Enhance Your Home’s Value and Security with Metal Roofing
To the average homeowner, a roof serves no additional purpose beyond its practical role of safeguarding a house’s interiors from the elements. That explains why many do not exercise due diligence while installing or replacing their roofs, settling for the next available roofing material even if it’s of a substandard quality.
However, smart homeowners understand that the correct roofing material can provide many other benefits, including enhancing a property’s durability and curb appeal.
Metal is one of the top recommendations when looking for long-lasting and aesthetically appealing roofing materials. While metal roofs have outstanding pros and glaring cons, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.
Here’s a rundown of today’s top reasons to upgrade to metal roofing.
1. Metal Roofing Is Durable
Roof installation costs can quickly run into thousands of dollars, depending on the scope of work involved. Therefore, this isn’t a home renovation project you want to schedule every other year.
Besides, having your roof repaired or replaced too frequently can reduce your property’s structural integrity. A more sustainable solution is to discard cheap roofing materials for more durable ones, and that’s where metal comes in.
Metal roofs have a remarkable life expectancy. Provided that you engage professional residential roofing services for the installation work, you can trust your metal roof to last upwards of 40 years. That’s in contrast to asphalt shingles or single-ply, which can only last about 20 years.
To extend your roof’s durability further, prioritize roofs made from aluminum, steel, or a composite of the two. Both metals are weather-resistant, with aluminum being considerably lighter.
2. Metal Roofing Is Safe
The safety of metal roofs depends primarily on their sheer strength.
Aluminum and steel are exceptionally tough, which makes them the gold standard for metal roofing.
Studies have shown that both metals can brave heavy downpours and wind speeds of up to 140 miles per hour (225 kilometers per hour). They can also withstand a significant amount of mechanical pressure, which is necessary when considering installing solar panels, gutters, or vents on the roof.
Besides, metal roofing possesses fantastic flame-retardant properties.
3. Metal Roofing Is Low-Maintenance
Due to their extended durability, metal roofs are notably easy to maintain. These roofing systems may only require a few patch-ups during their lifetime.
The metal sheets used in constructing metal roofing are usually treated against cracking and warping, regardless of the pressure or temperature the roof is exposed to. They’re also designed to be rust-resistant, eliminating the need for frequent painting or greasing.
Moreover, unlike their asphalt counterparts, metal roofs are mold-resistant. No need to schedule mold remediation services at the end of every wet season.
4. Metal Roofing Is Lightweight and Gorgeous Looking
Steel is one of the heaviest metals on earth. So, it’s understandable why many homeowners readily dismiss metallic roofing as bulky.
But as mentioned, there’s always a lighter option in aluminum. More importantly, most materials used for metal roofing are incredibly lightweight.
For instance, a 240-gauge galvalume roof weighs around 1 – 1.5 pounds per square inch (PSI). That’s over five times lighter than regular clay tile, and way lighter than standard-weight concrete tiles. The latter can weigh as much as 12 PSI.
Metal excels with other common roofing options in aesthetic appeal, too.
Not only are metal roofs available in different designs (including metal shingles to mimic traditional asphalt roofs). They also come in multiple paint finishes that are sure to boost your property’s curb appeal.
5. Metal Roofing Is Energy Efficient
If you walked into a home with an uninsulated metal roof at the height of summer’s blistering heat, you’d be forgiven for dismissing metal as the most energy-inefficient roofing material.
Granted, metal heats up quicker than slate and asphalt. However, much of that heat is reflected away rather than absorbed into the building.
Thanks to metal’s superior solar reflectivity, the material can reduce your roof’s surface temperature significantly and keep your home up to 30% cooler during summer.
Consequently, that might improve the home’s energy efficiency by minimizing the strain on your HVAC systems.
6. Metal Roofing Is Eco-friendly and Sustainable
Metal isn’t biodegradable on its own. So, it may sound counterintuitive that we list eco-friendliness among the core benefits of metal roofing.
However, metal roofs have several features that make them environmentally friendly. Notably, most metals used for roofing already contain a decent amount of recycled material (sometimes up to 50%).
Besides, irreparably damaged metal roofs don’t need to be chucked into the trash. Instead, you can offer the entire roof sections up for recycling. Comparatively, billions of pounds of asphalt shingles are mindlessly disposed of annually, straining our already-choked landfills.
On sustainability, metal roofs are an excellent option for mounting solar systems. That’s primarily due to their durability and ease of installation.
The Bottom Line
The perks of metal roofing are immense. However, you can only unlock those benefits by enlisting the assistance of a licensed roofing contractor.
It doesn’t matter whether you’ve chosen to upgrade from your current asphalt or slate roof to a metallic one or only need to repair a damaged patch of your existing metal roof. Working with a roofing technician can help avoid costly mistakes and ensure the roof is professionally installed.
Many roofing companies also provide warranties, which entitle you to free or subsidized repairs for a specified duration after the installation work. This can provide insurance against shoddy workmanship, a privilege that you forfeit if you opt for DIY metal roof installation.
