Advantages & Benefits of Metal Roofing
Contents
With a vast abundance of roofing materials on the market today, it is no surprise that homeowners are quite perplexed when it comes to picking the right type of roofing material for a re-roofing project. Residential roofing materials vary in price, expected lifespan, and the material they are made out of. In this guide, I’m going to share a few insights into how to pick roofing materials the right way.
Lifespan
One of the most important criteria in evaluating potential roofing materials is the average expected lifespan of a particular material in question. The reason for this is quite obvious, the more years of useful life we can get out of a roofing system, the more valuable and least costly the roofing system will be to a homeowner. In other words, if I install a roofing system type X that lasts for 20 years and costs the same as roofing system type Y that lasts for 50 years, then I’m clearly better off with roofing system type Y because I get 30 more years of useful service life from the type Y roofing system.
Thus, a roofing system type Y is more valuable to me than roofing system type X, because it gave me 30 more years of Service Life. Not only that, but if I divide the cost of both roofing systems over their lifespan, then roofing system type Y will also cost less per year than roofing system type X. And this means that roofing system type X is more expensive than roofing system type Y.
So, what is the point of these calculations? The point is simple, which is that it is in my best interest to select a roofing system that can last longer and costs less over time. With that point in mind, let’s consider the most common roofing system used for re-roofing, and new construction today; asphalt shingle roofing is the most widely used roofing system in the US. Yet, asphalt shingle averages anywhere from 12 to 17 years of Service Life. Not to mention that asphalt shingle roof contains a significant amount of petroleum and oil by-products that go into its making. When it comes time to replace the asphalt shingle roof, it is usually stripped off the roof and sent to the landfill. This is not ideal by any means, because it is irresponsible and damaging to the environment and it affects our ecology and consequently, all of us are at loss.
Cost
Now, let’s consider a metal roofing system that costs double the cost of asphalt shingle roofing, but can last for 50 plus years. Yes, its initial bottom line cost is higher than that of an asphalt shingle roof, but if we do a mathematical analysis of calculating roofing costs over time, that it actually costs less than an asphalt shingle roof. Now there are also yearly savings on cooling costs resulting from having a metal roof. If you add up all the energy savings on cooling costs over the 50 years, then it will add up to a quite significant amount. Also, by installing a metal roofing system, the appraised value of your home increases, and stays there. In other words, if you were to sell your house after having installed a new metal roof, then you would recoup most of the money that she spent on a metal roof in the first place.
Efficiency
Metal roofing is also considered a green roofing material because it is energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. Metal roofs are fully recyclable at the end of their Service Life, which means that there is no need to pollute the environment by sending it off to the landfill. Thus, a metal roofing system provides an energy-efficient, green roofing alternative to an asphalt shingle roof. And metal roof actually costs less than an asphalt shingle roof in a long run. Also, a feeling of doing good, and a beauty of a pristine-looking new metal roof can be quite priceless to any homeowner.
Environmental Concerns
Metal roofing plays a quintessential environmental role. Asphalt shingles roofing is a petroleum-based product that contributes to environmental degradation and increases our dependence on foreign oil. Every year, over thirteen billion pounds of asphalt shingles are being dumped into our landfills. Why contribute to this environmentally irresponsible trend when you can get an energy-efficient and fully recyclable metal roof?
Benefits
Are you sick and tired of wasting your time, money, and mental energy on remedial roof repairs that never seem to work, wasteful roof maintenance, and the inevitable roof replacements every now and then? There is a better way! Metal roofing gives you a long-lasting and maintenance-free roof. With metal roofing you can reap the benefits of a drastically improved curb appeal, increased resale value, and improved salability of your home. It is also a financially sound and lasting investment providing energy savings, and reliable protection from large hailstones coming from severe thunderstorms, hurricane winds, forest fires, and ices dams in the winter.
