Metal roof for home instead of shingles?

[brockash]

Hi,
We are going to be replacing our roof and one of the roofing companies that we're looking at suggested doing a metal roof. Any pro's/con's experience to this. I've done a little reading online and most of the con's seem to be about the cost, but this roofer said the cost for the metal roof right now would be cheaper than shingles.

Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated. TIA!

 

[dpswift]

We had this done almost 2 years ago with no problems yet. At the time the cost was the same for the cheapest metal and a little more for the next step up. DH went for the next step up because he heard that the connectors went bad after a few years in the cheapest. I would say go for it.

 

[jojosam]

Had this done to our home in NC about 5 years ago. Metal was actually cheaper than shingles for us. It came with a 7 year warranty on the labor and last year they came back to fix a seal that had gone bad. Roof is good for at least 30 years, so I'd say that's a pretty safe investment.

 

[katrina1122]

Our home is 100ish years old. We have a mix of metal and shingles. Hurricane Sandy ripped off a huge section of metal roofing. It just rolled up like a piece of carpet. There was a marking on the metal that said 1929, so obviously it had been up there a long time. To replace it our insurance is insisting on metal flashing covered by tar as it's too flat of section for shingles. It will then be painted silver to reflect the heat. they said without the tar, metal flashing is not as stable.

Since a section you really can't see and we are getting a TON of work done for repairs for a small deductible we haven't questioned them much, but they say this is the best way to go.

 

[North of Mouse]

My Sis that lives in NW AR had a metal roof put on their home 15 years ago and it was the greatest thing they did (she said). They have had zero problems with it and 'love' to hear the rain on it. It looks very nice.

 

[Sheaboys]

We put a metal roof on our house in 2007, it was a ranch with an L, where our bedroom was. We live in MA. It was the best thing we ever did.
The size of the house was 1850sqft. Very wide, so the roof had a few dips in it. Dh just added wood, to level it out, and he put the roof on himself, with friends. Expensive yes, about $14000, like I said he installed it himself too.
Perfect for our winters, no snow sat on it, it all slid off. No need for gutters either.
Love, love, loved it. Sadly, we lost our home to the tornado that hit MA in 2011. If we can afford it, we will go metal again for this home.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

I love the idea of a metal roof but ours doesn't need replacing yet (house is 12 years old - certainly not rushing into that!). Our HOA recently approved metal roofing - but only a certain grade and above. Do check into the different (I think its thickness?) types of metal to make sure you get a good one.

 

[DawnS]

We had a metal roof installed two years ago. It has a 30 year warranty and it was $12,000 installed. It took them over 3 days to install it though as I have a steep roofline. We have the thickest metal you can buy, not the lowes or home depot kind, they are cheap for a reason, they dent with hail but ours will not. We used a company that specializes in metal roofing only. I love it!

 

[floridafam]

How can they install a metal roof for less than a shingled roof? That doesn't seem right.

 

[PrincessShanShan]

We live on the north central gulf coast. We have had our share of hurricanes and roof repairs! We finally decided on a metal roof after Katrina and couldn't be happier! We've had a few minor storms since then with no damage at all! It was well worth the money!!

 

[Disney Princess]

My Sis that lives in NW AR had a metal roof put on their home 15 years ago and it was the greatest thing they did (she said). They have had zero problems with it and 'love' to hear the rain on it. It looks very nice.

We don't have a metal roof , but this is one reason why I want one. I think the rain falling on it would be a peaceful sound.

 

[v.t.]

You might want to check with your insurance as well. It may be cheaper with a metal roof. We love ours.

 

[ktmo]

I don't have first hand personal experience, but I saw it put on a house in our neighborhood. It was less than 8 years ago (I know I had my oldest DD). Flippers put a metal roof on the house. I loved the idea of it. It must not have been quality, because you could immediately see dings and dents in it. So, I imagine there are different grades of metal used. The people who bought the house recently(within the last 6 months) tore it off and put up shingles. So, for whatever reason, they got less than 8 years out of it.

 

[dpswift]

How can they install a metal roof for less than a shingled roof? That doesn't seem right.

Price was a consideration 3 years ago when we put up ours. They said that the amount of labor needed would even out the cost. Ours was still more than shingles but so far a good investment. BTW our last shingled roof did not last as long as had been estimated at the time we put it up. It had been stripped so I had just planned on reshingling it but there was a problem and it would have needed to be stripped again.

 

[pyrxtc]

Please talk to yur local fire department before doing this. They can tell you the horror stories of having a metal roof and why they don't recommend them. I have personally seen houses go up in flames during a fire because of a metal roof and if it had a shingle roof it could have been saved. The metal roof makes the house act as an oven and impossible to vent and the whole house can be gone in no time. Please talk to them first and after if yu decide to go with it. They can have it on their records so they know what kind of equipment to bring if your house should ever go up.

 

[DVC-Don]

Metal roofs are great and usually last longer than an asphalt shingle roof. If you live in snow country the snow just slides off and does not stay on the roof until it melts. Firefighters have no issue with opening metal roofs for venting (they don't decide what equipment to bring to a fire before getting the trucks off the floor (as we used to say) as they bring it all). A K-12 fire rescue saw can rip through a roof easily (also used at auto accidents).

 

[kayrosek]

My grandmother had a metal roof installed on her house in the 70s. My cousins own the house now and the roof still hasent caused tthem any problems. They live in Utah right by the mountains and its great with the snow. It just slides right off. Hail has never dented it either but knowing my grandmother it was probably the best quality she could get. Id say go for it. Im hoping not to have to replace mine anytime soon but when I do Id prefer a metal roof.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

We have had ours for a year and I love it. They installed it right over the shingles so there is a sound barrier. Our utility bill is roughly 10.00 less per month and out homeowners insurance went down as well. Our roof was totaled in 2011 and we found a company that had a deal to use metal for the price of shingle. With all of the odd pitches in our roof plus the roof was a total of 2800 sf the total was 9600. If we did not receive the deal it would have been 17000. The other great part is our homes value did go up and (at least in my area) a metal roof is a wonderful selling feature. We got it in a dark gray to go with our sage green house. So don't think you can only get silver or copper (what I used to think)

 

[JessB320]

Please talk to yur local fire department before doing this. They can tell you the horror stories of having a metal roof and why they don't recommend them. I have personally seen houses go up in flames during a fire because of a metal roof and if it had a shingle roof it could have been saved. The metal roof makes the house act as an oven and impossible to vent and the whole house can be gone in no time. Please talk to them first and after if yu decide to go with it. They can have it on their records so they know what kind of equipment to bring if your house should ever go up.

My DH is a Fire fighter and this is not true at all, in fact several guys on the dept have metal roofs on their personal houses. They do not require any different equipment if there were a fire. Also not sure where you get the acts as an oven , again not true. If a metal roof was less safe than a shingled roof home owners insurance would go up, but in fact your home owners insurance will go down with a metal roof.

 

[csharpwv]

IMHO there are so many people putting metal roofing on houses that metal roofing DOES NOT belong on from a design perspective.

A log cabin, sure!
A broad cape cod with a full length front porch, sure!
An Ultra contemporary, sure!

But the average suburban tract house... yeah, that's not attractive at all!

There are some HORRIBLE colors out there!

I have seen colored metal roofing on houses that would have been beautiful attractive homes if it were not for the horrible choice of roofing.

For all the people that LOVE them, there is an equal number of people that find them horribly unattractive.

I am one of those people. If you want a great roof that lasts a really long time, check out the new composite material roofing options. From recycled rubber, to concrete, to solar - there are so many attractive roof options that are available and with a solar roof, the roof will literally pay for itself.

PLEASE consider the style of your home while considering the roofing options.

Take a look around your community - look at the attractive buildings that have stood the test of time. Look at churches built with loving hands of brick or stone. Look at public buildings built to stand the test of time. Look at historic homes that are beautiful and have a signature style.

Now look around your community at the metal buildings that have been constructed in the last 20 years. Pop up churches that look like factories - industrial buildings that are rusting through after only 10 years or so.

The desire for aesthetic appeal is lost in our society today. And buildings aren't built to last.

As I said, metal roofing belongs on some buildings/homes - and it doesn't belong on others.

Some Victorian homes were built with metal/tin roofing - BUT it most likely wasn't bright red, blue, green, or a putrid shade of tan.

The look and exterior appeal of your home is what makes people even want to look at your home when it is on the market - so consider what the other homes in your neighborhood look like, their level of repair, and exterior appeal - and then decide if you should even consider a metal roof!

Cost isn't the only factor to consider! Make sure it is a right material choice for your home's overall design and architecture!