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 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.
Metal Roofing Myths and Truths
Metal roofing is an established practice, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a long list of myths about them. From perceived safety hazards to exaggerations, to just plain untruths, the list is quite encompassing. Dispelling these myths will help you realize just how great metal roofing materials are.
Excessive Noise
The myth goes that metal roofs are undesirable because they are really noisy, especially when it’s raining outside. This probably comes from the perception of an old tin-roofed barn someplace, but it’s definitely not true. The only way that metal roofing materials would cause greater noise than other materials is if they were improperly installed. In face, metal roofing is typically less noisy than asphalt shingle. Make sure your roof is installed with solid sheathing to effectively silence noise from all sorts of bad weather.
They Rust, Don’t They?
This is another myth likely started by a tin roofed barn out in the country. Modern metal roofing materials will not rust. That’s because they have a coating of zinc or aluminum which prevents air from reacting with and corroding the metal. This coating is generally bonded to the roofing material directly at the factory, so there’s no chance of it falling off. So why don’t you see this coating? Simply because a layer of paint is applied on top. Metal roof paint provides the home owner with a nice look while providing yet another rust resistant layer.
Metal Roofs Have Poor Durability
If your roof is made of metal, then anything which impacts it is going to leave a dent or a ding, right? I mean, that’s just common sense, isn’t it? The answer is no - not with modern metal roofing materials. These have been engineered to withstand literally decades of heavy abuse from snow, hail, wind, you name it. A storm more powerful than an F2 tornado is required before your roof will take any damage.
Don’t Walk On The Roof!
How this myth started is anyone’s guess. The fact of the matter is that you can walk on any kind of metal roof without causing any damage at all. While it’s a bit trickier than a standard roof, don’t feel intimidated. You should talk with the pros who installed your roof before walking on it to get details on how to do it without injuring yourself or your roof.
Won’t My Metal Roof Attract Lightning?
Lightning likes metal, right? So metal roofs will cause your house to get struck by lightning - all the time. Now this is simply untrue. There have been documented cases of lightning striking trees that were literally right next to metal roofs. If you’re really worried, you can always ground your roof, but there’s no need to worry even if your roof does get struck by lightning. It isn’t going to catch on fire - it’s metal! If anything you should feel more secure under a metal roof. Note that a metal roof will not necessarily save your house if it gets struck by lightning. The experts say that a strike on a metal roof is less damaging than the same on a conventional one, though.
Just the Facts, Ma’am
Make sure you insist on the facts and nothing but the facts when you talk with contractors about metal roofing. You deserve nothing less.