Pros and Cons of Metal and Copper Roofing
Standing-seam steel roofing is the most popular residential metal roofing today. (The term standing-seam describes the upturned edge of one metal panel that connects it to adjacent sections, creating distinctive vertical lines and a trendy historical look.) But metal roofs can also be made to resemble wood shakes, clay tiles, shingles, and Victorian metal tiles. Aluminum or coated steel is formed into individual shingles or tiles, or into modular panels four feet long that mimic a row of shingles or tiles.
Metal roofs are durable, fire retardant and almost maintenance-free. They are also energy efficient; metal reflects heat and blocks its transfer into the attic. Research by the Florida Solar Energy Center in 1985 showed that metal absorbed 34 percent less heat than asphalt shingles, and homeowners switching to metal roofing reported saving up to 20 percent on their energy bills.
Steel roofs offer other environmental benefits as well. They are made from between 60 percent to 65 percent recyclable material. Because they weigh very little, metal roofing can be installed over existing roofs, eliminating the need to dispose of excess material in a landfill.
Benefits of Metal Roofing
- Metal Roof installed correctly can last twice and three times as long as asphalt shingle roof
- Metal Roof reflects solar radiant heat and can save on cooling costs
- Sheds Snow and Ice, which helps prevent Ice Dams
- Withstands wind uplift of up 110 miles per hour and higher
- Does not rot, crack, and provides excellent corrosion protection
- Metal Roof is green building material that earns green building credits
- Can be out-fitted with solar roofing panels for standing seam roofs
- Does not catch on Fire, which reduces home owners insurance
- Greatly reduces possibility of roof leaks and need for on-going roof repairs
- Upraises value of your building and pays for itself
Drawbacks of Metal Roofing
Installing some metal roofing can be an intricate process best done by a
professional, and the initial cost of a premium metal roof is higher
than most other roofing materials. You need to compute the life-cycle
cost to see if paying more to begin with for a metal roof will prove to
be a better investment than some other form of roofing.
Do you need help with Metal roofing? Call Prime Home Improvement at 1-800.528.6463 or email us. Prime Home Improvements and our team
can add a unique touch to your home or business and help increase the
value of your property by up to 30%. Using materials such as copper we
can add elegant touches to your trims, eaves troughs, downpipes, bay
windows, steeples or even a weather vane.
We combine the
knowledge of traditional copper crafting with the latest design
techniques. From detailed ornamental copper artwork to full-scale
roofing projects, Prime Home Improvements can meet your copper metal
needs. Our passion and commitment to copper crafting is evident in each
and every project.
Our company has been around for over 40 years and we are a reliable roofing contractor with customers in Fairfield County Connecticut, Westchester County New York, and the Northern New Jersey area - in particular Bergen County, Essex County, Passic County and Hudson County.
We
service most of New York state. We also service New Jersey and
Connecticut and in particular: Westchester County NY, Hudson Valley NY,
Fairfield County, CT, and Northern New
Jersey. Major cities that we service in NY, CT and NJ are: Whiteplains
NY, Scarsdale NY, Nyack NY, Rye NY, Chappaqua NY, Bronx NY, Stamford CT,
Greenwich CT and Totowa NJ.