All Hail The Metal Roofing!

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August 6, 2012 byOlger Fallas in Carpentry with Comments Off

Have you noticed the recent and drastic changes in the weather patterns across the globe? What were previously temperate climates are not subjected to weather phenomena that were exclusively proprietary to the tropical or arctic regions.

It comes as no surprise that many homeowners had to file insurance claims when their home’s roofing suffered massive damage as a result of powerful winds and hail storms. These problems are quite typical especially for homes that have conventional shingle roofs.

But why exactly are these roofing solutions so susceptible to the outbreaks of the elements? And, more importantly, what recommends the metal roof as a superior alternative? Let me answer one question at a time, folks.

Shingle roofing’s vulnerability to hail and wind explained

First of all, you need to remember one simple thing: the only reasons why shingles stay attached to the upper section of your home are the adhesives utilized and their own weight. While the combination of these two factors is generally enough to make the shingles stay fastened in place, the strength of the adhesives wears out over time. Therefore, you might expect the new roof to withstand hail blows and strong gusts of wind, but sooner or later it will give in.

Furthermore, over the last few years, the competitiveness among the shingle manufactures has determined them to try cutting down the production costs as much as they can in order to stay in business. One of the solutions they chose for this purpose was to utilize lower quality adhesives for the shingles. Low quality adhesive is simply not able to confer the roofing the same level of flexibility, meaning that their lifespan is considerably diminished particularly in windy areas.

In addition, let’s examine the typical materials utilized in the manufacturing of the shingles. This list includes asphalt, composite alloys, fiberglass and, to a lesser extent, wood. All of these prefabricated materials have a limited durability to powerful, constant impacts. This translated to a poor performance in terms of resilience to hail. Over time, they will develop fissures that constantly grow, weakening the internal structure of the individual shingle up to the point when they crack.

At the same time, even the tiniest fissure constitutes a vulnerability to water infiltration that will damage the internal structure even further as it erodes the shingle. A roof that is no longer waterproof is essentially useless because its main role – keeping the water away from your walls and foundation – is not fulfilled. Now, let’s examine how the metal roofing performs.

Metal roofs and their potential

Metal roofing just doesn’t suffer the same problems as shingles because the method utilized in attaching it to your home and fastening it into place consists of interlocking panels rather than adhesives and weight. The connectors of these panels are ingeniously concealed and will not spoil the aspect of your roofing, but there is also another benefit to them: guaranteed weather-tight seal.

You see, there is just no way for water or wind to penetrate the tough shell of the metal roofing and hail just bounces right off. Metal (zinc coated with aluminum, steel, etc.) does not crack or develop fissures like wood or asphalt. This is exactly the reason why roofs constructed from metals are highly recommended for regions where the fury of the elements is more intense.

However, I also want to give you another reason for choosing this roofing solution: while few of the materials utilized in shingles can be recovered, metal roofs are completely recyclable products. Therefore, if the image of huge landfills covered with the unrecyclable asphalt shingles disturbs you and if you want to make the world of tomorrow better, then metal roofs are for you.

If you want to take things one step further, then I should point out that the nature of the metal roofs permits you to install solar panels easier. As of such, not only will the roof return your original investment completely in less than ten years, but you can get some (or all)of your electrical energy from solar panels. I won’t deny that the quality metal roofing will require a larger investment on your part, especially in hiring professionals for the job, but in the long run, it all evens out and you won’t regret it!