Your roof plays a vital role in comfort, weather protection, and energy efficiency – which is why it pays to carefully consider which material to use for your home’s roof. While all types of roofing material are manufactured with the aforementioned considerations in mind, three types of roofing material, in particular, are known to bring what homeowners consider as the best value for the money. In this three-part blog, we look at the top contenders in the roofing market: metal, slate, and tile.
Metal Roofs
According to the Metal Roofing Alliance, metal roofing garners more than a 10 percent share in the market for re-roofing – which is indicative of its rising popularity among both residential and commercial property owners. And for many good reasons, not the least of which is energy efficiency. As a roofing material, metal offers many advantages that can translate into cost savings.
Functionality and Durability
Metal roofs can withstand damage from harsher weather elements, including extreme heat, hail, snow, and high winds. Metal meets the requirements of tests conducted for water penetration (ASTM E1646, ASTM E2140, TAS 114 Appendix G), air infiltration and leakage (ASTM E1680), and wind-driven rain (TAS 100, AAMA 501.1). In addition, it satisfies ASTM E1592, UL 580, and TAS 125, tests that measure wind uplift resistance.
Metal roofs are durable because they are designed with mechanical fasteners that lend more strength to the roofing system and they’re also coated with paints that further improve their durability. As a result, the material does not easily corrode or crack.
Extensive Lifespan and Minimal Maintenance
Metal roofs can last anywhere from 40 to 70 years. What’s more, metal roofs require less maintenance than other roofing materials.
But how about installation costs?
The cost of a metal roof ranges anywhere from $125-$1110 per square foot. However, considering that a metal roof’s life expectancy runs to 40 to 70 years or more, the investment can be well worth it. In addition, metal’s durability and weather performance can offset the constant cost of repairs that you might have needed (especially during inclement weather events), had you gone for a different type of roofing material. To give you an idea of your potential savings: compared to, say, an asphalt roof that may be cheaper to install, a metal roof will last three times longer.
And because metals roofs need very little maintenance, all you need is to schedule routine checkups to make sure your roof is functioning properly.
But are you limited to just metal? What if you don’t quite like the material or look? In the second part of this series, we tackle another roofing material option that keeps on giving.
