Shingle roofs are preferred over metal ones, even though they last only a couple of decades at best. As a metal roofing expert who will complete his third decade in the industry in 2024, James Kenton has never had to replace a metal roof he and his crew installed. The reason: These roofs are said to last 50—100 years.With proper care and annual maintenance, a metal roof can retain its strength and appearance for as long as you live in that house. Unfortunately, this roofing solution is deeply misunderstood despite being around for as long as it has.
In this update, we will debunk these myths and clear the air around these roofs once and for all.
1. Metals Roofs are So Country!
When people think about metal roofs, they imagine something like rusty, corrugated tin roofs gracing the structures in the deep South. Either that, or they might imagine the tin roofing on homes from ancient times.
Metal roofing may contain a small fraction of the materials used in those roofs. However, it’s more than those shanty roofs that are probably discolored and disintegrating from being around for more than a century.
The metal roofs they—and certainly James Kenton—make these days are designed to never go out of style. It costs more than shingle roofing and adds more value to your home. As for the rusty appearance, these roofs have a galvalume finish that can hold its own, come rain, shine, or the odd tornado.
2. Metal Roofs Make Noise When it Rains
Old tin roofs did make that tap-tap sound when it rained, but that’s not the case for modern metal roofing. They make them extremely lightweight, complete with soundproofing so that if anything hits the roof, it is absorbed by the material within.
There is a good reason metal roofing is installed—not slapped down—on your home’s top. The process is more intricate than you think, with advanced measures to ensure any sound from birds, rain, and other airborne objects stays out.
3. Metal Roofs are a Lightning Magnet
If the chances of a person getting hit by lightning are one in a million, the chances of a metal roof getting hit by it are only slightly higher. You see, lightning hits the highest point in its vicinity. It loses intensity when it reaches the ground; this is why 90% of humans survive lightning strikes.
Rooftops aren’t the highest points in an area. Lightning is likelier to go for the old tree next to your home or the chimney atop your metal panes. Even if the lightning hits your metal roofing, the metals within will dissipate the electricity. A shingle roof is more likely to catch fire in such a scenario.
4. Metal Roofs are Heavy
Your metal roofing might be heavyweight only if it contains heavy metals like copper. On the contrary, slate and clay roofs are always heavy, so you could always do without them.
Avoiding heavy metal roofs is easy. You’ll have a lightweight roof if you stick to aluminum, steel, and silicone materials. They don’t require a structural assessment, as they don’t exert too much pressure on the structure. The installation is also easy, a quick in-and-out job.
5. Metal Roofs Get Easily Dented
Some homeowners see metal panels the same as the metal on their car doors. If they can ding their car doors, rain, hail, and other objects can certainly ding metal roofing—that is untrue.
You’d be surprised how much force it takes to dent a well-installed metal roof. When a roof has multiple layers, strong gauges, and panels considered some of the toughest on the market, it takes more than high-velocity bird droppings and hailstones to take it down.
Even if it does cave in, in places, the shiny finish will hide the imperfections until it’s time for a replacement.
6. Metal Roofs Get Piping Hot
We all know that metal heats up under the sun. Some might be worried it will start deforming in hot weather, but that is far from the truth, at least for James Kenton’s metal roofs.
The Tennessee roofer applies a Kynar 500® paint finish on his roofs. These resin-based coatings are reflective, meaning they don’t absorb the sun’s heat but direct it away from the roof, keeping the temperature within on the low end.
Even if your roof has a darker paint finish, it will be a shiny and reflective pigment designed to redirect infrared energy and keep the metal panes cool.
7. Metal Roofs Look Industrial
Metal roofing looks tailor-made for commercial buildings, but that doesn’t mean it will look too out of place on a home. These modern-looking roofs are the perfect solution for a contemporary residential structure.
Even if you live in a rustic or French country-style home, you might be surprised by how well a metal roof fits into the overall vibe. Yes, it is eye-catching and sometimes so bright that it’s blinding, but is that not a good thing?
As for the color scheme, metal roofing comes in myriad colors, from navy blue to tan and all the greys, greens, and browns in between; that is not something you get with asphalt shingles.
As a lifelong advocate and expert, James Kenton knows there’s no truth to most metal roofing myths. The roofing expert moved to Tennessee from Massachusetts 15 years ago. He is always ready to help clear the doubts surrounding the roofing solution in person or through the odd blog or two.
Follow James Kenton Tennessee on Twitter to know what he’s up to these days.