Everything you Need to Know About Metal Roofing

With all the different roofing types and materials available in today’s market, it’s sometimes difficult to decide on what’s right for both your home and your budget. Keeping that in mind, we thought now would be a great time to bring you up to speed on one of the fastest growing roofing materials on the market – metal!

Wait…what? Metal? Like what’s on farm sheds and industrial buildings?

In a word…YES!

No matter what type of roofing style you’re looking for, be it color, finish, or both, there’s more than likely a metal roofing style to match. In fact, the metal roofing material that is utilized in residential areas today looks just like the other types of roofing materials that you’re probably more familiar with, like asphalt shingles, slate, clay, and cedar shake shingles.

Even though the initial cost to install a premium metal roof may be higher than the majority of other roofing materials, it is an investment that will save you money in the long run. That’s because a metal roof can easily last two to three times as long as an asphalt shingle roof. Considering the fact that the average lifespan of an asphalt shingle roof is approximately 17 years, a metal roof could easily be the last roof that you ever have to deal with. Plus, the addition of a metal roof can not only increase the resale value of your home but, in some states, can even reduce your homeowner’s insurance premiums, sometimes by as much as 35%! Combine all of that with a full 30 to 50-year warranty from the manufacturer and you’ve got yourself one heck of a deal!

Metal roofing, in both light and dark colors, is also incredibly energy efficient. Metal roofing reflects heat quite effectively, which means reduced cooling costs in the summer and better insulation in the winter. How, exactly, does this work? Whether it’s a building or a home, the roof plays a major role in the absorption of heat from sunlight (this is known as solar radiation). That heat can either be reflected back into the atmosphere or absorbed into the structure via conduction. Because metal roofing can dispel that heat so thoroughly, homeowners often experience a 25% savings in their energy costs after switching to a metal roof!

Metal roofing material typically consists of at least 25% of recycled content, making it a very “green” construction component. When it’s time for the roof to come off, metal roofing materials are also 100% recyclable. That’s not true of other types of roofing materials. In fact, when other roofing materials are removed from a home, they’re typically disposed of by the ton into local landfills. The most recent estimate is that conventional roofing products pile up to the tune of 20 billion pounds of waste annually in America alone! Should you opt for a metal roof, please know that in most cases it can be installed directly on top of your current asphalt shingled roof, which means you won’t be contributing to that waste at all.

Let’s move on to those common myths and misconceptions about metal roofing. We’ll start with noise because obviously (and rightfully so), that’s a big concern to homeowners. Amazingly enough, when a metal roof is installed with solid sheathing, noise from rain, wind, and hail is often quieter than what is typically experienced with traditional roofing materials.

What about lightning? Another fear that people have is that metal roofs will attract lightning, but it’s important to note that a metal roof will NOT increase the likelihood of lightning striking your home. On the flip side, f your home were to endure a lightning strike, the metal roofing would disperse the energy safely through the structure. And since metal roofing isn’t flammable or combustible, it’s actually a good choice when taking into account the amount of severe weather your area experiences, especially lightning.

Rust is another big concern amongst homeowners. After all, no one wants to spend the time and money installing a metal roof onto their home only to have it begin to rust not long after. Fortunately, the metal roofing systems of today are built to last in a serious way! Steel roofing has a metallic coating that’s comprised of zinc, or a combination of aluminum and zinc, which prevents rust from forming. Paint can then be applied over the metallic coating to give the homeowner the lasting color that they’re looking for.

We talked about lightning, but what about other storm elements, like hail, high winds, and heavy snow with regards to metal roofing? Rest assured that the metal roofing systems that are designed today are created to withstand both high winds and hail!

If you’re interested in learning more about metal roofing systems and whether or not one is right for your home, please don’t hesitate to give Golden Rule Contractors a call. We’d be happy to review all your roofing options and help you decide on what would work best for you.