I know that I’m biased because I’m a metal roofing contractor but even taking that into consideration it’s hard to ignore the facts. Metal roofing is coming back in a big way. What do I mean by “coming back”. Well, Metal Roofing dates back to biblical times. It has always been a desired premium roofing option.
In today’s residential roofing market the options are many—-metal roofing, tile, slate, shingles, modified bitumen, and the list continues. However, today we are going to talk about the two most popular roofing materials: Shingle vs. Metal Roofing.
Shingles are a popular option due to low cost and easy installation. Asphalt shingles have been around a long time. Long enough for landfills to be riddled with them. Did you know that 1/3 of all the waste in US landfills is construction related? Yep, and shingles account for 5% of annual building related waste to the tune of 11 million tons of asphalt roofing shingles a year. Asphalt shingles are not manufactured to be long-lasting and are known as one of the least durable roofing systems. According to current research shingles are also contributing to air pollution:
“The Washington State Climate Action Team indicates that finding alternative solutions to landfilling bulky construction waste such as asphalt roofing shingles, can eliminate approximately 1.7 million metric tons of harmful carbon dioxide emissions.”
Ok, so moving on from the environmental impact let’s talk about the impact on your wallet. Asphalt shingles have to be replaced every 15-18 years in Florida. I know what the package says (Lifetime shingles) but sometimes the print isn’t always accurate. Have you ever had a cup of coffee at one of those places where the front window reads “world’s best cup of coffee”. It’s kind of like that. The residential shingle market in the US took a huge hit in 2008 when the market crashed and as a result they scrambled around asking themselves “how in the world are we going to make it”. And the “lifetime warranty” on shingles was born. This is the most “fluffy” meaningless warranty on the market, so don’t be fooled into thinking your asphalt shingle roof will last a lifetime or even 30 years in Florida because it WILL NOT. No matter what the roofing salesman says.
So we know that the cost of replacement has got to be a factor, now let’s move onto energy efficiency. An average asphalt shingle (grey) has a solar reflectance rating of 0.08. This means that 92% of the solar energy that hits the shingle is being absorbed into your home. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that this isn’t good.
“Asphalt shingles absorb a lot of heat, and that heat doesn’t stop at the roofline; it streams into the structure and increases the indoor temperature by 20 to 25 degrees [source: Florida Solar Energy Center]”
And we could go on and on….Durability in high winds, combustibility and flammability, aesthetics and architectural value, recoup cost rates and investment. Taking all of this into consideration it might be worth it to look at other options.
Metal roofing as I stated before has been around for a long time. The reason is because it is very effective as a roofing system. Its light weight at an average of 100lb per square vs. shingles at 360lb per square give this roofing material an extremely high strength to weight ratio. Metal roofing has an extremely high impact rating so if you go with this option make sure to tell your insurance company that you have a metal roof with a UL2218 Impact rating and they may be able to offer you up to a 30% discount.
Because of the strength and durability of metal and aluminum, metal roofing often comes with a 25-40 year rust and corrosion warranty. This is a conservative warranty, I have seen metal roofs properly maintained last 60-70 years or more. I like the fact that metal roofing manufactures have not gone the way of shingle manufactures as far as warranties go. When you get a warranty from a metal roofing manufacturer you can rest assured that if anything happens within that warranty period then they will take care of it. Environmentally metal roofing is 100% recyclable and is being utilized more and more in LEED building projects because of this and its energy efficiency. On average metal roofing boast a reflectance rating of 60% or more meaning less heat gets into your home saving you money!
“As reported by the Cool Metal Roofing Coalition and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, installation of reflective metal roofing can save your home up to 40% in summer cooling energy costs while highly emissive metal roofs can reduce urban air temperatures by as much as 12 ° F. “
So I could go on and on in regards to the benefits of metal roofing but one of the major factors in my mind is the architectural beauty of classic metal roofing. There is something about the clean lines and sharp finishes of a metal roof that make it a work of art and a beauty to behold. If you are in the market for a new roof please consider metal roofing as an alternative to shingles. You will be making a smart decision for the environment and your wallet! For more questions about metal roofing call The Roof Duck ©Watertight Roofing Systems at 904-345-0663
A fully Licensed Metal Roofing Contractor Serving Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Ponte Vedra, Ponte Vedra Beach, St Augustine, St Johns County, Duval County and surrounding areas.
