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 Forty years ago asphalt shingles had a fiberglass
core. Today's shingles have a paper core. Shingles also now have
less asphalt on them because asphalt has become a limited and
expensive commodity. The quality and longevity of asphalt shingles
has declined over the years.
Weather, wear, and heat all take their toll on your asphalt roof.
The best asphalt shingles (architectural 30+ year) on the best
ventilated roof may last for 15 to 20 years, and the final years
will give lower performance against leakage. High winds and hail
will further shorten the life of the roof, often resulting in an
insurance claim that will pay out based on how old the roof is. A
five-year-old asphalt shingle roof will generally pay 50% of the
cost of repair/replacement on an insurance claim, and with your
deductible the rest of the repair cost will come out of your pocket.
A different approach that is becoming more popular here is to cover
your roof with steel instead of asphalt. The advantage of steel is
more durability, longer lasting attractiveness, and more resilience
against the elements.
When people envision steel roofs, they often think of the vertical
panels with seams that go up to the peak of the roof and come in
solid colors. These steel panels are often used on farm building
roofs.
Looking at the vertical metal roof systems used on homes there are
two types. Both high quality 'standing seam' and 'exposed fastener'
roofs outperform standard asphalt shingles by better than two to one
in terms of time, attractiveness, and protection. With these systems
the steel panels are cut to size, fitted together, and screwed down
to the roof deck or roof rafters.
While this roofing alternative is often the most expensive
alternative at the time of installation, it is not the best
performer. As the steel panels age, they often get a scuffed,
abraded, or dulled look. The advantage of these roof panels is that
they can be repainted and resealed to bring back their luster and
extend their life and protection. Another disadvantage is that just
like an automobile in a hail storm, these smooth looking vertical
steel panels often show the dings of large hail. And, aging panels
with loosening screws can cause the seams to leak over time. Lower
quality steel panels will rust with age and need replacing sooner.
There is now a totally new system of roofing that has the
attractiveness of the architectural asphalt shingle roof with the
added durability of steel. Stone-coated steel shingles mimic asphalt
shingles, wood shakes, slate shingles and even tile roofing with
none of the disadvantages. They age well, resist heat and the rest
of the elements.
They are installed "horizontally in rows" rather than vertically.
These stone coated steel shingles are said to have a durability of
five to ten decades rather than just fifteen to 20 years of asphalt
shingles.
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 Professionally installed, these attractive
shingles cost about as much as two installations of asphalt
shingles, and resist wear, rust, wind, hail and heat. And they help
keep your house warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
Each shingle is specifically shaped to mimic the roofing material
they are simulating: a shake look, a slate look, a tile look or even
a modern look. They are anodized on the bottom and stone coated on
the top, then covered with decorative aggregate to give them a high
quality look and resist the elements. The steel shingles themselves
have a great deal of depth, and the result is an outstanding roofing
installation with great architectural appeal.
In a typical installation, a layer of stick-down ice and water
shield is applied right over your existing asphalt shingles to seal
up the roof. A layer of shiny foil insulation is applied over the
top of the ice and water shield and is nailed down securely with tar
paper nails. Then the metal shingles are applied over the top, layer
by layer, each shingle being tightly fitted to the previous course
and screwed down with five screws rather than merely nailed down.
Corners, edges, and caps all have special trim elements.
The result is a gorgeous hail resistant roof designed to resist 120
mile per hour winds that will not age with heat. Many insurance
companies even give a special discount for metal shingled roofs.
Because of the application of the foil insulation, your home will be
warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
Many brands of these steel shingles exist today and are sold here in
Logan County, with Decra being one of the top brands. Locally this
roofing system is marketed as "Cool Roofs."
Before you settle for just another asphalt shingle roof, check out
the wide variety of long lasting stone-coated steel shingles. Fifty
years from now you will be glad you did.
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