If your home needs a new roof, you might want to choose metal shingles. Residential metal roofing is very durable, and it has a long life. Your roof could last for several decades and be the last roof you need to buy for your home. You can buy metal shingles in both steel and aluminum. Here are five benefits of metal shingle roofing.
1. Metal Shingles Are Attractive
Metal roofing comes in several solid colors, such as blue, green, gray, and brown. The shingles even have designs stamped on them so a brown metal shingle can look like a wood shake. If you want an attractive roof that's different from regular asphalt shingles, then metal is a good choice.
2. Metal Shingles Are Durable
Metal shingles are tested for wind lift, fire resistance, hail impacts, and other hazards. They are more durable than asphalt shingles, so they stand up to storms better and need fewer repairs. The shingles don't rust or rot. Even the steel shingles are treated so rust isn't a problem.
3. The Shingles Have a Lower Risk of Leaking
Metal shingles are installed so that the fasteners are hidden under the next row of shingles and this makes for a reduced risk of leaking when compared to metal panel roofing.
Rather than the screws and washers being on top where they can deteriorate and leak, the fasteners are hidden under neighboring shingles in the same way asphalt shingle nails are hidden under the shingles above each row. This gives the roof a smoother appearance too.
4. Metal Roofs Can Be Recycled
Residential metal roofing is made from recycled metal and when it's time to remove the roof, the metal can be recycled again. This keeps roofing materials from clogging up landfills. Metal is also environmentally friendly since the shingles last a long time.
5. Metal Roofing Can Keep Your Home Cooler
Metal roofing is energy efficient because it reflects the sun and prevents solar warming of your house. The results are more pronounced when you choose white or light-colored shingles. This could translate into lower power bills in the summer and a reduced need for air conditioning in the spring and fall months.
Residential metal roofing shingles are installed in a similar manner to asphalt shingles. The old roofing is removed first so the deck can be examined for damage. Once water-damaged areas on the deck are replaced, underlayment is applied, and then the shingles are put on a row at a time. That's where the similarity with asphalt shingles ends since your roof will be much more durable and last a lot longer when you install metal shingles.
To learn more about metal roofs, contact a contractor near you.
