If it's time for a new roof, you might want a different material besides asphalt shingles for your home. You might want better protection against leaks or just a new look for your house. If you're considering metal roofing, you'll want to learn how metal and asphalt shingles compare. Here's how these two roofing materials differ.
Cost
Metal roofing costs more to buy and have installed. However, the lifelong costs may be lower than the cost of asphalt shingles since shingles don't last as long and will probably need more repairs. Plus, you'll want to consider the cost of different grades of shingles. The biggest price difference between shingles and metal is when you compare the lowest grade of shingles against metal. If you want a more durable roofing material, you may choose high-quality shingles, and the cost of these luxury shingles is close to the cost of metal roofing panels.
Hail Damage
Metal roofing does a good job of protecting your home and the deck of your roof from hail damage. Metal roofs, especially aluminum, can dent when struck by hail, but the dents don't usually allow rain to leak through. Your insurance may not always pay to replace a metal roof that has hail damage, so you'll want to understand how insurance works with metal roofs before you make your choice in roofing.
High-quality asphalt shingles also offer good protection against hail, but if shingles are damaged, they can start leaking, so they have to be replaced. Lower-quality asphalt shingles can sustain a lot of damage from large hail. You might need to have a roof replacement done due to hail damage to your shingle roof.
Leak Protection
Metal roofs are one of the best types of roofing for leak protection. Homes usually get standing-seam metal panels, and these have seams that lock together and keep rain from leaking through. If the roof develops rust damage, rust holes could always leak if they're not repaired in time, but as long as the metal is in good shape, the risk of leaking is low due to the way the metal panels are made and installed.
Asphalt shingles have a much greater risk of leaking. A shingle roof can leak due to damaged shingles, animals tearing off shingles or gnawing on the deck, and loose shingles that get lifted by wind during a storm and let rain get under them. An asphalt shingle roof is designed to shed water, but since the roof is composed of many individual parts rather than large panels, the risk of leaking is much higher.
To learn more, contact a roofing service in your area.