What Are the Benefits of Metal Roofing?

Century Roofing Limited has been helping our Calgary neighbours to create long-lasting and attractive roofs since 1981, including the durable and aesthetically pleasing metal roofing, created from 100 percent recyclable material.

Residential metal roofing is generally made of steel, aluminum, or copper. Rolls of 24- or 26-gauge steel sheets are given a metallic coating to prevent rust, followed by a baked-on paint finish. Aluminum sheets don’t require the metallic coating but do get painted. Copper, often called a natural metal product, is neither coated nor painted, because it weathers without corroding and is often used for special features, such as the roof of a prominent bay window. Steel roofing products are coated with either zinc (galvanized) or a mixture of aluminum and zinc (galvalume or zincalume).

Metal provides a number of benefits over conventional roofing materials on a number of different counts:

The primary benefit of metal roofing is longevity. Properly installed, a metal roof should last as long as the house, sealing out water, surviving high winds, and easily shedding snow. Metal is resistant to fire, mildew, insects, and rot. Most companies back their products for 20 to 50 years. Paint finishes typically have a 30-year limited warranty.

Metal roofs are lightweight, sometimes allowing them to be installed directly over an old roof to save on engineering and building the supporting structure on new roofs.

Metal reflects radiant heat from the sun, painted with specially formulated cool pigments, solar energy is reflected and emitted (rather than radiated as heat into the attic), and saving energy needed for air conditioning during the day.

Metal roofs are noncombustible with a Class A fire rating (the most resistant), but a Class C rating when applied over combustible material. They are also effective in preventing the spread of fire when hot embers fall on them (i.e., from brush and forest fires).

Additional benefits include its speed and ease of roofing installation, it requires a minimum roof pitch of 3-in-12 (the roof rises 3 inches for each horizontal foot), it’s impervious to rain and snow, and a new metal roof recoups a bit more of its installation cost upon home resale (six percent according to Remodeling Magazine) than does a new asphalt roof.

There are some drawbacks and a number of myths around metal roofs, including initial cost (savings come in the form of lower annual maintenance and its longevity); noise from rain (like any roof) can be minimized with proper insulation; aluminum and copper, softer than steel, are more prone to denting (with textured roofs, minor denting is not readily visible); and lightning – metal conducts electricity, but electricity is not drawn to it and like in any home, can be easily grounded by a lightning protection company.

Metal Roofing Installation in Calgary

At Century Roofing Limited, metal roofing is a popular sloped-roof option for a strong, long-lasting, practical roof that will look stunning as well. To learn more about metal roofing in Calgary, call us today at 403-235-5457. We’ll provide a free quote and answer any questions.