If your roof is in need of urgent repair, you have come to the right place. I am not a roofing contractor, but I have just finished replacing the roof on my home when the old one failed. The contractor I called in helped me to assess the condition of my old roof and to choose the right type of material to replace it with. He carried out the work quickly and kept me informed about what he was doing. I have learnt so much from the experience that I wanted to share my new found knowledge with the rest of the world.
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Metal roofs have become popular for homeowners because they're long lasting (a well-installed roof may never need replacement) and fire resistant. In addition, they're lightweight, and this comes with some advantages. Most homeowners that use metal roofs install aluminium or steel roofs, as they are cheaper, but you can also use zinc, copper and other alloys. This article highlights three little-known facts about metal roofs in case you're considering them for your home.
1. Metal shingles are cheaper than panels
Many homeowners don't even know that they can install metal roofs as shingles rather than using the more common standing seam/vertical panels. While installation of metal roofs is more costly than installing other roofing materials, you can reduce installation costs significantly by using horizontal shingles instead of vertical panels.
In addition, modern metal shingles are available in many colour options—more than you will get with asphalt shingles, for instance. The shingles can also be given clay tile, slate, asphalt shingle or cedar shake finishes to match your exterior theme while still allowing you to benefit from the advantages of metal roofs.
2. You can do without tear-off
Tearing off an old roof has additional costs in labour as well as disposal of the old roofing material. However, it may be possible to install a metal roof over most old roofs. This is because metal roofs are lightweight and hence will not result in a significantly heavier roof when placed over old materials.
Consult your contractor to find out whether your metal roof can be placed over your current roof. Generally, it's not advisable to install vertical panel roofs over asphalt shingles, as the latter are prone to telegraphing, which can make the panels warp/dent. In addition, snow pile-up in winter can cause denting on vertical panels installed over asphalt shingles. Expansion and contraction with temperature changes in the panels will also result in rubbing against the shingles that can result in corrosion and eventual rusting. However, these problems can be avoided by using metal shingles instead of panels.
3. Metal roofs are greener than other roofing systems
Metallic roofing is considered a green roofing material for a number of reasons. First, because old metal roofs are 100-percent recyclable, old roofs won't end up in landfills upon removal. What's more, manufacture takes up the least resources and includes significant recycled metal content (25 percent or higher). No petroleum by-products are released, reducing environmental degradation.
Metal roofs also have a positive impact on your energy consumption. Properly installed, cooling costs can be significantly reduced because of the reflective surface that reflects heat in summer rather than absorbing it into your building. Aluminium and steel are more energy efficient than zinc and copper because the latter have a heavier gauge and come in darker colours, meaning they absorb more heat.
Contact roofing specialists in your area to learn more.
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