Advantages of a Metal Roof

Mar 28, 2022 | Commercial Roofing, Residential Roofing, Roofing

Most homeowners have for many years selected asphalt roofing shingles, whether for a new house or for re-roofing an existing house. As the name implies, these shingles are a petroleum product and, as such, thus add to our dependence on fossil fuels. Their lifetime is about 15-20 years, resulting in some 10 million tons of waste per year in the US. While these shingles are recyclable, it involves numerous steps since they are contaminated with pieces of wood, nails, and other material that must be separated. In addition to being unfriendly to our environment, asphalt shingles absorb energy from the sun, thereby adding to the cost of maintaining the house’s interior at a comfortable temperature during the summer months.

Over the past decade, metal roofing has assumed a much more significant portion of the market than historically has been the case. There are many reasons behind this growth, including an expected lifetime of 50 years or more. In addition, rather than absorbing heat, metal roofing reflects it, thereby increasing the efficiency of your cooling system. When the sun goes down, it also loses heat more quickly than asphalt shingles, and so helps keep the attic cooler in the evening as well as the living space below. Homeowners interested in solar heat will be pleased to learn how easily solar panels can be installed on a metal roof.

The metal panels are lightweight and contribute to a longer lifetime for the supporting infrastructure. Also, because they interlock, the panels resist being torn off in high wind conditions. Finally, they are fire resistant and are available in a wide variety of colors and types to complement any style of home, and they are entirely recyclable.

Metal panels can be made from steel or aluminum, zinc, copper, and stainless steel. Generally, aluminum and galvanized steel are frequently chosen for residential housing. The process by which the panels are made involves precise manufacturing, beginning with a thick coil passed through a rolling machine that compresses the thickness to a suitable dimension for the following steps. In the case of steel, the coil is then passed through a dip of galvanic metal to provide a thin coating. Of course, it is not necessary to galvanize aluminum. Finally, the coil is subjected to a hot furnace where annealing occurs, followed by final rolling to the desired thickness for the metal roofing panels.

Metal roofing admittedly is more expensive than other traditional types like asphalt, so the upfront cost is higher. If you are considering high-end architectural shingles, though, the cost is comparable. However, as a metal roof likely will outlast the house, it is the last such investment you will have to make. In addition, in a re-roofing project, it often is unnecessary to remove the existing asphalt shingles, thus reducing the installation cost.

Don’t trust your metal roofing to anyone else you can depend on us to get the job done right the first time, on time, and within your budget. Give us a call today, or complete our online estimate request form for a free estimate on your metal roofing needs.

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