When considering what type of roof to put on your new home or to replace your roofing with, metal roofing is certainly worth considering for its many benefits and qualities; especially if you live in a climate which is subject to heavy snowfall.
A variety of metal roofing materials are available, from the more familiar standing-seam sheet metal roof to newer, specialized metal roof shingle products that look more like tiles.
Metal Roofing Service Life
When correctly installed, a metal roof can last as long as the house itself and will seal out water, withstand high winds, and shed snow with ease. A metal roof is quite fire resistant and prevents problems such as mildew, insects, and rot from occurring. Warranty terms vary for metal roofing materials, but most reputable manufacturers warranty their products from twenty to as much as fifty years!
Easy, Speedy Metal Roofing Installation
Typically, metal roofing materials are delivered in multi-shingle sheets or sections, which make installation very quick for an experienced roofing contractor. When your old roofing has been stripped, you want to get the new roof installed as quickly as possible before inclement weather potentially damages your home.
Metal Roofing Heat Conduction Qualities
A metal roof is very effective in reflecting the radiant heat of the sun during warm weather, helping keep your home cool. Despite the fact that metal roofing will have a low R-value, most metal roofing systems incorporate dead air space between the deck of the roof and the roofing material to increase insulation and energy efficiency.
Metal Roofing is Light Weight
When compared to most tile roofing at 750 pounds per square (100 square feet) or concrete tile roofing at 900 pounds per square, metal roofing materials are quite lightweight; the average metal roofing materials weigh between 50 and 150 pounds per square.
In some cases, a metal shingle roof can be installed over existing roofing without the expense of tear off or the addition of structural support changes to the roof, since in most cases it will be lighter than the previous roofing material!
Fire Resistant Metal Roofing Materials
Since metal is noncombustible, a metal roof has a Class A fire rating, meaning it is considered the most fire resistant type of roof available.
Installing your metal roofing over an existing wood roof does decrease its fire rating since the old materials below your new metal roof will be combustible. For this reason, it is generally worth the additional cost of having the old roof torn out before installing metal roofing.
Metal Roofing Doesn’t Require a Steep Pitch
Since a metal roof is quite effective in shedding water and snow, it can be installed on a less steeply pitched roof without danger of leaking. On a new home designed with metal roofing in mind, the pitch will generally be three in twelve, meaning the roof rises three inches per horizontal foot.
With all these advantages and benefits, it’s easy to see why so many homeowners are choosing metal roofing systems these days. Within the Roofing Materials section of Roofing-Articles.com you can learn more about the various types of metal roofing materials and systems available, installation techniques and more about buying and installing a metal roof.
