Imagine not having to replace your roof for at least 50 years. It's not too good to be true; it's the typical lifespan of a metal roof. Learn the benefits of metal roofs, including their energy efficient features, to determine if this is the right choice for you and your waterfront home.
Metal Roofs Save Energy
Metal roofs deflect the sun that hits the roof, bouncing it back into the atmosphere. This decreases the amount of solar heat any home gains as the sun beats on the roof. When a home stays cooler because it does not absorb solar heat, the cooling system needs to work less hard to maintain a comfortable temperature. Homeowners will see an immediate decrease in utility bills from switching to a metal roof.
If homeowners have a standard, dark gray shingle roof, they could save as much as 25 percent on their energy bills with a metal roof. Since tile and stone are less absorbent than asphalt, they will save less if they switch from natural stone to metal.
Metal Roofs Conserve Resources
Should homeowners choose to stick with asphalt, they will typically need to replace their roof every 20 or so years. A metal roof could last twice as long or even longer, with some estimates of a hundred-year performance. From a green perspective, this means that homes will consume far fewer materials if they choose a metal roof than if homeowners maintain their existing asphalt roof, making the upgrade to a metal roof one of many valuable renovations to improve energy efficiency.
Metal roofing is often fabricated from recycled material, so it is already green when it is installed. At the end of its usable life, that metal roof can be recycled again, so there is no waste. In contrast, asphalt roofs are considered building waste. While a portion of the waste is recycled on roadways, much of it is non-recyclable.
Metal Roof Performance
Many homeowners enjoy the clean look of metal roofs as well as the green benefits that they bring. Beyond the typical energy-saving options, metal roofs give homeowners even more ways to save. Aside from being the most energy-efficient roofing option, metal roofs perform similarly to asphalt roofs. Some homeowners worry that the roofs could attract lightning or will be loud during heavy rainstorms; however, these are both myths.
Rain will not sound any louder than it does on an existing roof; the attic and insulation buffer noise produced by the rain.
Metal roofs do not attract more lightning than other roofing systems. Since metal conducts electricity, if a metal roof is hit by lightning, the shock will travel through the roof. If lightning strikes an asphalt roof, the energy will remain at the point of impact, and it could start a fire.
Metal roofs also resist hail damage and wind damage from major storms, which means a safer roof compared to other materials less time and money spent on roofing maintenance. When years of maintenance-free roofing is factored in, the cost of a metal roof compared with an asphalt roof comes down. Over the lifetime, these roofs are actually much cheaper than conventional roofs—and virtually maintenance-free.
Metal roofs do cost more at the outset, so they may not be a good investment for homeowners in a starter home. Owners who plan to remain in their Normandy Beach home for a long time and who want to reduce their energy consumption, however, these roofs are great options.
Since they come in a range of styles and colors, homeowners can choose a roof that complements the style of their home, whether it's contemporary or historic. When they do go to sell your home, homeowners will find that a metal roof can be a major draw for home buyers who don't want to take on an aging roofing system with a few years left.
