Shingles, Nails, and Beyond

Shingle roofs, such as those made with asphalt or wood, are the most common types of roofs you can install on your home. However, some homeowners are instead opting to install metal panels on their roofs. Both options can have upsides and downsides. It's important to decide what your priorities are when selecting the perfect roof for your home.

Shingles

Asphalt shingles come in a series of sheets, stacks, or rolls. They are usually nailed onto a structure and are layered or staggered. The materials that shingles are made out of tend to be inexpensive, such as asphalt and fiberglass, and they can reduce the overall cost of your roof in the short run.

Metal Panels

Metal roofs consist of flat panels and come in different types of patterns such as corrugated metal or a flat seam. They are more difficult to install and this makes them more expensive to install. They are also made out of more expensive materials. However, the interlocking design of a standing seam makes installation easier. 

Durability

One of the reasons why metal roofs have become more popular is that they're more durable and last much longer. Durability is important if you live in a location that has strong winds, hail, or other forms of extreme weather. 

Recycling Your Roof

If you are concerned about what will happen to your roof when it's time to retire it, both types of roofs can be recycled. Metal roofs have traditionally been the easiest types of roofs to recycle because certain metals, such as copper, are easy to recycle and very valuable. 

Asphalt shingles used to be difficult to recycle because only a small percentage of the shingle could be recycled and used to create a product used to patch asphalt roads. However, newer recycling methods have made it possible to fully recycle asphalt shingles and create new shingles.

Painting Metal Roofs

Metal roofs can be painted in a variety of styles. They are very expensive to paint but painting a metal roof is worth it. Not only will the paint give your roof the color you want but it will also protect your metal panels from the elements. 

The metal roof will need to be cleaned thoroughly before you are able to apply a coat of paint. This is most often done through power washing. Then, make sure to paint it using a paint designed for metal roofs.   

For more info, contact a local residential roofing contractor.