That's our roof finished, though not the best shot since it's a cloudy day. Here's a better one from when they were putting the roof on:
It's very shiny. =)
Yes folks, that is a metal roof. Steel to be precise. Why a metal roof you ask? Well, there are several reasons.
1. A metal roof can save you money on your a/c costs because it has a higher heat reflectivity than other roofing products. During the summer it makes buildings cooler by reflecting away sunlight and reducing the amount of heat transmitted into the building. Likewise, it makes buildings warmer in the winter by reflecting inside heat from the underside of the roof back into the building. (courtesy of these guys)
2. Metal roofs have a very long life. Our roofers said we'd never have to replace the roof. Well - that may be going a bit far, but I suppose it's possible the house will cave in before the roof has to be replaced. Metal roofs will often be backed for 50 years (hard to get a guarantee like that on asphalt!) They are resistant to fire, mildew, insects, and rot, and shed snow easily (a plus around here).
3. Steel (what the roof is made out of) is recyclable. Asphalt shingles are not. So, if we ever do have to replace the roof, all the material could be recycled - instead of going into the landfill, like our old asphalt roof did. =(
Some other info, in case folks are wondering: our roof won't blow off in the wind, isn't super loud (or even that much louder) when it rains; won't rust; and should hold up fine to hail.
We're pretty happy about it. Now we just have to think of what color to paint the house. Any suggestions??
I think you should have a red door. I have recently been looking at houses to rent while finishing my degree in the city and have been drawn to houses with red doors.... sandy tan with a red door :o)
ReplyDeleteHouse is looking great, you all have done a lot of work! I'll have to come visit for sure the next time we're visiting Brian's family in Minneapolis.
Looks much better!
ReplyDeleteIndeed, red door says welcome, I read somewhere.
Orange house?
There is, for some reason, something psychological about red doors. Our family's real estate agent almost convinced them to paint their glorious old wooden doors red. I balked - a lot. We finally didn't do it and I'm glad. But it's true that I also think red doors look cool. If we were to paint our house white (which I don't think we will now) a red door would have been cool.
ReplyDelete(and I'm not a fan of orange Jedidiah. =)
Fine. Neon Yellow. Whatever.
ReplyDeleteis not painting the house white because we painted too many things white in our childhood? You like sage green, and green is very calming. Maybe you should do a sage green with white trim and a red door :-)
ReplyDeleteor would that be too much like Christmas? Although Sage green is more a spring/fall color so I think your house could pull it off.
ReplyDeleteI like metal roofs too, but they will ding in a hailstorm. We had one go through last spring and our neighbors on the block behind got huge dings in their brand new roof. :(
ReplyDeleteInsurance paid to have those sections replaced. I hope they recycled them.
True, steel has an advantage over asphalt, since the former is recyclable no matter how beat-up it is, and asphalt is known as a health hazard. As a fan of renewable resources, me too also use metal roofing which was installed by the roofers in Denver, and it also saved us some cash on our electric bill due to its reflective property to sunlight.
ReplyDeleteI think, the best way to decide on which color is the best for your house is that you should look on the colors that compliments the design of your roofing. When I had my roof replaced by the roofers (Vancouver) due to it being beaten up by the storm, being it on a different color from my last one, I asked for the recommendation of my friend in Richmond, to list me some choices of good color combination.
ReplyDeleteA metal roof provides a lot of benefits, the most important being the aspect that it provides superior protection to your home without sacrificing style. Most metal roofs today are fire and wind resistant, so you will never have to worry about such elements damaging your roof. Also, metal roofs are durable and are capable of lasting for 15 to 25 years, depending on the maintenance. :) - [Kermit Lukacs]
ReplyDeleteMetal roofing does have its advantages over other kinds of roofing. And it is true that it has higher heat reflectivity than other roofing materials. I don’t know what paint you used, but there are paints that have special chemicals in them that can help improve a roof’s UV reflectivity and durability. That would have been a great choice for you to improve the efficiency of your roof.
ReplyDelete