Any building material you choose for your home will need eventual repairs and replacement, and this includes the materials you choose for the roof. While a metal roof is typically considered one of the strongest and most durable of options, it may eventually suffer some damage, or need replacing for a variety of reasons. However, since this is also true of any material you choose for the roof, note how the durability of a metal roof and its longevity stack up against other roofing materials, so you can determine if this is the right choice for your home.
Heat
Lots of hot, direct sunlight can sometimes cause a metal roof to warp just slightly; you might even notice a somewhat curved appearance to the roof on hot summer days. However, even the hottest of summertime weather won't cause a metal roof to become structurally unsafe, or change its overall appearance permanently. Once the weather cools, the roof returns to its original shape, and usually goes through this process without damaging any of the other roofing materials around it.
Also, note that hot summertime sun is very damaging to other roofing materials, and perhaps even more so! Asphalt, concrete, and clay tiles can become brittle and then crack and crumble under all that heat, and the sun can fade their colouring and coatings more easily than it can fade the powder coating applied to metal roofing. This actually makes metal roofing the most durable against summer sunshine.
Denting
A very strong hailstorm, or a falling branch can cause a dent on a metal roof. This doesn't mean that metal is somehow fragile, as those hailstones and branches will also cause damage to any other roofing material! Strong storms and hail will not only crack and chip asphalt, concrete, and other such tiles, but can also cause them to blow away. A heavy branch can also dislodged those tiles so that they need to be replaced, whereas a dent in a metal roof can often be easily bumped out.
Noise
It's a common misconception that a metal roof is noisy, but the insulating materials put under the metal absorb the sound of rain, hail, and the like. If there is any residual noise, this is something that you may only hear from the outside of the home, and not from the inside! Rain and hail hitting any roofing surface will make noise, and the noise from a metal roof is typically not any louder than what you would experience with asphalt, concrete, and other such materials.
Share29 August 2017
Hello, my name is Ryan and this is my blog. I don't work in the roofing industry but I recently had to spend a week on the roof of my home trying to fix it up. I am pretty good at DIY, but in the end, I had to call in a roofing contractor to help me out. I decided to replace the entire roof and that wasn't a job I was going to take on my own. I have learnt a lot during the past few weeks and I hope to use this blog to pass on some of my knowledge.