What's a Better Roof: Metal or Shingle

#Roofly was featured on a Facebook live feed this past Monday with #morealestateteam and Brittany Henricks, and I was asked a question that deserves a longer answer than what I was able to provide in our short interview. What's a better roof, metal or shingle? Well, in order to answer this question properly, we have to ask ourselves 2 questions first: Do I want a longer investment with a larger upfront cost, or a shorter investment with a smaller upfront cost? Outside of that question, here are some details about the 2 products.

Interlock Standing Seam Metal Roofing Panels

#METALroofing, especially raised ribbed standing seam panels, carry a 50 year manufacturer's warranty. I won't expand on what a manufacturer's warranty entails, rather point out that for most people, this means lifetime. Most home mortgages are 30 years, which is shorter than the life expectancy of a metal roof. So, essentially, you are purchasing a roof for you and the next homeowner.

According to Interlock Roofing, one pro of standing seam panels is they have a baked in Teflon coating to prevent the color paint from chipping after any types of damage to the metal, including hail or flying debris. Thanks to this coating, metal roofs will look brand-new over it's lifetime. They are also lightweight, allowing the manufacturer to not void the warranty when installed over older roofing products like shingles. An example with a 2,500 sq ft roof, standing seam metal paneling roofing weighs 825lbs over the whole roof where asphalt shingles weigh 3,200lbs over the same roof. This can reduce your initial cost where you do not have to remove the old roofing. Some other pros of standing seam metal roofing include energy efficient, weather and wind resistant, and superior strength and durability.

One downside of replacing your roof with a metal roof is in the insurance policy. Most insurance carriers are adding exclusions to their policies for "cosmetic" damage to metal roofing. The policy will not cover dents or any damage that does not compromise the functionality of the metal roofing. The reason contractors and homeowners find this to be a negative aspect is due to the fact that you won't be replacing your roof as often. But isn't that a good thing?

GAF Timberline HD Birchwood

#SHINGLEroofing, particularly laminate shingles, carry a 30 year manufacturer's warranty. Shingle manufacturers also produce higher class designer shingles with larger warranty's and upfront costs, but I'm going to focus on the base laminate shingles that we, and most contractors, provide as a free upgrade due to their lower upfront cost. The first thing everyone notices about laminate shingles is the aesthetic beauty. Laminate shingles were originally designed to look like wood shake roofing.

While laminate shingles have been upgraded from the old 3-tab asphalt shingles to reduce their vulnerability to wind, they are still not as durable as metal panel roofing. Laminate shingles are also more susceptible to excessive heat, so their installation requires proper ventilation. Due to their weight, as noted above, manufacturers will void their warranty when installed over an older roof, no matter the condition of the older roof. This causes the top layer of shingles to wear at a faster rate, due to the spongy under layer and increased heat being developed between the layers.

Laminate shingles are also very susceptible to hail damage. When a hail stone impacts the shingles, the material actually bounces or vibrates from the percussion. The granules on the shingle, which can be compared to glitter poured over glue as seen at GAF's plant in this video, will then loosen from the immediate movement of the shingle matte. This is not always evident the first few days after a hail storm, especially for a new roof and hail stones under 2" in diameter. What happens is with the expansion and contraction of the shingle material when going through hot and cold temperatures, the granules begin loosening further. Then when it rains on the roof, the granules will wash off, and you will begin to see dark circular areas with less granules. Just remember, this doesn't mean a gutter full of granules indicates massive hail damage to your shingles. Remember when I mentioned "glitter poured over glue?" Well, hail damage or not, your shingles will lose granules over time just from everyday weather changes.

Metal Panels vs Laminate Shingles

So to bring #Roofly's first article to conclusion, the customer ultimately decides which roof is better; metal or shingles. While metal roofing can have a higher upfront cost yet carry it's beauty and durability 5 decades into the future, shingle roofing will provide a more sophisticated aesthetic view of your home with less initial impact on your wallet.

Thank you again #morealestateteam and Brittany Henricks for spotlighting my #Roofly on your page! If you are looking for a reliable and trustworthy team for your next home purchase, please do yourself a favor and call the best, Brittany Henricks at 636-524-6199!

Remember, your day is never stormy, if you're #keepinitroofly!