Hynes Home Construction and Remodeling – Blogs

While the average life expectancy of humans can be expected to be around 72.6 years, there’s no universally agreed upon, single statistic for the roof covering your home. Well, actually it depends on the material you decide to choose for your roofing system. Choose metal and your roof will live up to ‘X’ years (we’ve listed this below); choose shingles and your roof will stretch up to ‘Y’ years (we’ve listed this too). Apart from lifespan, there’s a whole lot of things you’ll need to know when it comes to choosing between a metal or shingle roof for your home. Hynes Construction has always strived to help its customers in taking the best possible decisions when it comes to their homes. Here’s an article with everything you need to know about metal and shingle roofs.

Metal Roofing – Advantages

1. Light to handle: Your contractor may just thank you for choosing metal panels. Being lightweight, these are easier to handle and install, as compared to heavier roofing choices. The light weight also doesn’t exert unnecessary stress on the structure of your home.

2. Lasts long: With a metal roof overhead, you’ll stop counting the years. But if you still do, there’s a high probability of you losing count. Standard metal roofs are expected to give you 50 years of peace of mind while roofing with materials such as copper and zinc could stretch up to 100 and beyond.

3. Lower cost over long term: With a metal roof lasting 50 years or more, there’s no question of money draining replacements for a long, long time. This makes metal roofs a very economical choice.

4. No fire hazard: Very few things have the ability to withstand fire. Count your metal roofing among them. A metal roofing comes with a Class A fire rating, and is fire resistant. A helpful bit of info for homeowners who live in areas that are prone to forest fires.

5. Handles extreme weather: You can count on your metal roof to stay firm and unmoved through rain, heat, hail, cold and strong winds.

6. Energy efficient: Another significant advantage of a metal roof is its ability to lighten up your energy expenses. When it’s hot, your metal roof will release the absorbed heat and when it’s cold, it will retain the heat. This lowers the load on your heating and cooling systems.

7. Range of Looks: Metal roofs give you a wide range of colors, shapes and sizes to choose from. In fact, you can even get metal roofing materials that offer the ‘shingle’ look.

8. Environment friendly: It’s a roof that not only saves your home but also your world. Unlike other roofs, metal roofing can be recycled for future reusability.

Metal Roofing – Disadvantages

1. Higher one time cost: The higher cost of materials, labor, equipment and installation make metal roofing a higher one time cost, as compared to shingle roofing.

2. Finding a Qualified Contractor: Not everyone’s skilled to handle metal, because this kind of roofing requires complete precision and zero room for errors.

Shingle Roofing – Advantages

1. Lower one time cost: Shingles are available at less than half the price of metal panels. This explains why a vast majority of homeowners choose shingle roofing over metal.

2. Easier and affordable: Like some people, shingles too are easy to mingle. Because they come pre-packaged and can be immediately nailed to the deck, shingles help reduce labour, time and costs significantly.

3. Abundant contractors: Since shingles are easy to install and repair, you’ll find it easier to find contractors who’re qualified and experienced.

4. Easier to work on: Contractors can walk on or put weight on shingles during the process of installation, without the fear of dents or scuffs on the surface.

5. More warranties: With shingles, you’re covered by both the manufacturer and contractor for a range of issues including manufacturer error, material defect, algae growth, contractor error and wind resistance.

Shingle Roofing – Disadvantages
1. Shorter life: Most shingle roofs can last a maximum of 25 years, which is less than half the life of a metal roof. This means if your neighbour has a metal roof, you’ll be running through approximately three replacements by the time his metal roof nears the end of its term.

2. Adds stress to the structure: Although current advancements have helped reduce the weight of shingles, they are still heavier in comparison to metal panels. This additional weight could affect the integrity of the structure over time.

3. Vulnerable to fire: Modern day shingles come with a Class A fire-rating however, the asphalt in these shingles is combustible and pose a fire hazard. An accidental lightning strike or forest fire may not be the best of news for homes with shingles.

4. Affected by weather: Shingles are more likely to get damaged in harsh weather conditions such as wind, hail or snow, as compared to metal panels. There is also the chance of a shingle roof getting lifted or ripped off if the adhesive isn’t applied correctly or gets damaged.

5. Increases energy costs: Shingle roofs hold and transfer the sun’s heat into the home, which causes air-conditioners and other cooling devices to work extra hard.

6. Limited colors: Unlike metal panels which come in a palette of light colored paints, shingles are only available in dark and dull colors.

7. Prone to mold, mildew & algae: If a shingle roof holds moisture long enough, it could lead to the growth of mold, mildew and algae in the wet or moist areas.

We hope this detailed compilation of facts will equip you with the knowledge to look at metal and shingle roofs from every perspective – be it functionality or affordability, maintenance or weather-resistance, and then take the right decision. If, after reading this article, you feel you are ready to make your choice and would like to take the next step of identifying metal roofing contractors near me, shingle roofing installation contractors or roofing contractors near you, simply give us a call at Hynes Construction. We are an expert roofing contractor who’s been delivering every kind of roofing service in this industry for over 45 years. We’ll be more than happy to assist you with your metal or shingle roofing need and welcome you into our family of customers who are happy with Hynes.