Metal Roofs - The Safe Choice
If you're building a new home or remodeling the one you've got now, a roof is an important and costly decision. When choosing which type of roof is best for your home, consider cost, durability, appearance, and the expected life of the material. Many people are now considering metal roofs, and they are a perfect choice for many people.
Some individuals are resistant at first to the idea of residential metal roofing. The picture that immediately comes to their mind when they hear "metal roofs" is the corrugated tin shed of the past. This type of roofing has maintained its desirable sturdy construction while evolving into a more up-to-date, attractive look. In addition, metal roofs are durable, fire and wind resistant, heat reflecting, lightweight, and easy to install. The downsides to metal roofs are price, insulation, noisy rainstorms, and the possibility of dents or chips to your roof.
Metal also has a very high tolerance to heat and won't burn except at extreme temperatures. So metal roofing is awarded the highest fire retardant rating, which keeps your family safer, increases the resale value of a home, and decreases the rates of your insurance. Metal is also resistant to wind, so if you live in a windy locale prone to hurricanes this type of roofing has an additional attractive feature just for you.
Metal roofs reflect the sun's heat and reduce the cooling burden in the summer as a result. While they have almost no insulation value of their own, this can easily be gotten around by using a dead space between the metal components and the underlying roof components or by the use of insulating materials. Use of sound deadening insulations also reduces the objection to possible noise related to weather. Heat can also cause contraction and expansion of metal, and some loosening of connectors.
When attempting to reduce construction costs, one option is metal roofing. This is due to the lightness, which decreases the amount of support members that are necessary. The low weight of the metal roofs also allows for them to be installed over an existing roof, erasing the need to remove the old one and saving both time and money. Metal roofing often comes in large sheets, and installation takes less time as a result. This can be a problem, however, if large sections need to be replaced, and it can be hard to match when building an addition.
The single reason that people decide against metal roofs is the cost. These types of roofs can be very expensive, but finding discount metal roofing is possible. Whether discounted or not, metal roofs are always an excellent value because of their long life. You can reasonably expect to get 20 to 50 years out of a metal roof. In fact, it is likely to last longer than the house it's on! If you plan to stay in your home for a long time, metal can be a great bargain for you.
Roofing is a consideration for any home, and a significant expense for existing homes. When selecting a roof, take into consideration cost, lifetime cost, durability, and the length of time you intend to live in the home. Most people associated metal roofs with cheap tin in previous years. Modern residential metal roofing is more attractive and functional, with the advantages that current technology can provide. The greatest barrier to the use of metal is the expense, since the cost falls into the premium price range. Discount metal roofing is available, and in any case the long lifespan may make metal effective cheaper than roofs that seem a bargain.
Published October 6th, 2007