If you are considering installing a new metal roof on your home or commercial property, here are the top 70, most essential metal roofing facts, FAQ and answers, pros and cons, and myth busters – All the things you will want to consider in your buying and decision making process.

In order to help you navigate this long list, we broke it down into the following categories:

Materials
| 1. Materials Pros & Cons |
| 2. Cost of Materials |
| 3. Installation Basics |
| 4. Cost of Installation |
| 5. Colors & Styles |
| 6. Longevity |
| 7. Weather Protection |
| 8. Durability of Metal |
| 9. Maintenance Basics
| 10. Energy Efficiency |
| 11. Environmental Impact |
| 12. ROI |

Materials Pros and Cons:

1. Metal roofs can be manufactured from a variety of metals and alloys including Galvanized steel (hot zinc galvanized G-90, or zinc and aluminum G-60 steel), Galvalume steel (A more expensive and longer lasting coating compared to G-90 steel.), stone-coated steel (G-90 galvanized steel), aluminum, copper, zinc, terne (zinc-tin alloy), and stainless steel.

2. The downside of galvanized steel is that it can corrode, eventually, especially when exposed to a moist salt spray environment.

3. Steel is the most frequently used material in residential metal roofing, mainly due to its lower cost.

4. Aluminum is the second most popular material. It is more durable and longer lasting than steel, but only costs a fraction of the price of premium metals, such as copper or zinc.

5. Aluminum is also one of the best metals to use for roofs located in the coastal areas, where there is a heavy presence of salt spray in the environment.

6. Copper roofs are the most durable and can last for hundreds of years. However, due to prohibitively high cost, few people choose to install an entire roof made from copper. Instead, home and business owners choose copper to put in architectural details/accents on the roof (bay windows, towers, porches, low slope sections, etc.).

Cost of Materials:

7. The cost for a steel standing seam roof is $300 per roof sq. Stone coated steel starts at $350-425 per roof sq. Steel shingles run about $270 per roof sq.

8. Aluminum is a step up from steel in quality and therefore in price, costing around $100 more per roof sq than Galvanized steel, for both standing seam and metal shingles.

9. The most expensive and premium metals are copper and zinc. They cost roughly the same. Copper is typically installed as standing seam panels, which cost $900-1400 per roof sq. for materials alone.

10. Steel roofs need to be coated with a special protective (galvanic) coating to prevent corrosion.

11. Aluminum, copper and zinc roofs do not need to be coated.

12. High-end Aluminum and steel roofing systems like standing seam and metal shingles will usually have a high-quality paint finish such as Kynar 500, while lower-end corrugated steel roofs are usually finished with Acrylic paint.

Installation:

13. It is typically possible to install a metal roof over an old roof, thus eliminating the extra cost and hassle associated with a tear-off (be sure to consult a roofing contractor about your specific home). This is possible because metal is an extremely light-weight material.

14. Metal roofs should only be installed by roofing contractors with expertise and experience in metal roofing, because if the installation is done incorrectly a metal roof will likely leak, which may cost thousands of dollars to repair or replace.

15. Unlike many other roofing materials, a metal roof can easily be installed in the winter.

16. The cost of installation for metal roofing shingles is about 20% cheaper than standing seam metal roofs, because shingles are easier and faster to install.

17. Most metal roofing systems should be installed on homes or buildings that have a minimum slope of 3:12 or greater. Although there are certain types of standing seam metal roofing systems that can be installed on roofs with slopes of 2:12 and lower, those types of systems are usually only installed on commercial or industrial buildings.

18. Standing seam roofs should not be installed over asphalt shingles due to telegraphing of the shingles underneath the standing seam panels.

19. Further, when snow piles up on a standing seam roof that was installed over an asphalt roof, the shingles will likely make horizontal dents in the metal panels. Also, metal roofs expand and contract due to temperature changes, and thus rub against the stone coating on asphalt shingles. This could eventually cause some corrosion of the underside of metal roofs.

20. Standing seam roofs can be manufactured either on-site or in the factory, which simplifies installation. Metal shingles are typically manufactured at a factory, and can be shipped in standard cardboard boxes to your work-site.

Cost of installation:

21. Metal roofing installation is more expensive compared to other roofing systems, because it requires special training, knowledge, tools and equipment that general roofing contractors typically lack.

22. The cost of installation greatly depends on the complexity of the roof and the type of material/system installed.

23. The base price to install a corrugated steel roof starts at $450 per roof sq.

24. The base price for metal shingles ranges between $700-1,000 per roof sq.

25. The base price for a stone coated steel roof starts at $850-1,100 per roof sq.

26. The base price for a standing seam roof ranges between $750-1,400 per roof sq.

27. The base price to install a copper or zinc roof starts at $1,800+ (materials included).

28. If a tear off is necessary, it is a separate cost, which runs about $100-150 per square.

Colors and Styles:

29. Metal roofs come in 2 general styles: vertical panels and interlocking shingles

30. Metal roofing shingles are manufactured to imitate the look of slate, clay tile, cedar shake, and asphalt shingles roofs.

31. Modern metal roofs come in well over 100 colors, which include standard, premium and custom made options. The number of color options for metal roofing is a lot greater than the options you get with asphalt shingles roofs (only about 15-20 standard colors).

32. The most popular style among homeowners is standing seam (vertical panels).

33. Often, homeowners are not even aware of the existence of metal shingles, and believe standing seam is the only option for a metal roof.

Longevity:

34. In terms of performance, there is no difference between standing seam and metal shingles roofs.

35. Metal roofs are considered a lifetime material. This means that if a metal roof is properly installed, you will not have to install another roof on your home or building in your lifetime.

36. Metal roofs last for at least 50 years, with many lasting well over 100. This means that a typical metal roof lasts about 3-7 times longer than a typical asphalt shingles roof, which usually needs to replaced every 12-17 years.

37.
Due to exceptional longevity, metal roofs have a very low life cycle cost. This means that while you may spend more upfront on a metal roof than on an asphalt shingles roof, in the long run you will actually save money, because you will not need to repair or replace a metal roof again.

38. Most manufacturers will provide a 30-50 year warranty, while a metal roofing contractor should offer you their own installation warranty.

Weather Protection:

39. Metal roofs offer the best protection against ice, snow, and ice dams.

40. Metal roofs are considered to be ice and snow-shedding systems, which means that you will never have to worry about roof leaks.

41. Metal is non-combustible and a metal roof will never catch on fire.

42. Metal roofs will protect your house against hurricane level winds. Many have a wind resistance ratings of 110-160 mph.

43. FEMA recommends metal roofs in areas that are prone to natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, etc.

Durability:

44. Metal roofs will not rot, split, crack, dry-out, chip, warp, leak, unlike all other common roofing materials.

45. Metal is not susceptible to termite or rodent infestation.

46. Metal can withstand impact from falling objects such as hail, sticks, etc. without any damage to the roof.

Maintenance Basics:

47. Generally metal roofs require none or minimal maintenance.

48. Metal roofs can be cleaned with water.

49. Corrugated style metal roofs (with exposed fasteners) will require fastener re-tightening every 10-15 years.

50. After years of service, you may choose to repaint a metal roof to give it a fresh look again, but it is not necessary, and will depend on your roof’s original coating.

Energy Efficiency:

51. A metal roof can easily help save as much as 25% off of your annual home energy bill, and help reduce your building’s overall energy waste. In fact, according to a US independent report by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory “2008 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings“, homeowners can save up to 40% in home cooling costs in the summer, and 10-15% in home heating costs, based on a strapping system of 4 inches between the plywood and the metal on top.

52. A metal roof has a cool reflective surface, which reflects solar heat back into the atmosphere, rather than absorbing it inside a home or a building.

53. Copper and zinc are the least energy efficient types of metal roofing. Due to darker colors and thicker gauge of metal, they absorb and store a lot of heat. However, they are still much “cooler” than asphalt shingles.

Environmental Impact:

54. Metal roofing is the only TRULY green material in the roofing industry, because it uses the least amount of resources during the manufacturing process, contains no petroleum by-products, and can always be recycled.

55. New metal roofs may contain anywhere from 30%-60% of recycled metal content, and are 100% recyclable at the end of their service lives.

56. Old metal roofs will never end up in our landfills at the end of their service lives, thus saving the ever-precious landfill space and helping protect the environment.

57. A metal roof (or any metal for that matter) can be recycled an unlimited number of times without suffering material degradation.

ROI:

58. Out of all roofing materials available, metal provides the biggest return on your investment (ROI). The national average on cost recouped at resale is 85.9%. The average recouped cost on the East Coast is as high as 95.5%.

59. A metal roof will be a huge selling point to potential buyers of your home, who will be happy about the prospect of not having to worry about roof-related issues.

60. Homes outfitted with metal roofs have a 6% resale value gain over homes with asphalt shingles roofs.

FAQs – Myth Busters – 10 Bonus Facts:

You deserve a reward for getting this far! So, here are some equally important bonus facts to consider:

61. A metal roof will not increase the likelihood of your home getting struck by a lightning.

62. If a lightning does strike your home, a metal roof will safely dissipate the electric charge even if it is not grounded.

63. Metal Roofs act as a Faraday Cage for your house and they disperse the charge over a larger area as compared to a skimpy little wire coming down your chimney or wall. They also intercept 100% of the lightning that comes towards your house, unlike a lightning rod which only intercepts the lightning that happens to hit your rod. – You can read more about it here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090723112650AAMaGP7

64. Modern metal roofs such as aluminum standing seam have a class “A” or UL Class 4 fire retardant ratings. If you happen to live in a fire-prone area, a metal roof can help protect your home from a forest fire, as well as help you save money on your home insurance premiums.

65. Many insurance companies will reward you with a hefty discount in the neighborhood of 30% on your homeowners insurance if your home is protected by a qualified metal roof. – You can read more about homeowners insurance discounts for metal roofs here: http://www.metalroofing.com/v2/content/guide/costs/insurance-savings.cfm

66. If you happen to live in an area that often experiences a heavy snow fall, with freezing temperatures, a metal roof will shed off the snow, thus helping prevent a heavy snow accumulation and ice dams on your roof.

67. A metal roof can easily be outfitted with snow-guards to prevent the sliding of snow over door entrances and other areas where heavy snow fall is undesirable.

68. A standing seam metal roof can easily be integrated with PV solar panels should you decide to take your home’s energy-efficiency to the next level.

69. A standing seam metal roof can be easily combined with either easy to install “Peel and Stick” thin-film photovoltaic solar laminates, or with traditional and somewhat more powerful crystalline PV solar panels. – If your roof has a large area and faces south, or you are especially ambitious, then you can try to go off the grid completely! – Read more about it here: www.metalroofs.org/pv-solar-power-for-roofs/

70. If you are concerned about “noise” when it rains, rest assured knowing that a metal roof installed over solid sheathing (whether wood planks / boards or plywood) will be as quiet as an asphalt shingle roof. The difference in sound level (measured in decibels) produced by rain drops hitting the roof surface of an asphalt shingle roof compared to metal will be largely undetectable to human ear.

Bottom Line:

A metal roof offers better ROI (in terms of home appreciation and maintaining a very high recouped value of your initial investment) than any other remodeling upgrade. — This can be especially important if you care about maximizing your home’s value and curb appeal for many decades to come. Should you ever decide to sell your home, you are almost guaranteed to come out a winner, especially if you have lived in your home for quite some time, while enjoying solid protection, great looks, and energy savings.