If it’s time for a new roof, perhaps it’s also time to consider your options. Traditional roofs consisting of wood, asphalt, or fiberglass shingles are popular, and they’re what many of us are comfortable with. But it can also be worthwhile to talk over your metal roofing options with an experienced metal roofing contractor like Conrad Roofing.

Metal Roofing Advantages

Why do people choose metal roofing? There are many advantages to a metal roof.

• • Durability: A traditional asphalt roof needs to be re-roofed every 12 to 20 years; metal roofing outlasts traditional roofing materials because it’s engineered to take any punishment Mother Nature dishes out.
  • Efficiency: Your heating and cooling costs are likely to be lower because metal roofs do a better job of keeping you cool in winter and trapping heat in summer. Bonus: they’re also less prone to leak!
  • Long-Term Savings: Because of the materials used and the skill required to install by a qualified metal roofing contractor, metal roofs cost more in the short term. But when you’ve got a product that can be warranted for thirty to fifty years, you realize that you could easily go through two or three traditional roofs during the time you’ve got an equivalent metal roof. In fact, your metal roof may well outlast you!
  • Resale Value: Besides adding curb appeal, a metal roof adds to resale value because it needs less maintenance.
  • Variety: As you’ll see below, metal roofs are available in more styles than you probably realized.

Metal Roof Types

If you’re not as familiar with metal roofs as we are at Conrad Roofing, the phrase “metal roof” probably brings to mind one very specific type of metal roof: the plain vertical panel roofs that are a mainstay of houses, industrial parks, self-storage sheds, and other types of structures. That’s the most common type, but hardly the only one. Your options include:

Metal Tiles

These can be textured and shaped to look like all kinds of materials, from slate to attractive Mediterranean terra cotta tiles. However, these weigh a fraction of their stone counterparts, making them much easier to design around from a structural standpoint, and much more practical in heavy snow.

Metal Shingles

Stronger, lighter, and more water-tight than traditional asphalt shingles, metal shingles offer other advantages as well. There’s a broader range of colors and textures available, making it easy to perfectly match or contrast your roofing and siding.

Metal Shakes

Cedar and other wood shakes are lovely, but they’re prone to weather badly and decay. They’re also prone to moss buildup, and things like leaves and pine needles stick to them as if they’ve been applied with Velcro. Metal shakes give you the texture and character but with fire and weather resistance.

Vertical Panels

As mentioned above, these are so common that they’re often the first thing people think of when they think about a metal roof. Their ease of installation and clean look makes them ideal in a number of applications, they clean easily, and they’re as durable as they are economical. They’re also a great fit for more modern home designs, where a wood or slate look isn’t desired.

If you’re unsure of where to start, or would like to weigh the different options, benefits, and drawbacks of a metal roof, it’s time to consult the experts. Conrad Roofing is here to help!