Metal Roof vs. Asphalt Shingles – Do You Know the Key Differences?
There are a lot of things we can do without in life, but a roof on our home isn’t one of them. Many options for “keeping a roof over your head” are available, but homeowners don’t give the topic much thought – until their roof begins failing and needs expensive repairs or needs to be completely replaced.
In recent years, metal roofing has grown in popularity throughout the United States, while at the same time, the demand for traditional asphalt shingle roofs has declined. If you don’t know the key differences between metal and asphalt shingle roofs that are driving this popularity trend, keep reading. You might be surprised.
Key Differences With Metal Roofing
Cost
Asphalt shingles are less expensive than metal roofing panels when adding a new roof. But consider: with shingles, you should expect to get about 12 years, plus or minus, of good performance. With metal roofing, it’s common for warranties to start at 40 or 50 years. Add in fixing leaks and other repairs during the life of an asphalt shingle roof (work that is rarely needed with a metal roof), and you’ll see that the money “saved” with asphalt shingles might not be savings after all.
Strength
Pounding rain, gale-force winds, searing heat, chunks of hail and freezing temperatures all wreak havoc with asphalt shingle roofs over the years. Metal roofing products resist all these elements and events. Metal roofs, by their very nature, are virtually indestructible.
Weight
Asphalt shingles, depending on the type of product, can weigh anywhere from 200 to 500 pounds per square. Aluminum metal roofing weighs in at about 50 pounds per square, while steel normally ranges from 100 to 250 pounds per square. The heavier the load, the more stress that’s put upon the house structure. And in the case of a fire, heavier roofs mean more fuel crashing into the home.
Fire
And speaking of fire, metal roofs are highly fire-resistant. No metal roofing product will catch on fire and cause the fire to rapidly spread like asphalt shingles are notorious for doing.
Heat from the sun
Asphalt shingle roofs absorb the summer sun’s intense heat, acting like a thermal blanket over a home. Quality metal roofing coatings do just the opposite: they reflect the heat away from the roof. The result is a cooler interior and less expense needed to maintain a comfortable temperature.
Eco-friendly
When an asphalt shingle roof is torn off (remember – after about 12 or so years), it likely will join more than 10 million tons of asphalt shingles that go to our over-crowded landfills every year. Metal roofing, like metal in general, is recyclable. There’s no need to take it to the dump.
These are some of the many differences between metal roofing and asphalt shingles. If you’d like to know more, call the metal roof experts, Advanced Aluminum of Lakeland, FL. We manufacture top-line metal roofing products that are used by leading contractors throughout the Lakeland region. Give us a call at (863) 648-5787.