Types Of Metal Roofing Compared (Pros & Cons)

Metal roofs are gaining popularity with homeowners for many reasons. They can last up to 50 years, they protect the home from natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes, and there is a wide variety of styles available. But before you decide on which metal roofing style is best for your home, it’s important to understand what’s out there so that you know exactly what kind of benefits you’ll be getting (or not getting) with each one. So, we’re going over the different types of metal roofing and their pros & cons so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not to install a metal roof.

Most people who think of a metal roof might immediately think of the roof of a pole barn — especially those of you living in rural Minnesota. It’s just what you’ve been used to seeing. But a metal roof is so much more than that. And in recent years metal roofing has boomed in the residential roofing industry with advancements in style, installation, and even more color options.

What are the Different Types of Metal Roofing?

There are many different styles of metal roofs depending on what you’re looking for. Each comes with its own advantages (and disadvantages) but in the end, all are highly beneficial if you want a roof that will last a long time with little maintenance.

Corrugated Metal Roofing

The corrugation is what gives this type of roof its signature look, and it also helps to deflect wind. It’s usually a dark color so that the sun doesn’t bake your home underneath. This style has a minimal profile (meaning less air-gap) which means it insulates well and can be installed fairly quickly without much labor involved. But with all those benefits come some drawbacks — for example, during installation you may find yourself needing extra protection against possible water damage because there are more nails used in fastening down the panels than with other types of metal roofs.

Standing Seam Metal Roof

Standing seam as opposed to corrugated means that there are no visible seams on top while still maintaining its durability. This style is also very popular because of its strength and low-profile design which means you lose a little bit in the insulation department but it’s worth losing some insulation for the sleek look this delivers.

Metal Shingles

Many people choose metal shingles because they’re lightweight and easy to install. The downside is that you lose some of the insulation benefits here too, but not as bad as with standing seam roofing which is what makes this a good option if your priorities are more for looks than energy efficiency.

What Types of Metal are Used for Roofing?

Metal roofs can actually be made from one of many types of metal. Galvanized steel is probably the most commonly used type of metal roofing material, but you can also find them in tin, copper, aluminum, steel, or copper-plated metals as well.

Aluminum will be a little more flimsy and can dent easily, whereas steel roofs would be much more hardy and withstand more elements. Thus, the more premium metals will cost more upfront, but less expensive materials can be just as effective when it comes to longevity and protecting your home.

What are the Advantages of Metal vs. Typical Roofing?

One of the biggest reasons we see people installing metal roofing is to boost curb appeal. That’s a big deal in today’s market — updating your home to a more modern look. Which, as you can see, the metal shingles can give whatever look the homeowner wants with the added bonus of metal roofing’s longevity.

Other benefits include:

• Long-lasting (50+ years)
• Low maintenance
• Fire and insect resistance
• High ROI
• Can imitate more premium materials like slate or wood shakes
• Many come with great warranties
• Recyclable
• Energy-efficient
• Can withstand the harsh elements of severe weather (wind, hail, rain)

What Brands Work Best?

Northface Construction is committed to providing sustainable approaches to roofing, which means offering as many estimates for metal roofing as we possibly can and recommending the best manufacturer for your metal roof. Central States and EDCO steel shingles are two brands we’ll feature today that we know we can rely on. Our project consultant demonstrates a few of those in the video below.

For your standard pole barn profile, a style containing an exposed fastener, the Central States Panel-Loc Plus works great. Central States even offers specialized warranties for paint and fade resistance.

For standing seam roofs, the Horizon-Loc works well by interlocking one another to hide the fasteners. This type of roofing can come in customized heights, lengths, colors, and whatever you may want based on your needs.

Last, but not least, are metal roofing shingles. They have a similar look and texture of regular shingles but are made of metal, obviously. They install similarly by overlaying over one another. The fun thing about these is they can be made to look like any sort of shingle you want. They can be treated to look like wood shakes, get them stone-coated, or even have them looking like slate shingles.

So overall, you’ve got a few different styles right out the gate. Your exposed fastener system, the standing seam hidden fastener system, and your metal shingles. We offer all three of these currently through Central States out of South Dakota.

When it comes to the EDCO Steel Shingles, the three main factors to consider include its reflectivity — giving you a cooler roof — the impact warranty, and the wind warranty. Their wind warranty is 160 mph, and the impact warranty is a Class-4 warranty. The way EDCO determines this is by dropping a 2-inch steel ball from 20 feet and the shingles have to withstand that impact. Those reasons alone make the shingles highly sought after.

Homeowners interested in sustainable materials will love metal roofing, because it is recyclable. Plus, it lasts much longer than any other type of shingle or roofing material, which can end up in landfills every 15 to 20 years. While metal roofing both last long and can be melted down and recycled after it’s been removed.

The biggest difference we see between the three types we showed you today is basically just their differing warranties and how those are structured. So just looking at the various types can tell you that when you consider the panels and the standing seam, the thicker the gauge, the better the warranty. Warranties vary depending on the manufacturer, obviously, but also how the roofing is built. Sometimes just by looking you won’t know for sure, that’s where your project consultant comes in and can walk you through those details.

For more information on metal roofing installation, give us a call at 763-710-2933 or check out our roofing page. We look forward to committing to sustainable practices for our clients!