Aside from the foundation, the roof of your home is the most crucial structure that protects your building. The foundation holds the weight of the house and ensures its stability. But the roof shields the foundation and other parts of the building from the elements.
Your home’s roof is vital both for the longevity of the structure and the aesthetic appeal of your home. As Keyrenter Salt Lake, a property management in Lehi explains, the kind of roof you choose for your home impacts your home maintenance costs and the market value of your property. Selecting an adequate roofing material is vital for your home.
What is the best type of roofing for your home?
That is a difficult question for most homeowners, given the number of roofing options on the market. Every person you ask seems to be an expert, and they often have conflicting opinions on the matter.
But, maybe instead of asking, “what is the best roof?” You should ask, “What are the qualities of a good roofing material?” That way, you will have an objective basis for measuring the quality of a roof. Here are the qualities that define a good roofing material.
- Durability
- Wind resistance
- Water-repelling
- Fireproof
- Longevity
- Aesthetics
The best type of roof for your home is metal roofing based on these parameters. Why is that?
Why you should choose metal roofing for your home
1. Long-Lasting
Metal roofs can last more than two generations; good quality metal roofing with proper installation and maintenance will last anywhere from 50-100 years. Most non-metal roofs will need to be replaced after 10, 20, 30, or 40 years of service, depending on the type of roof. That means if you have a metal roof on your home, someone with a non-metal roof on their building would have replaced their roof two to three times before you will ever need to replace your roof.
2. Metal roofs are fire-resistant
A metal roof brings an additional level of fire safety to your home due to its fire-resisting qualities. Most metal roofs are Assembly-Rated Class A; this means their covering and underlying materials are also fire-retarding. For people who live in wildfire-prone areas, the fire-resisting ability of metal roofing is a huge benefit. But even if your home is in the city, a metal roof will positively impact your insurance premiums and give you peace of mind.
3. Metal roofs are beautiful
The aesthetics of metal roofs is not just about how nice they look but also about how long they retain their appearance. Most types of roofing material will lose their aesthetic appeal long before they stop being functional. If a non-metal roof lasts 15 years, it may become streaked and stained after seven years, with the result that you will want to change a fully-functional roof because it looks ugly. That doesn’t happen with metal roofs; they keep looking pretty throughout their lifetime.
4. Maximum rain/snow shedding
One thing that increases the risk that a roof will get damaged is its tendency to retain snow or water on its surface. Roofs that don’t shed water or snow faster are more likely to suffer from ice damming or water infiltration into the inner roof structures. Due to the slippery surface of metal roofing, snow and rain are more likely to slide off the surface. Additionally, the exterior of dark-toned metal roofing warms up quickly, encouraging snow to melt at a greater rate. This quality is critical during periods of heavy snowfall.
5. Metals roofs are energy-efficient
Metal roofs are unrivaled in their energy-efficient capacity. With a metal roof, you can save up to 30% of your monthly cooling costs. That is partly due to the high reflectivity of metal roofs; a large proportion of the sun’s heat is kept from getting to the home and heating it. Metal roofs also have higher emissivity than other roofing materials. Emissivity refers to the rate at which a material cools after being exposed to heat. Metal roofs cool faster than other roofs, thus relieving the pressure on your HVAC.
6. Lightweight and easier to install
Despite their durability, metal roofs are surprisingly lightweight. Unlike concrete tiles that can reach 900 pounds/sqft, metal roofs only weigh between 50 and 150 pounds/sqft. The lightweight that metal roofing sheets have means you spend a lot less on the roof’s supporting structures. It also means installing a metal roof is faster, easier, and cheaper. The overall effect is that a metal roof will save you money in unexpected ways.
7. Resistant to moss and fungus
Apart from metal roofing, most roofing materials have organic growth. It is easy for moss and fungi to take hold of asphalt shingles and undermine the structural integrity of the roofing sheets. Organic growths on roofs damage them and impair the appearance of the home. Removing these growths from the roof can take up significant portions of the homeowner’s time and money. But you won’t have this problem when you install a metal roof on your building.
