Why Metal Roofing Is The New King Of Roofing Materials

AESTHETICS
Metal roofing has the most aesthetic variety of any roofing material and can come in almost any color and be stamped in a variety of shapes and designs such as cedar shakes, tile shingles and other traditional styles.

50 YEAR WARRANTY
Many metal roofing manufacturers provide a 50 year or lifetime warranty on their products. Metal roofs have lifespans of 2 - 3 times longer than traditional asphalt roofs and are virtually indestructible. A longer lifetime can actually save you money over having to replace an asphalt roof 2 or 3 times in the same period of time.

WINDSTORM PROTECTION
Many metal roofs are guaranteed to withstand winds of 120 miles per hour, and are a perfect roofing solution for coastal areas and other areas susceptible to windstorms and hurricanes. Almost 80% of all metal roofing installations are homeowners having to replace a damaged roof and are upgrading to a stronger roofing systems.

HAILSTORM PROTECTION
Metal roofing is also very durable against hailstorms and other severe forms of weather. Many metal roofing manufacturers have earned Class-4 hail-resistive ratings which is the highest hailstorm rating a roofing product can receive.

ENERGY EFFICIENT
Metal roofs are energy efficient because most are coated with special reflective paints that reduce the temperature of the roof.

COOLS YOUR HOUSE IN SUMMER
In addition, most metal roofing installations have an air channel below them which allows natural ventilation to further dissipate heat and to prevent direct radiation of the heat into the housing structure.

FREE TAX CREDIT
Many metal roofing products will qualify for a $500 energy tax credit which you can claim with the IRS.

EARTH FRIENDLY
Aluminum metal roofing is often made from recycled aluminum cans and is considered a recycled product and can help reduce our impact on the earth’s natural resources.

LIGHTWEIGHT
Metal roofing is one of the lightest roofing materials available in the marketplace and usually do not require roof brace and rafter reinforcing like tile and concrete roofs. In earthquake zones sleeping under a lighter roofing system can give you greater peace of mind.

MAINTENANCE FREE
Metal roofing is virtually maintenance free. There is really nothing you have to do to maintain this roof.

FIRE RESISTIVE
Metal roofing is considered to be a fire retardant material and can help lessen the chance of fires spreading when burning embers land on the roofing surface. Several home insurance companies will give a premium discount to homeowners that have a class-4 rated metal roof as it reduces your risk of fire, wind and hail damage.

[ -- ARTICLE USE POLICY -- You are permitted to freely copy and use this article on your website, RSS, or e-zine ONLY IF the article text is not changed or altered in any way and the hyperlinks inside the article are active and working. Sites found violating this reprint condition will be subject to legal action for copyright infringement. When using this article you may remove this legal notice -- ]

S.A. Smith is a freelance writer, contributor, and editor of the Steel Metal Roofing information portal which reports on the latest metal roofing construction news and developments in the steel and metal roofing industry.