new roof, steel or asphault?

[frank]

I need a new roof on my house and was thinking about steel. it currently has asphault shingles that are getting old. I was wondering if any of you had this problem and what you did. are there any personal pros and cons? any personal preferences to either steel or asphault would be appreciated.

frank

 

[spncity]

Metal roofs have been known to affect cell phone reception - but I don't know if that was only old technology. Someone on the forum will know.

Rain is louder with a metal roof.

Hard to do your own minor repairs with metal.

That being said, I like the looks and the idea (long life) of metal.

Kindest regards.

 

[meierlde]

I need a new roof on my house and was thinking about steel. it currently has asphault shingles that are getting old. I was wondering if any of you had this problem and what you did. are there any personal pros and cons? any personal preferences to either steel or asphault would be appreciated.

frank

Is hail a problem where you live? If so a metal roof makes sense if the right material is used. Class 4 impact resistant materials are tested with a 2 inch steel ball dropped 20 feet onto the material. The test is failed if a hole is made in the material. Metal if standing seam is also more wind resistant, as a single panel runs from the eaves to the ridgeline. If you pick the right color it can also reduce a/c bills.
The major downside is that it does cost about double. But then you have a roof with a typical 50 year life.

 

[braumeister]

Since the last shingle roof we put on had a lifetime warranty, I'd say the longevity of a metal roof isn't such a big deal. And since they are noisier in hail or heavy rain, I don't think the extra cost is warranted for most areas.

 

[rayinpenn]

My 6 year old asphalt roof was destroyed by a very unusual hail storm 3 years ago (along with most of my neighborhood - some cars as well) Thankfully The insurance covered a good portion of it. The neighborhood was accosted by every fly buy-night-roofer in the world. I choose a big name company and while they stood behind their product it was a nightmare.

If it were an option I'd do steel Every time...


During the storm one hail stone penetrated a rubber made deck box where we keep our cushions... I felt like asking hey is this Kansas?

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[eytonxav]

This link has some info that may be useful:
Class 4 Hail Resistant Roof Tile - About - Roofing - Boral USA

As to roof warranties, my guess is you would receive a pro-rated amount that might result in quite a bit of out of pocket expense if your insurance doesn't cover the difference. In Texas, there really is no such thing as a hail proof roof. Ask the folks in Wiley, TX.

 

[btdt22]

I switched from asphalt to steel five years ago. New roof sits on top of old shingles with strips of wood between the two. I chose the heavier gauge steel because of my hail prone location. Several years back we had baseball size hail with no damage.

As to other posts:
1. My cell phone reception remains the same.
2. I hear the rain less than when I had only asphalt shingles. Perhaps using purlins and leaving the asphalt shingles on the roof are the reason for the sound deadening improvement?
3. I don't see any need for making small repairs on my 50 year metal roof?
4. My cooling bills have gone down
5. I have received many compliments on my new roof

 

[btdt22]

This link has some info that may be useful:
Class 4 Hail Resistant Roof Tile - About - Roofing - Boral USA

FWIW - My sister has a 20 year old concrete tile roof that is cracking, and breaking up when ever someone has to walks on it. Cosmetically it is beginning to look like hell.

The chart that is reference is questionable, e.g what is stone coated metal and why no mention of architectural steel roofs?

 

[eytonxav]

The chart that is reference is questionable, e.g what is stone coated metal and why no mention of architectural steel roofs?

I believe it is referring to roof tiles vs seamed metal roofs.

 

[Mulligan]

I switched from asphalt to steel five years ago. New roof sits on top of old shingles with strips of wood between the two. I chose the heavier gauge steel because of my hail prone location. Several years back we had baseball size hail with no damage.

As to other posts:
1. My cell phone reception remains the same.
2. I hear the rain less than when I had only asphalt shingles. Perhaps using purlins and leaving the asphalt shingles on the roof are the reason for the sound deadening improvement?
3. I don't see any need for making small repairs on my 50 year metal roof?
4. My cooling bills have gone down
5. I have received many compliments on my new roof

I did the exact same thing 3 years ago. And yes, the cooling bill is 15% -20% cheaper than with my shingles. Like you said, mine was installed over the existing shingles. I do not hear the rain at all. As far as cost goes, it was going to be about $6500 to replace the shingles, my metal roof was $5800 which includes the $300 or so tax credit I got for installing it.
Looks nice and I am pleased with it. Have had a few hail storms, no dings yet. My only small negative is this. I should replace existing gutters with wider ones. If it rains too hard it just shoots right over the gutters. Not a big enough concern to matter to me though. My underlying roof was only 10 years old before getting covered up. Had a mysterious single source leak that was traveling from God knows where as its origin was not where it leaked at. No one could find it. So bottom line is as long as my metal roof doesnt spring a leak in exact same location, it can leak wherever it wants and my underlying roof will wash the water away.


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[W2R]

It's commonly said that the average time a homeowner stays in their home before moving to another, is around 7 years.

Because of that, I don't really see much sense in getting a 50 year metal roof unless it will improve the resale value. I'd suggest checking with your real estate man to find out what percentage of purchase price (if any) you can expect to get back on that improvement, in your area.

I have heard that in "hurricane country" such as where I live, metal roofs are a hazard because big pieces can go flying into one's home like missiles, during a hurricane. Don't know if that is true, but that is what people say.

Personally, I am already 68 and my roof should last until I am around 78. At that age, I see no point in getting a metal roof.

 

[samclem]

I have an asphalt shingle roof, but would put on a meta roof if I were doing it again. With a >real< 50 year life (vs the fictional lifetime promised by an asphalt shingle warranty), it's truly a once-and-done-forever proposition.

Cost of metal can vary a lot depending on the complexity of the roof.

I'd also check into the snap-down ("concealed fastener") type of metal roofing (like this) and compare the cost to site-fabricated standing seam roofing. I put some of this concealed-fastener metal roofing on our patio 5 years ago and it still look new, no problems whatsoever.

Some architectural styles just wouldn't look good with a metal roof, but where it works i think it can be a good solution.

 

[Sunset]

My asphalt tile roof was damaged by hail and the ins company paid the approx 5K to replace it.
I went with the heavier asphalt shingles as they claim 40 yrs, but I expect 20 in reality.
If I were planning to stay, or lived in fire area, I'd go with metal.

Friends got a metal roof for their place, as they are in a snow belt, the snow slides off so they never have to shovel off snow.

 

[pb4uski]

I considered a metal roof when we rebuilt in 2011 but we have a nice deck and railings off the front of the house and around here snow slides off and wipes out anything below. One guy down the road had a $10,000 metal.cable deck railing trashed by falling snow. My best man had the vent pipe to his bathroom sheared off by sliding snow on his metal roof, but that is rare as I understand it.

If falling snow isn't going to damage anything then I would consider metal... more durable, long lasting, in demand by house buyers... there are a lot of positives.

 

[Mulligan]

I considered a metal roof when we rebuilt in 2011 but we have a nice deck and railings off the front of the house and around here snow slides off and wipes out anything below. One guy down the road had a $10,000 metal.cable deck railing trashed by falling snow. My best man had the vent pipe to his bathroom sheared off by sliding snow on his metal roof, but that is rare as I understand it.

If falling snow isn't going to damage anything then I would consider metal... more durable, long lasting, in demand by house buyers... there are a lot of positives.

BOOM! That is the sound when the melting snow hits my deck..You can put little inserts or bars to stop slide. We do not have snow enough for me to bother with it though. One thing my installer said you should do on an open one like mine. After 15 years consider putting in new screws as the rubber gasket underneath screw can deteriorate and cause a leak. At least they should all be retightened.


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[ziggy29]

Because of that, I don't really see much sense in getting a 50 year metal roof unless it will improve the resale value. I'd suggest checking with your real estate man to find out what percentage of purchase price (if any) you can expect to get back on that improvement, in your area.

Another consideration is insurance. In our last house we installed a metal roof that met certain durability criteria used by insurers, and it got us a 20% discount on our homeowners insurance. (You do have to waive the right to file claims for strictly cosmetic damage to the roof.) Such discounts will, of course, vary by insurer and state.