Which Style of Metal Roof Fits Your Home?

Once you have chosen to go with a metal roof, you still have some decisions to make. There are questions of material, color, fastening type and finish. All of them can make unique contributions to the look of your home and the performance of the roof.

Yet another decision you must make is the style of roofing. Metal roofing today has come a long way from the industrial functionality of former times. Now, you can get all the beauty of asphalt shingles, wooden shakes and clay tiles, but with metal’s advantages.

The Styles of Metal Roofs

There are three principal kinds of metal roofing that customers have to choose from. All of them can mimic the looks of traditional roofing, but come with all the advantages that metal roofing provides.

• Dimensional shingles. Many roofing material providers stone-coat dimensional shingles and construct them out of steel. The steel makes them a less expensive yet stronger metal roofing material than other options. The stone coating lends to the depth and intricacy of the more traditional asphalt shingles, but our steel shingles will far outlast asphalt.

• Wood shake. Our shake style roofing gives the beauty of cedar shake roofs but combines it with the durability of steel. Cedar shake is famous for quickly needing replacement, but our steel shake lasts a very long time. They won’t split or crack like the wooden versions. The stone coating adds aesthetic value to our lightweight but durable metal shake.

• Spanish-style tile. Old world clay tile has a unique, instantly recognizable appearance. Common in California and other sunny climates as well as in the Mediterranean, you can take advantage of the beauty of clay tile but with the longevity of steel. Our tiles require little or no maintenance but still give your roof that rippling, wave-like pattern.

Additional Metal Roof Considerations

Roofs come in many different styles. For the most part, the type of roof and style of roofing you choose are up to you. Roofing experts recommend that you use shingles for roofs with dormers and valleys to cut down on leaks, but this is not a necessity. The principal types of roofs are as follows:

• Gable. The gabled roof in its simplest form is two slopes that meet at the top, forming a crest, and seem to rest against each other. There are only two sides to a gabled roof. Different versions include the box gable, which have a flat piece where the usual gable is open, and the saltbox, which is popular in New England. The saltbox offsets the crest from the middle, so that one slope is longer and steeper than the other.

• Hip. The hip style has four sides. Like the gable, two slopes meet at a crest, but there are two additional slopes in the shape of triangles whose points touch each extreme of the crest. Another version is the pyramid hip, which has four triangular sides that meet at a point at the top.

• Gambrel. You often see this style in Midwestern barns. Gambrel starts off at the crest much like the gable, but then, partway down, the slope suddenly becomes steeper on each side, which forms another sort of crest on each side. The effect is to give the gambrel four slopes in all.

Consider Your Personal Style

When choosing your metal roof’s style, it’s important to consider your personal style. Knowing what your goals and aspirations are for your home’s exterior can help you determine which style works best for you. An experienced metal roofer can present you with the options available to you and assist you in selecting the best options.

Ask yourself the following questions prior to making your final metal roof decision:

• Do you want to stick out or blend in among your neighbors? If you live in the Midwest and do not want to stray away from your neighbors’ styles, then a Spanish-style tile may not be right for you. However, if you want to make an impression and love Spanish-style architecture, this option would be perfect for your home.

• Do you have a specific aesthetic that you want to portray with your home? If you’re looking for a farmhouse feel, opt for a Gambrel style. If you’re a fan of colonial-style architecture, the classic Gable would work best.

• What colors and finishes do you like? Metal roofs can come in a variety of colors and textures. If you want a light-colored roof to complement your dark exterior walls, metal roofs come in a variety of energy-efficient colors. If you want a darker roof, these options are available as well.

The Benefits of Metal Roofs

Many homeowners wonder why they should opt for a metal roof to mimic certain roofing styles, when they could just purchase the actual material. However, metal roofs offer a multitude of benefits for homeowners that other materials cannot provide.

• Energy-efficiency. Metal roofs reflect heat, keeping your home cooler in the summer and trapping warmth in the winter. You can reduce your heating and cooling costs by 10% to 25% with a metal roof.

• Longevity. Metal roofs can last between 40 to 70 years. In contrast, traditional shingles only last between 20 to 25 years.

• Durability. Metal roofs can stand wind, impact, and weather conditions that crack and break shingles. In addition, shingles require costly and regular maintenance, while metal roofs do not need this upkeep other than periodic inspections.

• Eco-friendliness. If you’re environmentally conscious, you want to choose a roof that you can recycle if you want to replace it. You can recycle metal roofs and many material providers already make metal roofs out of recycled materials. Shingles often break off, leading to lots of waste – and you cannot recycle shingles.

• Safety. During natural disasters such as wildfires or lightning strikes, metal roofs do not catch on fire. This helps save you and your family thousands in repairs and keeps your home safe during dangerous situations.

Choosing a metal roof requires a good amount of research on your part – but the end result will be worth it. With a metal roof, you can complement your personal style and increase your home’s value. In addition, you will stand out from your neighbors with unparalleled style and protection.