Challenge

Metal roofs have been increasing in popularity for a lot of their clear benefits over asphalt and other options. But when it comes down to it, you have a lot to choose from. How do you decide between a standing seam roof vs a steel slate or tile?

The Benefits of Metal Roofing

Going over a few benefits of metal roofs, clearly, they’re much more durable. In fact, wind, rain, and weathering won’t chisel it away like it would with asphalt shingles. They’re actually noncombustible, so they are very resistant to any fire damage, unlike wood or asphalt.

Metal roofs are said to last a lifetime. So with proper installation, metal roofs can last up to 100 years. This means you’d never actually have to worry about getting a new roof for the rest of the time you spend in that home.

Let’s also talk about the energy efficiency they provide. Rather than absorbing heat and letting it pass into your home, it reflects it. This allows your home to maintain stable indoor temperatures in the winter and summer.

How to Choose a Metal Roof Style

When it comes down to choosing a metal roof, you have a couple great options. You can go with a classic steel slate, metal shingles, or the contemporary standing seam metal roof.

Now really, any of these options will look great on an older home or a modern home, it just depends on the look that you want to go for. Metal shingles can actually imitate just about any style you’d typically want, including wood shakes, different types of tiles, and slates. So if you already had a preference for wood shingles, you can still have that authentic look, but with the benefits of metal,

It’s argued that standing seam metal roofs don’t look good on traditional or older homes, but I really don’t think that’s the case. Standing seam metal roofs actually look elegant and fresh on any home if the right color is chosen and it’s installed well. It’s an easy way to add a unique, contemporary twist to the elegance of a classic Colonial, Tudor, Georgian, or any style really.

Considering the color

The color of your roof might actually have more effects and qualities than others. The first thing we should keep in our mind is that because metal roofs last so long and the color stays true, the color choice actually kind of matters. There are some colors that will universally work with most siding and trim color choices, such as white, grey, beige, brown, etc. I’d consider a few things; your future plans for siding, your existing colors, and the colors that surround your home. A great idea to boost the aesthetics of your home could be to compliments the environments around you; the green of trees, the blue of water, etc. You could even try some wild contrast to stand out. I’m thinking of just about any siding type and color with a bright, teal roof. It definitely could look great and will demand a lot of attention.

We know that metal roofs are the most energy efficient option, but what is the real difference between a light and dark roof? Well, metalroofing.systems mentions that a white roof could be up to 60 degrees cooler than a dark asphalt shingle roof. Most metal roofs, even the darkest ones, have incredible energy efficiency ratings though, so even a black metal roof will reflect much more heat than the darkest asphalt shingles. The main thing to take away from this is that if you live in a colder climate or your insulation in your attic is a bit weak, a dark roof could help you absorb a bit more heat.

Solution

As you can see, a metal roof installation can take a lot of thought and planning. The best way to determine the best type of metal roof is to think of which style you like the best and consult a metal roof installer. If you’d like to talk about some of your options, feel free to give us a call or check out our Metal Roof Customizer.