Metal roofing has been growing more and more popular with builders and homeowners, and for a good reason. With superior longevity, durability, energy efficiency, and a wide range of style options, today’s metal roofs provide exceptional lasting value. If you’re replacing your current roof with a metal roofing system, here are some essential things you need to know before you take the plunge.
Metal Roofs Are Long-Lasting
While other roofing materials typically last 10 to 20 years, metal roofs can last 3 to 7 times longer. A properly installed metal roof can last as long as you own the home, with an expected lifespan of 40 to 70 years.
Depending on which type of material you use, a metal roof may well last 75 years or more. As long as the roof is installed correctly and you keep up with annual maintenance, a metal roof may be the last roof you ever purchase.
Metal Roofs Are Highly Durable
The reason metal roofing has a long lifespan is that it can stand up to nearly everything Mother Nature throws its way. Thanks to the material’s exceptional durability, it is resistant to breaking, contracting, and dissolving under extreme weather conditions. It’s also impervious to insect infestation, fire, rot, and other harmful elements.
- Wind resistant: Metal roofs can sustain gusts of wind up to 140 miles per hour. That’s equal to a Category 3 hurricane or an EF2 tornado. Steel roofing is recommended in storm-prone and coastal areas because of its wind-resistance.
- Hail resistant: Metal stands up much better to hail damage than other roofing materials. It has a UL Class 4 impact resistance, which is the highest rating. This doesn’t mean a metal roof can never be dented by hail. It does mean even in extreme situations, hail damage will take the form of small dents, but not punctures, cracks, tears, or splits.
- Fire-resistant: Metal roofing materials have a Class A fire rating. They are non-combustible and won’t spark or catch fire.
- Insect and rot-resistant: Metal doesn’t attract insects, mainly because it doesn’t retain moisture and can’t rot.
- Maximum shedding of snow and rain: The hard and slippery surface provides maximum snow and rain shedding, protecting your structure from water damage.
Metal Roofs Are Energy-Efficient
While you may think of metal as a good conductor of heat, it can balance the temperature inside of your home thanks to its reflective properties. Metal has a low thermal mass, which allows it to reflect solar radiant heat instead of absorbing it. This means your metal roof will decrease heat transfer into your home during the summer months, reducing your cooling costs.
Once the sun stops striking a roof directly, the metal material will be much cooler. What’s more, some metal roofs come with reflective coatings allowing the highest solar remittance possible, keeping you and your family comfortable without putting more strain on your air conditioner. Lighter-colored metal roofs such as gray and white are better able to keep your home cool than darker metal shades.
Metal Roofs Require Minimal Maintenance
The upkeep needed for metal roofing maintenance is generally minimal, especially if the roof was installed correctly. Metal roofing requires yearly inspection for minor maintenance.
To maintain your roof, you’ll need to remove leaves and debris, clean your gutters, keep people from walking on the roof, fix fasteners, and trim nearby trees to keep them from rubbing against the roof. Basic care and monitoring can keep your metal roofing looking good and in working order for decades.
Metal Roofs Are Customizable
Forget the corrugated tin barns of years past; today’s metal roofs come in an array of finishes, colors, and even shapes. You can choose from tin, aluminum, zinc, galvanized steel, or copper. Modern metal roofing offers more than 100 color choices, including standard and custom hues. Aluminum and steel, which are the two most common metals for residential homes, can hold paint finishes well.
While most metal roofs are manufactured in different parallel profiles or “standing seams,” metal roofing is not short on style options. You can opt for a metal roof that resembles wood shakes, clay tiles, or slate to ensure your roof doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb.
Metal Roofs Are Not as Loud as You Think
Metal roofs have always been perceived as being extremely loud when it rains. This reputation comes from people who have been in barns and sheds with metal panels installed directly over open framing during a storm. With nothing other than the building frame and roof, of course, the sound of rain or hail is going to be loud.
However, the way a metal roof is installed over a residential home is way different than how it’s installed over other secondary structures. Before the metal coating is installed, the roofer will install a solid wood decking and underlayment layer. The attic space will also be insulated, absorbing and muffling noise from the rain with ease.
If you need a new roof, you can rely on Mark Kaufman Roofing’s experienced metal roofing experts in North Port to get the job done right. Contact us to learn more about metal roofing and to request a free estimate.
