Steel roofing is becoming more and more popular for residential homes across North America. These new roofs look great but in large part, there’s still a pretty sizeable percentage of homeowners who don’t know much about steel roofing. As a professional roofing contractor, we want to highlight some of the pros and cons of steel roofing, to help you decide if it’s right for you.
Steel Roofing Pros
Metal roofs have a long life span, with some warranties extending to as high as 20 to 50 years. Resistant to wind, fire, insects, mildew, and deterioration, a metal or steel roof does need to be properly installed though.
The weight of a metal roof is significantly less heavy than a conventional roof. This makes installing on an older house easy because you know it’s not going to require much structural support.
For those of us living in regions where the snow and ice come heavy during winter, metal roofing has a smooth finish allowing that stuff to glide right off. Unlike a traditional asphalt roof, there is no absorption in the material and your steel will be kept near to brand new for a long time.
Metal or steel roofs are also very environmentally friendly. They are easily recycled at the end of their life span.
Most metal roofs can be installed quickly and safely by any trained roofing contractor. Due to the nature of them being easy to install and keeping in mind the interlocking design, it makes it more difficult for a leak to become present. Also, because they are metal and non-combustible, that makes them fireproof as well.
Steel Roofing Cons
The biggest con to steel roofing is likely the upfront cost which is higher than what one would pay for traditional shingles. Depending on the type and look of the metal, it can get costly.
That said, the difference is almost always recouped over time as steel and metal roofs last longer than their asphalt counterparts.
There are a number of other things to consider when it comes to steel roofing, such as being susceptible to scratching or denting when walking on it improperly (we can teach our customers on how to walk on their roof in order to avoid damage). As a material, metal is also more sensitive to temperature expansion and contraction, however properly installed metal panels will compensate for that .
Conclusion
Steel roofing is a newer, premium product that is worth considering for anyone looking to update their property. There are many factors to weigh, yes, however if one can cover the initial cost of material and installation, in the long-term they will be mighty thankful they did.
It’s a big investment installing a steel roof on your home but doing so will provide you with something that is built to last. For more information on what steel roofing type may be right for your property, contact a local professional roofing contractor to advise you.