Planning Your Metal Roofing Project
As you begin planning your roofing project, consider the following three tips to help make it a successful project:
- Determine what is going to be done with your old roofin some cases, you will not have to pay for the removal of the old roof, since it may be possible to install the metal roof on top of what is there.
- Check with your municipality/HOA before you buyas with any modification to the exterior of your home, you might violate local HOA statutes by installing a metal roof.
- Ask the roofing companies you have requested bids from how long their proposal is good for. Any number of factors in the metals market could cause the price to go up if you sit on the bid too long before giving the go-ahead.
Water Heat And Environment
Metal Roofing
In general, metal roofing is said to be cooler in warm climates, due to the fact that the metal will reflect most of the sunlight and heat that beats down on the top of a structure. Be wary, thoughthe same effect can make homes built in colder climates a bit more expensive to heat.
Homeowners with metal roofs tend to report fewer issues with accumulated snow and precipitation . The environmental impact of manufacturing metal roof products is comparable to the same measurements on the production of asphalt shingles.
Asphalt Shingles
Asphalt shingled homes tend to be warmer overall, costing their owners a bit more in the summer and in warmer climates when it comes to keeping the structure cool, but saving homeowners in colder climates on their heating costs.
Between metal and shingle options, shingled roofs tend to deal with more issues related to accumulated snow and precipitation. There is little to no difference in the environmental impacts caused by manufacturing roofing products out of metal versus asphalt shingle materials.
What Do You Want From Your Roof
In summary, both metal roofing and asphalt shingles are popular and have their advantages.
For shingles, the advantages are price and low installation costs. While those are certainly valid considerations, both of those attributes are short-term. Conversely, metal roofing is well known for providing long-term value, exceptional performance, and a solid return on investment.
It all boils down to what you want. If low-cost today is your only criteria , then a shingle roof will be your best option. If, however, youre more interested in a roof that does the following, then metal roofing could be a serious consideration in your roof replacement journey:
- Lasts for decades
- Increases the curb appeal of your home
- Requires less maintenance
- Increases the value of your home
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The Difference Between Metal Roof Vs Shingle Roof
The main difference between metal and shingle roofs is simple: they are made from different materials.
A metal roof is a blanket term for a roof composed of various metals.
Metal roofs are available in:
- Tin
- Copper
- Zinc
Some of the oldest buildings in the world have metal roofs. Though metal roofing did not become popular in America until the mid-19th century, the concept dates back to the earliest days of civilization. In fact, Paul revere was a silversmith and likely a roofer as well!
Here is a more in depth look at the pros and cons of metal roofing:
Need An Expert For Your Roofing Project
Whether youre interested in the energy efficiency of a metal roof or the classic design of a shingle roof, trust Long Roofing for your roof replacement. They specialize in both metal and asphalt shingle roof replacements and use only the best products on the market.
Call 866-270-7058 or visit them online to get a quote, schedule a free, in-home consultation or find answers to any of your roofing questions!
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Is It Difficult To Replace Asphalt With Metal
Replacing shingles with metal roofing requires more labor and time than it takes to install asphalt shingles. However, an experienced roofing contractor can adequately replace your roof with metal panels with minimal difficulty.
The roofing specialist might need to remove the asphalt shingles first, but it’d be much easier if they’re able to install the metal panels on top of your old roofing. You can consult with them about the installation process and how much the roof replacement may cost.
Greater Longevity And Durability
Perhaps the number one reason homeowners look into metal roofing materials is for their longevity. Any homeowner who has had to replace shingle after asphalt shingle knows that traditional roofs have a lifespan of between 15 and 30 years. Metal roofs, on the other hand, tend to last between 30 and 50 years.
Additionally, while metal roofs can become dented, it typically takes quite a bit of pressure to do this. By contrast, it takes much less force to tear or damage asphalt shingles.
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What Type/profile Of Roofing And Color Do You Want
We have 5 beautiful profiles to choose from.
They emulate the look of traditional roofing, but with all the benefits of our metal roofing but not every profile costs the same.
We also have 11 colors to choose from, which also include 3 premium options which will affect the cost.
These contribute to giving you a final cost of your metal roof.
So the answer to how much metal roofing costs is it depends.
Every roof is different and will require an estimate from one of our roofing experts. Which is cool, because the estimates are free.
Metal Roof Warranties Versus Shingle Warranties
When getting a new roof, youll have warranties on your contractors workmanship and your roofing materials from the manufacturer.
The workmanship warranty will depend on the local roofing contractor you hire. However, the warranty you get on the materials for a metal roof and an asphalt roof are very different.
All 3 types of asphalt shingles come out of the package with a standard manufacturer warranty. For example, a dimensional asphalt shingle comes with a 30-year prorated warranty.
However, if you use all of one manufacturers roofing components instead of mixing and matching from other companies, you can qualify to get the 50-year non-prorated enhanced warranty. Once you register your roof with the manufacturer, the enhanced warranty covers your entire roof for the next 50 years.
Unfortunately, standing seam metal roof panels dont have an enhanced warranty. It comes with a 30-year paint warranty that covers the protective coating on the metal panels.
Even though its only covered for 30 years, that doesnt mean the paint will disappear once the warranty expires. No matter which roof you choose, both have great warranty options if you invest in quality.
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Selecting A Metal Roofing Contractor
To guarantee the longevity of your metal roof, the installation should be carried out by a professional with technical know-how and experience. To pick the best metal roofer, use the following criteria when looking at the professionals here on HomeGuide before you make your final selection. Create a list of contractors who have as many of these as possible:
- Are A/A+ rated with the better business bureau
- Are licensed, insured, and bonded in your state
- Have been installing metal roofs for at least five years
- Present you with documentation detailing roof specs, total costs of materials and labor, manufacturer-approved installation methods, and available warrantiesdetails of the base warranty package and upgrade optionsin their proposal.
- Are highly rated on HomeGuide and Google
Get free estimates on HomeGuide from trusted metal roof installers:
Advantages Of Metal Roofs
Metal roofs offer many benefits, including:
- Longevity. Metal roofs can last 40-70 years, depending on the material. Traditional asphalt roofing materials have an estimated life expectancy of roughly 12-20 years.
- Durability. If installed correctly, some metal roofs can sustain wind gusts up to 140 miles per hour, will not corrode or crack and may be impact-resistant . In addition, metal roofs don’t need the periodic costly maintenance that other roofing materials often require. However, they should be inspected periodically to make sure no repairs are required.
- Safety. Metal roofs will not spark and ignite into flames during a wildfire or lightning strike.
- Energy efficiency. Metal roofs reflect the suns UV and infrared light rays that contribute to roof surface radiant heat, which can result in a 10-25% reduction in cooling costs.
- Environmentally friendly. Metal roofs not only have 25-95% recycled content, depending on the material used, but are also 100% recyclable at the end of their life as a roof. In contrast, most shingle tear-off waste ends up as part of the building-related waste stream up to 20 billion pounds per year.
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Asphalt Shingles Vs Metal Roof Cost: Real Life Example
For our example below, we will compare the cost you’ll pay over time if you have a 2,500 square foot roof. These numbers are based on averages for the cost and lifespan of each option. Because you’ll have to replace shingle roofing every 15 years or so, you’ll see the cost of a new roof at 15-year increments below.
Metal Roof Vs Shingles: Maintenance
Roof maintenance doesnt top anyones list of fun things to do, yet it must be done to ensure a roofs longevity.
With asphalt shingles, most maintenance involves penetrations through the roof where adhesives, metal flashing and sealants are used. Those sealants deteriorate over time and therefore need to be replaced. And rubber pipe boots the flashings for plumbing pipes that come through the roof are also prone to break down and need attention or replacement.
On a properly installed metal roof, penetrations are flashed with matching metal. If a sealant is used, its as the first line of defense, but the true water tightness comes from the flashing design and the way it channels water off of the roof, Miller says.
On a metal roof, rubber pipe boots are often covered with metal to match the roof, not only for aesthetics, but to protect the soft rubber from the suns damaging rays. That lengthens its life considerably.
Winner: Metal roofing. While maintenance costs for an asphalt shingle roof arent outrageous, a metal roof simply requires less.
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What Are Impact Resistant Roofs
Impact resistant roofs are designed to withstand windstorms and hail. They are referred to as hail resistant roofs and will require less repairs and will last longer. A metal roof is a class 4 hail resistant roof. This means that the roof was tested by Underwriters Laboratories and has a UL 2218 impact rating.
For more information about impact resistant roofing, we recommend reading:
Pros And Cons Round Up
Weve covered a lot of ground so lets review. Here is a list of the advantages of both materials. There are items below we didnt mention above, all of which relate to the overall value of your roof.
What we like about standing seam:
- unexposed seams make for less chance of moisture to seep below the roof line
- factory finished colors are greater in number compared to asphalt shingles
- energy efficient metal roofing will allow inside of a home to be cooler in summer than asphalt shingles
- metal roofing is 100% recyclable whereas asphalt shingles are often destined for landfills by the metric ton annually
- Return on investment favors metal roofing, coming in at 87%, compared to architectural shingles that are between 70% and 80%
- Metal will last longer than asphalt shingles, anywhere from twice to three times as long
- Metal weighs less than asphalt shingles
- And metal is mildew and fire resistant, plus impervious to insects and animals
What we like about architectural shingles:
- material costs make architectural shingles more affordable
- finding quality installers that are competitively priced is often much easier with asphalt shingles
- 130 MPH rated architectural shingles can actually be more wind resistant than some metal roofs that are only rate for 110 MPH winds
- color variation from shingle to shingle makes for a more diverse appearance on the roof than standing seam
- in most locations, choosing architectural shingles will blend in with what rest of neighborhood has
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So Which Roofing Material Is Right For Your Project
Both styles have their advantages and disadvantages. If you are on a tighter budget, maybe you should opt for Galvalume. But, if you have more leeway with money and care a great deal about the color of your roof matching your home, you should choose to paint your roof. If you go to Maverick Steel for your roofing needs, you cannot go wrong with either option.
Building Sizes
Keep Learning About Metal Roofing
Purchasing a metal roof is a big investment and it requires a lot of research. There are so many things that you need to know. You will need to learn about choosing the correct metal roofing panel, picking the perfect color, gauge, choosing a roofing contractor that specializes in metal roof installation, and on and on. Don’t be discouraged as we have an informative and easy to navigate learning center that has all of the answers. We have both articles and videos that are available at our Metal Roofing Learning Center or our YouTube channel.
In order to make your journey easier we recommend that you read or watch:
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How Much Does A Metal Roof Cost Compared To Shingles
When faced with roof replacement, many homeowners have settled for the cheapest, most popular product – asphalt shingles. But over the past several years, a funny thing has happened. Homeowners, tired of the constant churn of shingle replacement, are searching for better roofing options.
Perhaps thats why residential metal roofing continues to gain in popularity. With increasing frequency, homeowners consider the possibilities of a metal roof on perhaps their most significant investment, their home. Based on recent data, metal roofing now holds 12% of the remodel market share and 8% of the spending for new residential construction.
Think about those statistics for a moment. That means 12% of the homes that need a roof replacement no longer replace their shingle roof with another shingle roof.
Why?
Because in many cases, theyre simply tired of the never-ending cycle of budgeting for and paying off a roof on their home. In the wise words of Albert Einstein, theyre just over the insanity of it all.
Consequently, large numbers of homeowners are researching the possibility of metal roofing for their home, and of course, product cost is a necessary component of any research effort. With metal roofing lasting three times as long, most homeowners expect the product to cost more however, the question is, how much more?
Pros Of Shingle Roofing
An asphalt shingle roof is the more common type of roofing you see in residential areas. It is often seen as the traditional type of roof used for most homes. They are constructed using small pieces of asphalt shingles.
Practical
There is a reason why shingle roofs have stuck around for ages: they are practical. If there is a problem, its easy to fix. You can walk on a shingled roof, so cleaning and maintaining your roof is easier.
Economical
The main advantage of a shingle roof is the overall short-term costs. The installation is much cheaper than installing a metal roof, due in part to the lower cost of material. When a homeowner or commercial property owner is faced with suddenly needing a roof replacement, it is the more economical option upfront, which can be helpful when needing to make a decision and install a roof quickly.
Easy Install
Shingles are easier to transport than a full metal slab. They also offer an easier, quicker installation process.
More Contractors
Shingle roofing is easier to install than metal roofing. This means that you have more contractor options for your work order. Many contractors have experience with shingles, so you can feel safe in finding a qualified professional quickly.
Higher Warranty Coverage
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Metal Roofing Vs Shingle Roofing: Which Material Should You Choose
Metal roofing and shingle roofing are both viable options to choose for your next roofing project, but there are distinct benefits, drawbacks, and differences to know of before you buy.
If youre in the market for a new roof, you might be questioning the type of roof that will work best for you and your home or building. And while its great to have so many options, such as asphalt shingles, metal, wood, tile, or concrete, it can also be overwhelming to weigh all the advantages and disadvantages of each type of roofing material.
Luckily, theres not just one answer for every building, which gives you the freedom to discover the available options, ask any and all questions, and finally make a choice based on factual research.
Here at Sheffield Metals, we think its important to give an honest comparison of everything you need to know about metal roofing systems and asphalt shingle roofing so the decision is easier for you. In this article, expect to learn about:
- The advantages and disadvantages of metal roofing
- The advantages and disadvantages of asphalt shingles
- Important considerations to keep in mind before you choose
Average Cost Of Materials For A Metal Roof
As described above, the average cost of materials for a metal roof is around $12.00 $13.00 per square foot, but that can definitely vary based on your area, the exact type of material you choose for your metal roof, and the idiosyncrasies of your property, and other environmental factors that impact the final metal roofing quote.
Installation and labor costs also make up a major component of the cost of your new metal roof, regardless of the type of materials that you choose, so take that into consideration when you are getting started on choosing a metal roof or any kind of roof for your home.
That said, knowing the average cost of materials for a new metal roof in the United States is an important starting point!
The national average for a new metal roof is $18,500 , but of course, that varies depending on the type of roofing materials, your location, and your property.
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