Metal Versus Shingle Roofing
When it comes to choosing roofing for your home, you need to be particular with your choice of materials. Some common material choices for residential roofing are metal and shingles. Here is a close look at how metal compares to shingle roofing.
Metal Roofs Have a Stronger Resistance to Extreme Elements
When you compare metal to shingle roofing, it offers more resistance to fire. Metal roofing is classified as Class A fire-rated and non-combustible. This makes it the most resistant material to fire compared to other materials. Therefore, it's advisable to use this material in places prone to wildfires.
Additionally, metal is the strongest compared to materials like wood, concrete, and plastic. Metal roofing is capable of withstanding strong winds, snow, hail and ice, and extreme cold. Shingles are weaker than metal in withstanding these elements.
Metal Roofs Are Durable
In most cases, metal roofs come with 30-50 year warranties. This is because they often last up to 70 years. However, some notable weaknesses of metal include falling branches and extreme hail, which could dent the roof.
Shingles last for a shorter period. First, damp conditions and pooling water attract fungus and algae. Ice dams can also cause cracks. Temperature spikes during the day and night can reduce the life of shingles. These roofs also come with 15-30-year warranties, but their durability will depend on the region and climate.
Metal Roofs Are Expensive
Asphalt shingles are affordable and easy to install. These roofs require expertise to install. The average cost of shingles is between $2,000 and $10,000. However, the average cost of metal roofing is between $4,500 and $11,500.
While asphalt is cheaper to install, metal roofing is durable. This may be one of the reasons a person chooses metal over asphalt roofing. Nevertheless, make your choice based on budget and preference.
Appearance Is Subjective
Like the cost, sometimes the appearance is a subjective thing. This means whether a person opts for one material over the other because of curb appeal is a matter for debate. Asphalt can be made to resemble wood shakes and slate-style roofs. You can have various light and dark granules for each shingle for a rounded appearance.
On the other hand, metal roofing has distinct looks. It comes in various colors. Metal roofs too can be manufactured to mimic the looks of other materials like shingles.
In Conclusion
When choosing roofing materials, one of the factors you need to consider is strength and durability. You also need to think about appearance. Lastly, there is the factor of choice. Based on your budget and expectations, your roofer will help you choose the right material based on your home's structure.
Can you imagine hammering away at shingles from dawn until dusk? If this sounds like fun, then you may have a future in the roofing industry. If this does not sound fun at all, then you're going to be someone who calls a roofing company and leave the work to the professionals. There's nothing wrong with that. Roofing is hard and dangerous; it's definitely not for everyone. In fact, we don't climb up on the roof ourselves. We do, however, write about roofing on this blog. We consider that to be a small service we can do for homeowners who are interested in roofing and want to know more.