Roofing technology and techniques have seen drastic improvements in recent times – and metal roofing has quickly risen to become the clear choice for roofing thanks to its incredible durability and longevity.
If you’ve spent any time looking into installing a new roof, you’ve likely been floored by the sheer amount of different options available to you. When deciding between Metal Roofing vs. Asphalt Shingles, there are many things to consider. Shingles are undoubtedly the most popular roofing material today because they are easy to maintain, cost-effective, weather-resistant, and reliable. Continue reading to learn all about metal roofing vs. asphalt shingles.
The History of Asphalt Shingles
Asphalt shingles are originally an American invention, first used in 1901. They can attribute a lot of their popularity to a movement by the US National Board of Fire Underwriters to stop using wood shingles on roofs in the 1920s, which was very successful.
At first, almost all shingles were organic. Cotton rag was commonly used as the base material until the 1920’s when economic and wartime stresses caused the prices of cotton rag to increase, prompting manufacturers to seek cheaper alternatives.
Eventually, manufacturers landed on asphalt – the perfect temporary roofing material. It is incredibly cheap for them to mass produce, and it needs to be fully replaced at least 3 times in every home’s life cycle, designed to be a temporary solution. Perfect for the roofer that wants to guarantee himself a lifelong customer, whether you like it or not!
Metal is Everything Shingles Wish They Were
All our metal roofing, called substrate, is made from Galvalume, a German technology, that emulates galvanized steel and is coated with a mixture of zinc and aluminum and siliconized coating to protect against corrosion and rust.
More About Metal Roofing vs Asphalt Shingles
Galvalume metal is perfect for accents on your office building, rustic and modern style homes, and even stores and restaurants. The Galvalume metal itself has more of a matte finish and it just has a bit more subtlety than the traditional shiny metal roof panels.
Metal roofs made with Galvalume metal are coated with a unique mixture of zinc, aluminum, and silicon coating to help resist scuffs, scratches, and anything that may hurt your metal roof! This incredible mixture helps the Galvalume metal resist rust and corrosion much better than traditional galvanized steel, giving it a longer lifespan on average.
It costs far less to maintain your metal roofing as well. If you want something like asphalt shingles to last forever, you will need constant maintenance and upkeep. Wind will cause some shingles to flap up over time, and water will eventually seep into any place it can. A metal roof is nearly wholly maintenance-free; the only thing you may have to do from time to time is spray it off if it ever gets dirty!
The Army Corps of Engineers did studies that found a properly installed metal roof can last for up to 100 years, while asphalt tends to hit its limit at about 20 years, give or take.
Sustainability and recyclability of Metal Roofing vs Asphalt Shingles
One fantastic upside of choosing a metal roof is that almost every piece can be recycled again and again after it’s served its lifespan as a roof, making them a far more sustainable choice than asphalt shingles. The ability to reflect heat and sunlight makes metal roofs a far more energy-efficient roof as they block the majority of the outside heat from transmitting anywhere close to your home. The clear winner in the metal roofing vs asphalt shingles is metal roofing.
Asphalt shingles also have a drastically shorter lifespan than metal roofing. Consequently of that American landfills receive on average 20 billion pounds of old asphalt shingles every year. To make matters worse, asphalt shingles are petroleum-based, further increasing dependency on fossil fuels and polluting landfills.
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