Compare Metal vs. Asphalt Roofing

The roof is arguably one of the most important parts of a house. Along with the walls, it’s what makes the space a home. But what material makes for the best roofing is hotly debated: do homeowners choose asphalt or metal?

Stack the two side by side and one challenger is sure to come out on top. Consider how these rivals rate against each other.

Average life expectancy
Metal is going to pull ahead out of the gates with a huge advantage here. While asphalt roofing has a reliable age of 20 years or so, metal isn’t so easy to predict. One thing you can be sure of, however, is your metal roof will last much longer than two decades. In fact, you can expect over 70 years of service out of your metal roof.

Energy efficiency
Who knew roofing could be energy efficient? Certainly no one with asphalt on top of their homes. Unlike green appliances or other energy-saving home features, asphalt roofs offer essentially no efficiency bonuses and get a zero star rating from the federal Energy Star program.

Meanwhile, metal roofing maintains its lead in the race, with a solid Energy Star rating and stats showing that right roof type can save homeowners up to 25 percent in home cooling costs! How’s that work? While dark asphalt absorbs heat from the sun, metal roofing reflects heat and can reduce roof surface temperatures by as much as 100 degrees Fahrenheit!

Recyclability
Asphalt roofing isn’t only non-recyclable, it’s filling landfills on a daily basis. In fact, 13 billion pounds of asphalt roofing are dumped on a yearly basis. On the other hand, all metal roofing is made up of a minimum of 25 percent recycled content. Even better, all those decades down the road, whenever the roofing does need to be changed, your metal option is 100 percent recyclable!

Discoloration
Roofing is right out there and up against the worst of the elements. Whatever kind of climate you live in, chances are that your roofing will deal with some discoloration. Curious which style stands up better? Let the discoloration warranties speak for themselves. While asphalt roofing typically comes with a 1-year full warranty, the same warranty covering Global Home Improvement metal roofing lasts 35 years. That’s an extra 15 years on top of the life expectancy of asphalt.

So who’s the winner?
Metal roofing comes out on top here by a landslide! With an average of 95.5 percent of costs recouped at the time of resale on the East Coast, all the above reasons are only the tip of the iceberg. Eco-friendly and value-conscious homeowners won’t find a better option on the roofing marketplace.

Metal Roofing News brought to you by Global Home Improvement, the Tri-State’s Leading Home Remodeler. For your Free Estimate call 1-215-953-5151 today!