What Is a Metal Shingle Roof?
Eventually, you need a new roof. It’s not fun. It’s not exciting, but it is necessary.
While you’re looking around at roof replacements, you might appreciate learning that there are a lot more options today than there were even a few years ago. For instance, metal shingle roofs are becoming popular. Are you familiar with them? Maybe it’s worth taking a couple of minutes to learn more.
What Are Shingles?
Shingles are something used to cover a roof and protect it from water (not to be confused with the medical condition). Generally speaking, shingles are placed over a wooden roof. Since wood is easily destroyed by water, keeping it dry is paramount.
Shingles are waterproof coverings that create a weatherproof layer on the top of the wooden roof. They are small sections that overlap each other to create a watertight covering.
There are a number of materials that can be used to make these shingles. The most common is asphalt, but metals, clay, slate, and even other wood can all be used to make effective shingles, each providing different pros and cons to the roofing structure.
What About a Metal Shingle Roof?
Clearly, a metal shingle roof is going to use the single concept with metal as a material, but how does that work?
Well, there are a few things to know. First, there are a few different metals that can be used for shingles. The most common are aluminum and copper, but less commonly, treated steel, stainless steel, and even zinc can be used safely.
Metals are used for some roofs for a couple of reasons. First, metals are extremely strong, and in that regard, they make the roof much more durable. On top of that, copper and aluminum are very resistant to corrosion and weather, so even though you’re getting the strength of metal, you don’t have to risk rust or oxidation as a cost.
On top of that, metal shingles offer different aesthetics. Copper provides unique coloring to roofs, and aluminum holds paint and color very well, enabling a roof to take on entirely different textures and visual displays.
For all of these reasons, metal shingle roofs are growing in popularity.
Metal Shingles vs. Asphalt Shingles
How exactly do metal shingles compare to asphalt shingles? To really get into this, we can look at a few metrics, including toughness, maintenance, and cost.
Toughness
When it comes to toughness, metal shingles beat their asphalt counterparts by a landslide. Clearly, metal can withstand more direct impact than asphalt, making metal a better choice in severe storms. Hail and debris are less likely to damage a metal roof.
On top of that, metal roofing lasts a lot longer. Asphalt shingles are often warrantied for somewhere around 20 years. It’s not uncommon for metal warranties to double that.
Maintenance
Neither asphalt nor metal shingles are known to require large amounts of maintenance, but in this category, metal takes a slight lead. It basically comes down to this. Asphalt shingles are more likely to be torn from the roof in heavy winds, so you have to replace asphalt shingles more often. In either case, you aren’t looking at heavy maintenance for the life of the roof.
Cost
The final comparison is in cost analysis. Upfront, asphalt shingles cost considerably less than metal shingles. If today’s price tag is the most important factor, then asphalt shingles are going to look enticing.
But metal shingles are much more cost effective. First, the longevity of the metal shingles more than makes up for the upfront cost. On top of that, metal shingles tend to be more energy efficient. They raise property value by more than new asphalt shingles, and they can even earn you insurance discounts (depending on your insurer).
When you factor all of this in, metal shingles prove the better cost outlook.
Total Roofing & Service Inc.
If you’re interested in metal shingles or if you just want to explore roofing options, contact TR&S today. We’ll be happy to hear from you, and we’ll discuss all of your roofing options so that you can be sure to get the best roof possible.