What Is The Best Roof To Install On Your Home

When trying to decide what is the best roof to install on your home, you should really consider a metal roof.  Extremely durable, a metal roof will help to protect your home from extreme weather conditions and will also reduce your home's carbon footprint.  Partially attracted by Energy Star tax incentives, millions of people every year replace their asphalt roof with metal.  Here are some reasons why a metal roof is the best roof that you could install on your own home.

Versatile and Attractive
Metal roofing comes in a wide variety of colors, textures, designs, and styles.  It can even be made to look like other materials such as slate, wood, or clay tiles. 

Durability
Metal for roofing is the most durable alternative when replacing your roof.  Metal shingles for roof replacement resist cracking and shrinking.  They don't erode and are virtually maintenance free for their entire useful lifespan.  Warranties usually last 50 years.

Weather Resistant
One of the most attractive things about metal roofing is its resistance to weather changes.  Metal for roofing can bear heavy amounts of snow, are virtually impervious to hail damage, and are fire resistant.  Interlocking metal panels also can protect against damage from high winds. 

Energy Efficient and Affordable
Some homeowners have experienced savings as high as 40% for using metal shingles for roof replacement.  They can also increase a home's value by $1.50 per square foot. 

Environmentally Friendly
Metal roofing materials are made of 30% to 60% recycled materials.  They can be installed OVER you existing roof, reducing waste and cutting down on the 10 million tons of waste that are added to American landfills every year from roofing materials.  Using a reflective pigment, 

Many Tax and Insurance Incentives
The Energy Star program provides tax incentives to homeowners for making changes to their home that are environmentally friendly.  Insurance companies are also giving incentives in the form of discounts as high as 35 percent on homeowner's policies for metal roofs.   

A persistent myth about metal roofing is that it is louder than other roofing materials during heavy rainstorms.  This is not necessarily true, yet thousands of people every year decide against metal roofing for this very reason.  When installed with the proper underlayment, a metal roof is no louder than a traditional asphalt roof.  Don't let this myth deter you when considering what is the best roof to install on your home.

Metal roofing materials can be used in industrial, commercial, agricultural, and residential applications.  The same materials can also be used as siding.  There are styles and colors available to fit everyone's taste.  The material and color can be alternated to create impressive designs that greatly enhance a home's curb appeal.

A metal roof is very easy to maintain.  Some need to be recoated when the factory finish erodes in order to avoid corrosion.  Because metal roof materials are made from zinc, copper, or stainless steel, they require very little maintenance, and can last over 100 years.  Any metal roof that has a polymer coating to extend the life of the roof - such as Kynar - will not need any maintenance until the coating wears off.

Metal roofs are durable, affordable, and relatively easy to install.  They do absorb heat rather quickly, and retain large amounts of that heat.  In warmer climates, this can result in high energy costs during the air-conditioning season.  Deciding what is the best roof to install on your home can depend a lot on where you are located.  They are not very popular in the Southern and arid states, but can be very beneficial in areas that experience very cold winters.