Our roof was damaged in a severe hail storm here in Austin.  March 25th has gone down as a very erie date for the area.  Three record setting hail storms (by the amount of severity and damage) have hit Austin on that exact date three years in a row.  It’s hard to believe, and I wouldn’t if mankind had even the smallest control of local weather.

When we discovered we needed to replace our roof, I wanted to at least look into getting a metal roof.  I’ve known about their superiority over composite shingle type roofs, but the cost is usually 2.5 to 4 times the cost of a traditional roof.  As most of you know, I research everything until all questions are exhausted and little doubt about remains about almost anything.  I gathered even more fodder for justifying the higher initial cost.  Since we were at this fork, it was time to get bids to see if it was even possible.  After a lengthy bidding process, it turns out metal prices had plummeted from their record highs about 18 months ago.  Additionally, composite shingles have experienced their highest price in history due to the relatively recent hurricanes, and the high number of severe hail storms in the Mid-west.  This meant the price difference was less than 1.5 times the cost of shingles.  The material costs were nearly identical and the difference in price was strictly labor. 

There are so many advantages metal has over composite shingles, I thought I’d list at least the major ones I ran across: 

1. •Longevity.  First and foremost, a quality metal roof will last 50+ years, and most are warranted for 25-30 years.  Galvalume roofs, like the on we installed currently exist on homes that are 80+ years old.  FYI, Galvalume, some times called 55% Galvalume is a licensed coating made of a blend of Aluminum and Zinc.  They call it 55% because by weight it’s a blend of 55% Aluminum and 45% Zinc.  This also means that somewhere near 80% by volume of the coating is Aluminum.  Aluminum holds up extremely well to the elements and shows little signs of degradation over time.  Even a “30 year” shingle roof only lasts on average 10-14 years down here in this heat.
   

1. •Strength.  Category IV rated.  Hail as large as baseballs may dent it, but it’s not gong through it.  Hurricane wind rated.
   

1. •Weight. Or the lack thereof.  A metal roof weighs about a third of a composite roof. 
   

1. •Discount.  Some insurance companies give a discount of up to 15% because it won’t damage with most hail and it’s not flammable.
   

1. •Energy Efficiency.  Saves 30% - 40% in air conditioning cost.  A new metal colored roof reflects about 65% of the suns energy, and after a few years the sheen will degrade to only reflecting about 58%; only a white metal roof is better, but it’s too plain.  This is compared to ALL COLORS of composite shingles that reflect only 4% of the suns energy.  Consequently this means they ABSORB 96% of the suns energy.  Additionally, the shingles act like refractory, or bricks.  They slowly dissipate heat all night keeping your attic nice and warm.  This means after the sun goes down, your AC unit works for hours to remove that heat that keeps pressing down into the living space.  With any color of metal roof it dissipates heat very quickly, cooling off as soon as it doesn’t have the sun’s impingement.  This is the reason a metal roof is called a cool roof.
   

Cool Roofs are a large category, and it should be clarified that a metal roof is only one type of cool roof.  It’s likely the best choice for a pitched residential roof.