Further Reading

Metal roofing materials have long been seen to be the province of stark industrial buildings looking to improve their fire ratings and energy efficiency. But the fact is, energy-efficiency is not the dull, book-balancing issue it once was. With 'green' policies becoming increasingly popular amidst growing concern about global warming and the environment, the energy-saving characteristics of having a metal roof are starting to look more and more desirable for the average person.

On the environmental, carbon-footprint front, metal roofing materials are the preferred roofing constituents for two reasons. Metal reflects light and heat, unlike heat-absorptive materials like asphalt and fiberglass. They consequently lower the amount of air conditioning a home will need to use to stay cool in summer. Add this to the fact that most insurance companies will give you anything up to twenty-five percent off on a policy for a home with a metal roof, and the long-term payoffs are considerable.

You'll be pleased to find that, since metal roofs moved from factories to top the most desirable suburban homes, residential metal roofing materials have come a long way in terms of their design aesthetics, as well as their functionality. You'll even find metal shingles treated and colored to resemble all manner of traditional products, including clay tiles and wooden slats.

If, however, you're more keen on moving into the modern era of architectural beauty, you'll find no end of variety and gorgeous design, with panels in everything from stainless steel and copper (which weathers to an enchanting green patina) to gleaming, chrome-like aluminum.

The most modern, and some would say aesthetically pleasing, metal roofing material is that of standing-seam roofing panels, which are both easily installed and virtually immune to wind, ice, snow and hail damage. If you'd like to go even stronger you can find these in Galvalume, galvanized sheet steel coated in a Zinc-Aluminum alloy that possesses the most impressive corrosion resistance of any roofing material, meaning that it will last a very long time.

So what, exactly, is a standing-seam metal roof's lifespan? Well, scientists have artificially aged metal panels by subjecting them to extreme levels of corrosive gas and heat, and found that, odds are, your average metal roofing materials will last up to seventy years without any need of repair. Of course, you'll have a hard time convincing most manufacturers of that number - their warranties stretch to a 'mere' forty years.

To read more interesting articles on Metal Roofing Materials check out www.DurableMetalRoofs.com.