Should I Get a Metal Roof for my House?
Whether you’re building a new home or replacing your roof, your choice of roofing material is a big decision. If you’re considering a metal roof, here are some questions to ask yourself.
Questions to Ask Yourself if You’re Considering A Metal Roof
What Is Your Budget?
Budget is a crucial factor when deciding on a residential roofing material. If you’re building a new home, your budget may depend on the size of mortgage or loan you qualify for, or your lifestyle choices. If you’re replacing your current roof, your financial situation may depend on a number of factors. Either way, you must know your budget before making a decision.
A metal roof will cost roughly twice as much as an asphalt roof. Pricing depends on the size of the roof and the length of sheets used, but metal roofs last far longer. This means you won’t have to dish out the money to replace it nearly so soon (perhaps not at all).
What Are Your Priorities?
With new builds, there’s countless other areas of your house to spend money on. You need to decide where your priorities lie. If you’re doing renovations, you need to make the same decision; there will be plenty of tempting upgrades to choose from.
Are you focused on protecting your investment? Are you finally getting that beautiful interior you dream of? Or are you trying to lower your environmental footprint?
Sure you can have a mix of priorities; but if you ask us, protecting your investment should be high on the list. Which option is more likely to get you a higher return on investment—a designer kitchen that may be out of fashion in five years, or a metal roof that will protect the whole home for 50 to 70 years? Even compared to shingles, if you spend the money on a metal roof now, you’ll get it back in ROI. Since shingles need to be replaced sooner than metal roofs, they can’t give the same returns.
Are You Building A New Home?
Metal roofing is an excellent choice for new homes. Yes, they’ll cost more, but since they last 50 to 70 years, you’ll get the cost back in about 20 years. Not only this, you’ll get the peace of mind that comes with a durable roof. Rain and hail will bounce right off; you don’t have to worry about storms knocking shingles loose. Metal roofing can get dented, but you can minimize damage by opting for a thicker gauge metal.
Are You Planning on Collecting Rainwater?
If you ask community gardening groups, they’ll often recommend metal roofs as the best way to collect rainwater. You can collect rainwater from most any type of roof, but the efficiency of water collected is highest on metal roofs. Not only this, there is less chance of chemicals leaching into your water.
Having said this, if you’re concerned about the granules from shingles getting into your water, there are filters available. Typically, you won’t see these granules come loose until the roof is quite aged. Make sure you have proper filtration and testing methods if you plan to use rainwater on edible plants or as potable water.
Common Misconceptions About Metal Roofs
The Sounds of Rain on Metal Roofs Is Comparable to Shingles
We’ve installed countless metal roofs in the Lethbridge and Kootenay areas, and we have had zero complaints about the noise from rain. Still, it’s a common misconception that all metal roofs flood the house with noise from every droplet of rain that falls.
This is certainly the case with some, but those are ones built with low gauge metals. If you’re concerned about hearing rain, opt for a thicker gauge of metal. With this choice, the sound of rain on your roof will be comparable to asphalt roofs. You’ll always be able to hear strong rains and hails, but with metal, you can worry about it less.
You Don’t Need Your Entire Roof to Be Metal
If you love the look of metal but can’t quite afford it, you can get parts of your roof installed with metal and parts with shingle. Look at your roof’s design; are there any slopes that can become focal points with metal sections? This is becoming more common, and it’s a great way to boost curb appeal.
If you’re still not sure if metal roofing is the right choice for your home, read our Pros and Cons or Metal Roofs or give us a call. We’d be happy to dig deeper into these questions with you.
