Lightning, Hail, Rust, & Dents: Common Metal Roofing Myths

In the metal roofing industry, there are a handful of persistent myths that may have you wondering if re-roofing your home with metal is as wise a move as you’ve heard it was. If myths are all that stand between you and a new metal roof, you’ll be happy to watch them vanish before your very eyes.

Myth 1: Metal roofs are loud in the rain

This myth exists because people picture a metal roof on a barn or a workshop that sounds like an avalanche in pounding rain. But nobody would install a metal roof that way on your home. First, your current roof will remain in place and serve as a noise barrier, and second, insulation can be added between the current roof and the metal roof to further reduce noise.

Fact: Metal roofs are no louder than other roofs in the rain.

Myth 2: Lightning loves metal roofs

The theory goes like this: lightning rods are made of metal, so a metal roof becomes one big lightning rod in a thunder storm. The thing is, while metal is a good conductor of lightning, it’s not an attractor. Lightning normally strikes the most-elevated object in its playground, be it a tree or a telephone pole or a lightning rod. If a metal roof is struck, it will conduct and disperse electricity, unlike most other roofs, which take the full brunt of the strike in a single area and can be seriously damaged.

Fact: Metal roofs are safer in lightning storms than other roofing materials.

Myth 3: Metal roofs are easily damaged by hail

Today’s high-quality metal roofing panels are hard to damage and almost impossible to penetrate. You may have seen an asphalt shingle roof – especially an older one – end up tattered and torn by a fierce hail storm. But you’ve never seen a metal roof with twisted, crumpled sheets after this kind of weather event. Metal is the strongest roofing material you can buy, which is why it holds up for decades in the worst possible weather.

Fact: Metal roofs are highly resistant to hail and any other type of damage.

Myth 4: Metal roofs become heat blankets in the summer

It’s easy to see how this myth got started: we know that metal gets hot, so we figure a whole bunch of metal on top of a house will serve as a giant heater. The truth is, metal roofing materials can be engineered to do just the opposite: they can reflect the heat of the sun, sending it away from the house. Most metal roof owners find their homes much cooler in the summer with a well-made metal roof.

Fact: Metal roofs have the ability to cool – not heat – your home.

Myth 5: Metal roofs are ugly

This goes back to the barn and workshop examples used above. The metal roofs you see on these types of outbuildings usually are made from the cheapest materials with only function in mind. For homes, metal roofing comes in a variety of beautiful colors and textures that add a lovely touch to any home design.

Fact: Metal roofs are sharp and stylish.

If you’re holding on to any other metal roofing myths, get them debunked by calling the experts, Advanced Aluminum of Lakeland, FL. We produce top-line metal roofing materials used by leading contractors throughout the Lakeland region. Call us today at (863) 648-5787.