Last month, the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) released its annual research on the top markets in the United States for metal roofing.
Although Texas didn’t make it to the very top of the list, it has ranked sixth – driven by homeowners right here in the Austin area.
The latest figures underscore an important point about metal roofs: Areas with severe weather are the epicenters of this great new trend. Homeowners who want all-season durability are exploring the value of metal in increased numbers, including here in Austin.
No matter if your home faces wind, hail, or heavy snow, metal roofing provides a sound solution. That’s on many minds this year as we look back on a polar vortex that offered a glancing blow to Texas, but sent temperatures to record lows in many other areas.
The Need for Resilient Roofing is Driving Metal’s Newfound Popularity
What’s behind the newfound interest in metal roofs?
Metal has superior performance characteristics for a wide range of challenges:
Wind and Precipitation
Ensuring that rain and snow drain properly from a roof is essential to its longevity. Sadly, that introduces a problem all conventional shingle roofs have to deal with: Gutters. Nobody likes cleaning the gutter, but a damaged or clogged gutter can result in roof damage during a storm.
Another issue is the notorious ice dam. Although the polar vortex didn’t do its worst, many Austin homeowners fell prey to the ice dam, where a ridge of ice forms at the edge of a roof and prevents ordinary runoff. Metal roofing is designed to minimize both of these issues.
In fact, many metal roofs don’t even have gutters. That’s one more chore off your list.
Fire
It’s a common myth that metal roofing attracts lightning strikes, but this doesn’t turn out to be true in practice. What is true, however, is that metal roofs are fire resistant. Most of them have a Class A fire rating, the highest available. By contrast, many shingle roofs have a Class C.
If the worst happens and a fire takes place within your home, your roof can’t protect the entire structure. However, it will reduce the speed at which fire spreads through the rest of the property. That can lead to precious minutes saved as fire rescue is on the way.
Environmental Concerns
There are many types of environmentally-friendly roofs, but metal is winning with homeowners.
Tile, an historic material associated with the southwest, has fallen out of style with homeowners today. Slate can be expensive due to its heft, which requires additional support, and wood shingles are vulnerable to rot. Metal roofing outperforms them all.
The secret to metal’s success is its remarkable degree of reflectivity. By reflecting solar radiation from the roof, metal reduces heat transfer. The end result is that your home stays warm in the winter and cool in the summer with less work from your heating and cooling systems.
To find out more about metal roofing in Austin, contact Longhorn Roofing today.
