Residential Metal Roofing: Pluses And Minuses

Is Residential Metal Roofing for You?

Metal roofs can be good for residences located in areas that have extreme weather conditions, or that are very humid. Metal roofs are also relatively safer. However, they can dent easily, and they are expensive to buy and install.

Metal roofing is now enjoying a good deal of business, especially with the myriad, well-advertised advantages associated with it. As a result, businesses and commercial establishments are not the only ones buying metal roofs. Home owners are now buying metal roofs for their own use in the suburbs and outskirts of cities, where shingles and wooden roofs were once the norm. Before you jump onto the bandwagon, however, you should ask yourself: should I get residential metal roofing?

Metal Roofing Materials

Residential metal roofing can come in many forms. Metal roofs can be made of steel, which is heavy and study. Because steel can often rust and corrode, metal roof manufacturers coat it with zinc or epoxy. Stainless steel roofs are extremely durable: they will not corrode or rust, but they can also be extremely expensive. The most common material in metal roofs is aluminum, which is light and will not succumb to rust. Another alternative is to have metal shingles, such as copper, which can be attractive, but which is expensive to fashion and install. Also available are metal alloys, which are strong and durable, but which can also be pricey.

Metal Roof Advantages

If you want to buy residential metal roofing for your house, you can enjoy many advantages offered by using such a roofing material. If well installed, metal roofs can last as long as your house: if all holes and cracks are sealed and plugged, metal roofs can keep water out, stay on your roof even in gusty winds, and allow snow to easily slip off. Moreover, most metal roofs can resist fire, rot, insects, and mildew. If you live in a residential area that experiences extreme weather conditions, where the air can be very dry or very humid, then a metal roof might be for you.

Metal roofs are also very light compared with tiles or shingles. Compared with tiles and shingles, moreover, metal roofs are easier to install. If you are expecting a storm to come in a few days, you can have the metal roof installed in one or two days, and expect to be well protected. Residential metal roofing, therefore, is advantageous not only to people who live in dangerous weather conditions, but who have only a little time to respond to emergency weather conditions.

Metal roofs are also safe: they are rated as the most resistant to fire. Metal roofs can also keep the sun out, as they reflect heat from the sun.

Metal roofing, however, also has its own disadvantages. First of all, metal roofs can be expensive to install and buy. If you plan to have residential metal roofing installed, you must also plan to either use the house as your permanent residence in order to get back your roofing investments; or you can move out only after five or more years.

Noisy Roof?

Metal roofs can also be noisy, especially in a hailstorm or rainstorm. Depending on the length and breadth of your home, the space between roof and ceiling, and the severity of the rain or hail, the sound of metal can either be enticing or downright annoying. Rain can sound like it’s merely tiptoeing on your roof if you have a large house, if you have a large space in between the roof and the ceiling, and if you also have a lot of good insulation in your walls. On the other hand, you might feel like you are trapped inside a steel drum if you have little insulation, and if you live in a small house.

Roof Dents

Hailstones can do more than just annoy you: they can actually dent your roof. If your residential metal roofing is made of copper or aluminum, the material is soft and can dent easily, creating unattractive creases that can make your house look like it was attacked, but vainly, by meteors. Metal roofs, moreover, are slippery when wet, so you cannot easily make repairs to your roof or walk on it.

If you are interested in getting residential metal roofing prices, contact your local contractors about the feasibility of getting such materials for your roof. More importantly, look for members of the Metal Roofing Alliance in your area, as they can provide you with prices and suggestions on how you can make a metal roof work for you. As long as you can get your money’s worth, a metal roof can be a great thing to have for your house.