Metal roofing vs. asphalt
 

I will need a new roof shortly and am considering changing to a metal roof. Any suggestions or reasons to stick with asphalt?

I have a metal roof on my home and very happy with it. There is no noise with heavy rain as some had suggested to me and I never have to worry about racking the roof after heavy snow accumulation. The one thing I would advise is having snow dams installed over the doorways and garage so when the snow melts it does accumulate in front of the doors.

I have had a metal roof for a couple years and love it. I was concerned about rain noise and as stated, it is not a problem. I went with a different style than the typical metal roof. It is a heavier gauge metal and has an epoxy bonded stone dust surface. It does not dump snow so snow dams are not needed. It looks like regular architectural shingles. People who see it do not believe it is metal. It has a life expectancy of 50+ years and will probably still look good toward the end of that time. Hail and fire resistant also. Metal roofs are MUCH lighter than asphalt so some of the roof carrying capacity is freed up for dealing with snow weight. It is screwed down and is more wind resistant. Depending on your insurance, you may qualify for a premium discount if you have a metal roof. If you sell the house it returns some of it's cost.

Metal roofs are more expensive than asphalt and the one I got IS more expensive than typical metal shingles but I am delighted with the appearance and overall outcome. To me, it was worth the price.

One thing critical to the outcome, get an installer that has a lot of experience with metal roofs and an excellent reputation. If it is improperly installed, problems can pop up, like leaks. You don't want a generic home handyman installing a metal roof.

Absolutely agree with Jeff. It is imperative to hire an experience metal roof contractor, do not use a regular installer that says they can do it, you will inevitably have an issue as they are completely different installs.

I had a metal roof on my camp and liked it a lot. Love how the snow slid off. When I rebuilt I went to shingles because the cost was cheaper and I didn't want go over budget on that item. If cost isn't and issue I'd go metal in heartbeat.

We have a metal roof and love it. Just be sure that no one is standing where the snow will slide off. It could be very dangerous.

The main part of my house is metal but my breezeway and garage is shingled, which I just had done last year. The only thing I don't like about the metal roof is the build up of snow along the sides of the house from the snow sliding off.
I think if I had to do it over I would go shingles or, depending on price, the more abrasive metal that looks like shingles.

We have standing seams at home and at camp. The one at camp was put on in 1997 and replaced a metal roof from 1940 that had never leaked and that sold me on metal. Dealing with the snow sliding off can be a pain, but as my dad always reminds me, at least I didn’t have to rake the roof before taking care of the snow on the ground.

I agree. Our neighbor has a steep roof and wooden deck at the rear. A couple of years ago the weight of the snow and an added wet/ice storm caused the deck to fail and collapse. Unless you can constantly clear the deck, you may have issues. The snow does slide off quickly.

In line with this, you can't have any bushes in the "crash" zone. The falling snow will destroy them. The sound as the snow breaks loose, slides, and falls can also be startling.

tent over bushes
 

I have seen triangular wooden "tents" placed over bushes next to houses with good results.

Tents have been made with slats, and some with plywood.

Dave

Another issue I have is because the snow can pile up so high against my house, 4' to 5', the bottom of my siding is rotted about 2' up and needs replacing. A job which I'm starting tomorrow. :rolleye1:

If you do metal...go with standing seam as opposed to the panels that are screwed down.Snow slides off much better.

there are several different kinds of snow guards that can be installed to eliminate all the snow sliding off at once

Here is a link specifically for standing seem roofs.

https://www.snowguardwarehouse.com/s...w_wcB#pageId=1


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Metal Roofs
 

Metal roofs seem like a great idea. Long lasting beauty. If you have a nervous dog like we do, the snow sliding off the roof could be a real problem. Acorns would also fall into this category.

I just replaced asphalt with standing seam metal on my farmers porch this weekend. I used Fabral and it was pretty easy work with only two "special" tools needed (beyond the standard sheet metal tools like left and right tin snips, and right angle grinder etc.). Came with great instructions too. I love metal roofs.