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Initally finding acceptance with commercial buildings, metal roofing is now commonly the material of choice by homeowners who plan to live in the home themselves. Its ability to take on the appearance of other roofing styles allows homeowners to select a long-lasting roofing material without giving up their design goals. Metal roofing is also very popular in geographic regions with heavy snowfall, because metal roofs are better at shedding snow than other roof types. Plan to spend more initially when installing a metal roofing system than you would for asphalt shingle or wood shake roofs, but usually less than tile. Depending on the manufacturer, metal roofs tend to last 30 to 50 years, and can certainly last even longer. Not having to re-roof every 10 or so years can be a real benefit if the roof is higher or less accessible.

Types of Metal Roofing

Metal roofing is extremely varied and every year manufacturers introduce new designs and styles. Aluminum, steel and stainless steel are some of the more common metals used, and copper has gained popularity as well. Stanard metal roofing comes in long sheets with a corrugated pattern running the length of it. This design has the best weather shedding qualities and is often selected for this reason. This is the type of metal roofing most often used with commercial buildings as well. Many Franchises use it because it goes up quickly, lasts indefinitely, and can be brightly colored to match their theme. More recently homowners can now choose from an ever-growing assortment of architectural metal shingle styles, or metal sheets designed with tile patterning.

Because metal roofing can take on the appearance of other roofing types, homeowners have the flexibility to follow architectural styles that match their home's design. Metal roofing can look like slate, shake, wood shingle, or a more rugged asphalt shingle. Colors vary by manufacturer, but generally the colors of other roofing types are all represented. Usually the coloring does not make it look like "metal", except in the case of copper roofs. Often copper is used as an accent for one section of the roof, or with certain accessories.

Benefits of Metal Roofs

Long-lasting and visually appealing, metal roofing is the fastest growing roofing product of choice. Metal roofs serve to protect the home from external fire hazards such as a spark landing on a roof. Add to that their ability to shed snowfall and resist weather, and it's easy to see why so many homeowners are choosing metal roofing.

Metal roofing is a better insulator than asphalt roofing, and homeowners with metal roofs enjoy homes that stay warmer in winter and cooler during the summer. For standard metal roofs, accessories are generally built and shaped on-sited from metal stock, but for metal shingles the manufacturers also provide a wide variety of accessories, such as gable vents, bird stops, caps and specialty pieces. Metal Roofing is often a factor in the architectural design of a home, but an existing roof redone as a metal roof can look like it was designed that way architecturally, and the roof can add to the overall appeal of the other structural elements.

Homes with architectural metal shingle roofs are often the nicest home in the neighborhood, although it's not always obvious that it's a metal roof - it just looks nice. Because of the variety of architectural metal shingles available, metal roofs can be made to mimic other roofing types, such as tile, slate, or even wood shingle. A home with a better quality metal roof will have that feel of quality on first impression, and that is often an important factor when a homeowner plans to sell the home at a future date. And because metal roofing outlasts other roofing types, this will still hold true years down the road. With the varied finishes and styles available, a metal roof will not only provide an enjoyable and beautiful home to live in, it will also improve its market value.

Drawbacks of Metal Roofs

The primary drawback to a metal roof is the higher cost of materials. The installation cost is higher than ashphalt shingles as well, but tends to be less than a tile roof. You can generally figure a metal roof will cost about twice as much to put up as an asphalt roof. They are, however, less expensive to install than either slate roofing or tile roofing. Keep in mind as well, both slate roofs and tile roofs are heavy and brittle. Installation of metal roofing requires no additional structural reinforcement before installing, as slate or tile might. If a damage or repair problem occurs, working on metal roofing can be difficult in weather due to slippery surfaces, but generally are not easily damaged by a worker's weight. The most comon metal roof repair requests are to fix dried out caulking or to fix a section that has been affected by high winds. Those problems don't normally occur, but with larger sheets of metal if wind can loosen it a little then an entire sheet could pull loose, and because metal roofing lasts so long, the metal will often outlast the caulking.

Disclaimer: This article offers general guidelines and is not intended as professional advice. If you have comments, suggestions, or questions about this article or QualitySmith services, please contact QualitySmith at 1-800-525-5567.