potentially lower home owners insurance. In the long run, the lesser costs of metal roofing combined with their other benefits make them a wise fiscal choice when considering a new roofing project.
Lowering Home Owners Insurance
This is a benefit that unfortunately is not available in every state. Since installing a metal roof makes your house less likely to catch fire or flood during sever rainstorms, many insurance companies offer discounts depending on the type of metal roofing material you choose to install. Make sure you look into potential benefits before you think about metal roofing costs.
Property Value Appreciation
Metal roofing materials are widely known as durable and lasting, and as such installing them on your home increases its overall property value. It’s typical to recoup between 75% and 95% of the initial cost of installation by the time you look to resell your home. Compare this with the regular upkeep and depreciation seen in many other roofing materials, and the savings look even more beneficial! This can significantly mitigate the initial cost of metal roofing.
Energy Consumption Reduction
You could see your energy costs reduced considerably depending on the type of metal roofing materials you choose to install and the kind of finish you apply. Unlike asphalt roofing materials which absorb sunlight, metal roofing materials actually reflect the sun’s rays, meaning you need less energy to keep it cool. This has been shown to reduce energy costs by as much as 40% on hot summer days. In addition, certain kinds of pigments can actually re emit heat back into the air, which in the long run saves you even more. Remember, the less heat that enters your house, the less heat you have to remove through air conditioning. This is especially important if you live in hot, sunny areas.
Life Cycle Costs
Unlike other roofing materials which need to be maintained and replaced every few years, metal roofing materials are widely known for their longevity. The metal roofing cost may seem intimidating at first, but in the long run you could actually wind up saving money, not to mention all the time and energy it takes to replace worn out shingles. Metal roofing materials last for decades, typically with a guarantee.
Metal Roofing Styles and Varieties
Beyond the choice in metal roofing materials, there is also the critical choice of style. While the practical advantages of metal roofs are well documented, if they weren’t aesthetically pleasing, then they’d be just as undesirable as if they did not perform well at all. Fortunately, a wide range of style and variety exist for potential customers to choose from.
Metal Shake Roofing
Metal shake roofing is roughly analogous to regular old wooden shake. This means that the metal roofing material has that classic authentic look of wood. You’ll get to choose from multiple colors as well, such as blacks, red, and browns. The metal is far more durable and lasting than its wooden counterpart, so you get the best of both worlds.
Metal Roof Shingles
This roofing type mimics the classic look of smooth slate tiles. This distinct style is really quite elegant, and often seen on roofs with wide areas. The charm of regular slate with the benefits of metal roofing is certainly an attractive choice. With metal roofing shingles you also have the choice between a wide variety of paints to color the shingles to your liking.
Metal Roof Tiles
Metal roof tiles are distinctly noted by their classy curves and graceful style. They are a huge improvement over the regular roofing tiles which they mimic as they are lightweight, strong, and durable. This is a huge improvement over the heavy, fragile tiles you regularly would get. And since color is determined by a coat of paint, the choice is yours.
Metal Roof Panels
This traditional metal roofing material is finally available for residential buildings after having long been reserved only for larger commercial structures. Thanks to the wonders of technology, these are finally affordable enough for the average home. Just splash on your favorite color paint and you’re set to go!
Finishes
Applying a finish can add that final touch of style to your metal roof. In addition to standard painted finishes, you can generally find metallic and granular finishes available. Metallic finishes are basic natural metal colored paints. They give a metal roof a classic look. Granular finishes have been styled to make your metal roofing materials appear like asphalt, which can have a definitive aesthetic appeal.