A metal roof provides aesthetic appeal, protection and energy savings for the lifetime of your building. Now available in a range of styles, colors and designs to match just about any home or office, metal roofs also save you money and are environment-friendly as well. While there are literally dozens of good reasons why you should pick a metal roof over other options, here are the six most frequently cited ones in a survey of home owners.
A Metal Roof Is A Valuable Investment
It is true that your upfront cost for installing a metal roof will be higher than any other alternative. But what’s also important to know is that over the long run, you’ll save money from choosing this option. A metal roof is long lasting, and typically lasts for 30 years or longer. Re-roofing may be necessary in a shorter time with other alternatives, adding to the cost of your roof.
In some states, metal roofs qualify for insurance premiums being lower by a third. And a metal roof increases the resale value of your home in a way that no other roofing alternative does. Metal is renovation friendly and is a roofing material that can be recycled and reused for both remodeling and in new constructions.
A Metal Roof Is Long Lasting
Non-metal roofs have an average life span of 17 years. This ranges broadly based on the kind and quality of the roofing material used, but most other options require repairs or re-roofing in the interim. Asphalt roofs can need repairs every 10 to 20 years. A metal roofing system lasts twice (or even thrice) as long.
It is highly likely that the metal roof you install today will be the last one you’ll ever need for that building. Longevity is one of the top reasons home owners justify the higher installation cost and choose this over others.
A Metal Roof Is Beautiful
Metal roofs can match just about any other roof in look and feel. Regardless of the decor, style and finish of your home, there will be a metal roof to match it. And not only do you get to select from a range of choices, they are also designed to match other roofing materials in appearance. So you can have a metal roof that looks like asphalt shingle, or clay tile, or cedar wood shake, or even slate roofing.
The significant advantage of a metal roof is of course that it lasts 2 to 3 times longer. So if you’re concerned about sacrificing aesthetics for efficiency by selecting a metal roof, stop worrying right now!
A Metal Roof Is Energy Efficient
Metal reflects sunlight and radiation. No matter whether your metal roof is dark or light colored, it will reflect heat effectively and lowers the cooling load on your air-conditioning in summer. At the same time, it insulates the building effectively in winter.
The energy savings provided by a metal roof are hard to quantify in isolation, but estimates put power consumption at 25% less than with a dark asphalt shingle roof without roof coatings. This makes a metal roof another valuable way to protect the environment while saving money.
A Metal Roof Carries Longer Warranties
While other roofing material comes with a manufacturer’s warranty that lasts around 30 years at most (matching the longevity of the roof), most metal roofs come with warranties of 30 to 50 years. In addition, most professional installers will offer a workmanship warranty to cover their services and that lasts just as long.
Doing your homework to find out the best roofing warranties available is an important part of your pre-building preparation. But once you’ve done that, you can sleep in peace, secure in the knowledge that your roof is covered – no matter what!
Should You Get a Metal Roof?
There are several more good reasons to install a metal roof in your home. But many home owners are still concerned about metal roofs because many myths abound. Here are some of the most popular among them:
Myth 1: Metal roofs attract lightning.
A metal roof does NOT increase the chance that lightning will strike your building. And being non-combustible and non-flammable, it will not burst into flames.
Myth 2: Metal roofs will rust.
Coating with several protective alloys and layers has made this a thing of the past. Painting a metal roof further lowers this danger.
Myth 3: Metal roofs are not durable.
Well, you can safely walk on a sheet of metal used as roofing – though we don’t recommend that you do so without checking with your manufacturer!
Myth 4: Metal roofs are noisy.
Solid sheathing beneath the metal roof will actually serve to soundproof your home, and in bad weather you may hear less noise than with other roofs.
Myth 5: Metal roofs dent easily.
Metal roofs can withstand extreme weather like hail, heavy wind or snow. They are also very tolerant to very hot and very cold temperatures.
So after hearing about all the pros and cons of a metal roof, what will your choice be? Let us know!
