Metal Roofing Blog

Fact or Fiction? This may be what you think to yourself when you are doing research about metal roofing. With the increase in popularity of metal roofing and the fact that so many roofing companies are vying for business in the Windsor, Toronto, Ottawa and Mississauga areas, it’s no surprise that myths about metal roofing still exist.

 
5 Metal Roofing Myths Debunked

These are five of the most common metal roofing myths that seem to keep coming up. While some of these may have been true at some point in history, times have changed and now they are as mythical as a unicorn.

1. Metal Roofing is Loud. We can all picture that rustic barn with the pitter-patter of rain on the
   tin roof. While this may have been the case a hundred years ago, modern metal roofs are quiet because they boast insulation and they are typically laid over some other kind of roofing construction. Any metal roofing contractor will show you that great care is taken in the engineering to make them silent.
2. Metal Roofing Increases the Chance of Lightning Strikes. You don’t have to worry about getting zapped more frequently under a metal roof. Even though metal does conduct electricity, electricity is not drawn to metal. If your home is properly grounded, a metal roof is just the same as any other roof in terms of attracting lightning. In fact, metal roofing is non-combustible, so it’s probably even safer than other materials because if it is struck by lightning, it will not catch fire.
3. Metal Roofing is Easily Dented By Hail. While it’s true that a baseball sized hail stone will dent your roof, and probably do damage to lots of other parts of your home as well, normal hailstones won’t cause any damage. If you live in an area prone to hailstorms, you may want to select a more textured metal because it makes minor denting invisible.
4. A Metal Roof Will Make You Colder in the Winter. Actually, this has nothing to do with the metal roof, it’s all about the insulation under the roof. If you have poor insulation under any kind of roof, your home will be cold. So, no matter what you choose, make sure it’s properly insulated to keep you toasty warm inside.
5. You Can’t Walk on a Metal Roof. First of all, how much do you plan to be walking on your roof? Secondly, a metal roof can be walked on, it just takes a little more care. Your roofing contractor should provide you with specifics about your roof and how to walk on it if you must.

Still not sure? Ask your metal roofing contractor for some local references and they can affirm that all of these points are simply myths that, like a metal roof, just don’t hold water today.

There are so many different kinds of roofing choices these days that it’s mind-boggling. The three most common options available to most property owners include tiles, shingles, and metal. Shingles often require more maintenance than the other options and tiles are often not far behind. There are better and worse tile and shingle materials and there are few that incorporate some very cool technology, such as solar shingles, but oftentimes the best choice for roofing, especially in a place like Ottawa, is metal roofing. Ottawa’s humid summer climate and its harsh winters will test the limits of your entire household and your roof is its first line of defense. Here are some of the main reasons to keep metal roofing in mind if you are in the process of either looking for a new roof or building a new property.

Expected Lifetime of Metal Roofing in Ottawa – As long as metal roofing is installed correctly, it should last as long as the house itself. Most companies will provide a warranty of up to fifty years. Even the paint on metal roofing can have a warranty spanning thirty years. Some tiles and shingles can have lengthy warranties, too, but their appearance often degrades much quicker.

Metal Roofing Stands Up to Bad Weather – Metal roofing is moisture resistant and can withstand winds up to one hundred and forty miles per hour. Snow sheds quickly from the metal, too, limiting the buildup from small to heavy storms and blizzards. These roofs can also be installed with minimum pitch, which is a luxury compared with other types of roofing materials that will often leak when the pitch isn’t sufficiently high. Though the risk isn’t very big with regards to wild fires in Ottawa, metal roofing protects against this, as well. Of course lightning strikes can also cause a fire, but this can be alleviated by grounding the roof.

Metal Roofing in Ottawa Will Insulate Your Home – Believe it or not using metal roofing in Ottawa will not only insulate your home, it will also shave a few dollars off of those terrible heating and air conditioning bills. The metal roof reflects ultra-violet rays, therefore keeping the heat in during the winter and out during the summer. There are also a number of different paints that can amplify this effect, too, which can be especially beneficial in the summer.

The Price is Right – Yes the initial cost of having a metal roof installed isn’t exactly cheap, but the ROI (Return On Investment) is well worth every penny. Can you believe that owning a metal roof in Ottawa can help you save money on insurance? This depends on the insurance company, of course, but it is a possibility. Remember that a metal roof should last a lifetime, it aids with winter and summer energy costs, and best of all it really does look great.

For metal roofing in Ottawa, there’s no one better to trust than London ECO-METAL Manufacturing. We are the roofing contractors concerned about you. We have a fine selection of aluminum and steel roofing and many colours to choose from, too. Let us know if you are interested and we’ll give you a quote.

Steel roofing has been around for more than 100 years but it’s only recently that its outstanding value has finally begun to get the media attention it deserves. Still, in spite of the gains steel roofing has made in the public eye more traditional roofing materials like asphalt shingles, tile and even slate continue to hold the lion’s share of the roofing market. So let’s take a look at these different materials and see how they stack up when compared to steel.

Steel Roofing vs. Traditional Roofing Materials

While many comparisons are completely subjective, comparing steel to other roofing material does not require an injection of opinion or speculation. There are plenty of hard facts to kick around regarding:

• Cost – Steel will generally cost a bit more than asphalt, wood shingles or ceramic tiles and less than slate tiles to install. However, while asphalt, ceramic and wood have life expectancies of 10 – 20 years a steel roof can last 50 years or more. Slate is about the only material that compares to steel in terms of longevity but woe unto you should one of your slate roofing tiles break.
• Maintenance – Once installed your steel roofing system is maintenance free. Compare that to tiles that can be torn off in storms or asphalt shingles that begin to degrade the minute they’re installed and often need to be patched or repaired due to leaks. And as alluded to above, trying to patch a slate roof should a tile break can be an expensive and tricky process with the odds very long indeed that you’ll actually find a tile to match the ones you have.
• Safety – Asphalt is a form of petroleum, that is, crude oil. When you install asphalt shingles on your roof you are in fact installing a layer of solidified oil across the top of your house. Should a fire break out these asphalt shingles become an immediate liability and act as an accelerant, turning a bad situation into a potentially devastating one. The same can be said of wood shingles. Steel roofing on the other hand will never catch fire or promote the spread of a fire that may be underway. A huge safety plus.
• Green Value – When a roofing contractor replaces the asphalt shingles on your roof the old shingles almost invariably go straight to landfill. During any given year thousands of tons of these rotting petroleum sheets are dumped into landfill sites across Canada adding to groundwater contamination and releasing toxic gases as they break down. 50 years or so from now, if you decide it’s finally time to replace it, you’ll be able to recycle it once again.

As you can see, metal roofing has distinct advantages over more traditional roofing materials. When you factor in the substantial energy savings you’ll enjoy due to steel’s ability to reflect the sun’s heat as well as the relief you’ll see on your homeowner’s insurance due to steel’s safety factor you’ll realize there’s no mystery behind the growing popularity of steel roofs.

London Eco Metal has a reputable team of metal roofing contractors offering services for steel roofing in Toronto, Mississauga, Windsor, Kitchener and Ottawa.