The New Trend in Residential Metal Roofing

You've seen steel roofs on barns, but how many times have you seen them on apartment buildings? There's a good chance you'll see them a lot more often around the country. As wildfires, hurricanes, hail and other extreme conditions damage homes, more and more homeowners are taking advantage of metal roofing.

According to the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA), steel roof installations have more than doubled in the past five years and will continue to grow at 15 percent per year. There is no material that can better protect a home from destructive weather conditions. Follow here for more about this article or similar.

Advantages of metal roofs

Durability

A metal roof lasts at least two to three times longer than an asphalt roof, i.e. 40 to 60 years. In the warm, humid southern states, metal is virtually immune to the unsightly mold stains that often form on asphalt shingles. Properly installed, a metal roof will not leak or rust and can withstand wind gusts of up to 140 miles per hour.

Shane Scott, a real estate entrepreneur from LaGrange, Georgia, renovates and sells older homes. He installed a metal roof on his own home in 2000 and was so pleased with it that he has purchased metal roofs on every home he has renovated since.

"When buyers are considering a home, they're always concerned about the condition of the roof," notes Scott. “With metal, they know they don't have to change anything for at least 50 years. With an asphalt roof, they have to replace it within 15 to 20 years.”

Protection

Most metal roofing systems have passed the UL 2218 impact test at the most stringent level, Class IV. As a result, homeowners in hail-prone states who choose metal roofing may be eligible for discounts on their insurance premiums.

Ed Parker, a retired homeowner from Sharpsburg, Georgia, agrees. "We've gone through two or three asphalt roofs on our house over the years, and they discolor and crack off during wind storms or leak due to hailstorms," Parker said. "Metal is much more durable."

Environmentally friendly

The National Association of Homebuilders Research Center estimates that 20 billion pounds of asphalt roofing is sent to landfills each year. The durability of metal eliminates the need for frequent roof replacements. Better yet, it can be laid over the existing roof, eliminating the cost of clapboard removal and landfill fees. Once a metal roof is removed, it can be recycled.

According to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), steel is the best choice for "green" buildings where the goal is to reduce or eliminate chemical substances. Unlike wood shakes or some other traditional materials, steel is not susceptible to insects, mold or rot. Therefore, the application of insecticides or other dangerous chemicals is not required.

Energy efficient

Proven metal roofs save energy and cut your cooling costs by up to 40 percent, depending on location, according to the MRA. The advent of new reflective paints with energy saving properties has revolutionized the residential roofing industry.

While asphalt and cedar shingles absorb heat, the new Cool Pigment technology can reflect up to 85 percent of the sun's radiant energy. Dark colors now also achieve the attributes “cool”. An Energy Star roof can stay up to 100 degrees cooler on its surface than other roofs, so less heat is transferred into the building.