How Long Will a Metal Roof Last in Pennsylvania?

If you own a home or commercial building in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, or anywhere else in Pennsylvania, you probably want to do everything you can to maximize the property’s value, reduce maintenance costs, and keep it looking its best. A new metal roof can be an upgrade for any residential or commercial property in Pennsylvania, offering property owners who make the switch tremendous value thanks to the stellar cost of ownership of a professionally installed metal roof.

Most people know that metal roofs can last much longer than traditional asphalt shingle roofs, but just how long do they actually last? If you are looking for a long-term investment in your property that offers an incredible return, a metal roof has many surprising benefits aside from its longevity.

Lifespan and Return on Investment of a Metal Roof

Like any home improvement project, it’s vital to choose a reputable and experienced contractor to handle your metal roof installation. An unlicensed or inexperienced roofer may promise a great deal, but you could face significant issues as the result of shoddy work. When you choose the right metal roofing contractor for your metal roof upgrade, your new metal roof could last 75 to 100 years! This means an incredible return on your initial investment when taking long-term cost of ownership into consideration.

Even the most well-built and professionally installed asphalt shingle roofs will only last 25 to 30 years under the best conditions, and they will certainly face a great deal of occasional maintenance issues like damaged shingles, mold growth, and other expensive problems. A metal roof on a Harrisburg or Pittsburgh property will not only last almost four times as long as an asphalt shingle roof, but it will also experience a fraction of the maintenance issues.

While Pennsylvania property owners with asphalt shingle roofs will probably need to pay for shingle repairs and other occasional issues every few years, a metal roof will only require maintenance after severe weather. A metal roof’s main vulnerability is corrosion from chemical reactions when fragments of other metals, brick, concrete, and some other substances come into contact with the roof. As long as you inspect your metal roof regularly and remove any problematic substances promptly, your metal roof will incur a fraction of the damage that an asphalt shingle roof will experience in the same timeframe.

Metal Roofs and Pennsylvania Weather

Pennsylvania has a variable climate, typically experiencing cold and snowy winter months and hot and humid summers, with mild temperatures and lots of precipitation in between. Metal roofs not only stand up to this type of variable weather better than asphalt shingle roofs, but also provide additional benefits. For example, many property owners assume that a metal roof would be much noisier during a heavy storm than a traditional asphalt roof, but metal roofs are actually quieter.

During the winter, metal roofs’ smooth surfaces increase snow shedding, whereas asphalt shingle roofs’ granular, rough surfaces tend to keep snow in place. This can cause problems as the sun melts the snow and then colder temperatures at night refreeze it, causing expansion and contraction in a repetitive cycle. This can eventually loosen asphalt shingles and lead to water damage in the roof bed or the building’s siding. Asphalt shingle roofs can also cause ice dams and large chunks of heavy snow to accumulate. These can potentially dislodge, falling on vehicles or people below, leading to expensive damages or even serious injuries.

Metal roofs also absorb sunlight much better than asphalt shingle roofs, warming them during the winter and creating a heat buffer around the structure, making it difficult for cold air to enter. While this may sound like it would only be beneficial during the winter, this heat absorption is valuable in the summer as well, absorbing sunlight without letting it influence the interior temperature of a structure. Throughout its entire lifespan, a professionally installed metal roof can offer incredible value in many different ways as long as the property owner cares for it.

Metal Roof Maintenance to Extend Lifespan

Hypothetically, if a property owner were to invest in a new metal roof and perform only the bare minimum of maintenance once a year, it would still probably outlast the best asphalt shingle roofs by a significant margin. However, if you decide to invest in a metal roof for your home or business in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, or anywhere else in Pennsylvania, you can extend its lifespan to the maximum with a few easy maintenance steps:

● Cleaning. Your metal roof’s smooth surface will shed lots of debris, but it can still accumulate dust, dirt, and other contaminants that you should remove as promptly as possible.

● Clearing gutters. Remove any debris from your home’s gutters as soon as you notice a blockage. Your metal roof will be great at diverting rain and other substances off the roof’s panels and into the gutters, but, if your gutter system experiences a blockage, it could easily lead to water damage.

● Preventing contact with corrosive substances. Your new metal roof is incredibly durable to physical damage but is vulnerable to chemical reactions with substances like concrete, brick, treated iron, and other metals. If you notice any fragments of these substances on your metal roof, take time to remove them and clean the spots where you found them. If left unaddressed, these fragments could cause galvanic corrosion or rust.

● Preventing scuffs and scratches. The panels of a metal roof have specialized coatings that protect them from weather damage, but physical damage can scuff or scratch the coating and leave the underlying metal vulnerable to rust or corrosion. It’s wise to trim tree branches away from the metal roof and use caution when cleaning the metal roof to prevent scratches.

Meal roofs are incredibly durable, and these simple maintenance tips will help any Pennsylvania property owner ensure that the new metal roof lasts as long as possible.

Verify Warranty Coverage

Different metal roof manufacturers offer different types of warranty coverage. Metal roofs are becoming a popular choice among property owners in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, and throughout Pennsylvania, and warranties offer an extra layer of protection on an already durable product. Most manufacturers offer limited lifetime warranties that cover metal roofing materials that fail to meet industry standards or experience unforeseen critical failures. If you plan to upgrade your Pennsylvania property with a new metal roof, be sure to verify the warranty coverage available with the project before committing to the purchase.

A new metal roof not only offers incredible performance and a longer lifespan compared to asphalt shingle roofs but can also increase the resale value of a property. Whether you want to ensure your home is ready to pass on to your children many years from now or you want to maximize the value of a commercial property in Pennsylvania, a metal roof is one of the best investments to make.