Maybe you’re building a brand new home? Perhaps you’re looking to make some changes to your existing home? In any case, you’re trying to decide on a roofing material.
You’ve narrowed your options down to metal roofing and shingles. But before you make a decision between the two, you want a little more information on each. Fortunately, we can help you with that.
Without further ado, here’s your guide to metal roof vs shingles.
Asphalt Shingles
Asphalt shingles are the most common roofing material in the world. Covering the vast majority of residences, they carry both pros and cons. We’ll discuss them in more detail below.
Pros of Asphalt Shingles
As we stated, asphalt shingles are the most popular residential roofing material on the planet. The reason for this? Their cost, which is lower than that associated with any other residential roofing material.
But asphalt shingles aren’t just cheap. They offer quite a bit of functionality as well. While they’re not the most durable, they’ll still provide you with 20 to 30 years of use; for their price, that’s a very respectable figure.
Resistant to rain, sunlight, and general physical trauma, they scarcely need to be touched. They’re one of the most low-maintenance roofing materials around and generally only require a cleaning every few years.
Asphalt shingles are available in a variety of styles and colors. As such, regardless of the style of your house, you’ll be able to find a set of shingles that match with it.
Cons of Asphalt Shingles
The biggest con of asphalt shingles is their lack of weight. Because they’re so lightweight, heavy winds often remove them from roofs leaving you looking for an expert in Canberra roof repairs. This isn’t true of most other roofing materials, including metal.
The other potential con of shingles is that they’re, well, boring. Because they’re used so often, people have grown extremely used to seeing them. In short, they won’t help your home to stand out among other homes.
Cost of Asphalt Shingles
As was noted above, the cost of asphalt shingles is extremely low. Generally speaking, a square (that’s 100 square feet) of asphalt shingles can be installed for between $100 and $200. The average installation cost for asphalt shingles is between $5,000 and $8,000, depending on the size of the house.
Asphalt Shingles Resale Value
As far as resale value goes, asphalt shingles aren’t much to write home about. Due to their limited durability and general vulnerability to storm damage, they don’t inspire much hope in home buyers. As such, you shouldn’t expect them to do much for your sale price.
Asphalt shingles won’t turn home buyers away. Quite the contrary, in fact (they’re the most popular residential roofing material in the world, after all). However, they won’t increase the prices of their respective homes either.
As an estimate, they provide a return-on-investment of around 67%.
Metal Roof
Metal roofs aren’t as common as asphalt shingled roofs but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re not as good. Yes, they have their downsides, but plenty of upsides all the same. Learn more about them by reading below.
Pros of a Metal Roof
Metal roofs thrive on many fronts. Highly durable, they can last anywhere from 50 to 70 years. Strong and sturdy, they hold up when subjected to rain, sun, physical trauma, and all other types of wear and tear.
They’re, by and large, low-maintenance roofs. Though they may sometimes require de-rusting measures, in most cases, they only necessitate cleaning.
Aesthetically speaking, metal roofs are terrific. Not only do they possess a sleek and shiny surface that instantly catches the eye, but they’re also available in a wide variety of colors. As such, they look great on homes of all kinds.
Cons of Metal Roofs
There is one big con associated with metal roofs — the cost. Simply put, metal roofs are some of the most expensive on the market today.
Note, though, that due to their durability (and general lack of maintenance needs), they actually offer quite a bit of bang for their buck. Yes, you have to pay a lot for them upfront. But spread out over time, they can actually end up being cheaper than many other roofing options (including shingles, on some occasions).
Cost of Metal Roofs
The cost of metal roofs is substantially greater than the cost of asphalt shingles. Whereas asphalt shingles cost between $100 and $200 per square, metal roofs cost between $350 and $600 per square. In other words, they tend to triple the price of asphalt shingles.
The average metal roof installation costs around $15,000 (with the help of a professional installer like the ones found at londonecometal.com). Note, though, that the exact figure is highly dependent on the size of the house in question.
Metal Roof Resale Value
As far as resale value goes, it’s not even close: metal roofing carries substantially higher resale value than asphalt shingles. The reasons for this are many.
First of all, metal roofs last much longer. As such, when a home buyer purchases a metal roof, they know it won’t have to be replaced for the foreseeable future.
There’s also the issue of warranty. Whereas an asphalt shingled roof is likely to be warrantied for around 20 years, a metal roof is likely to be warrantied for around 50 years.
These are benefits worth paying for and, as such, it can be monetarily beneficial for homeowners to install metal roofs on their homes. In fact, it’s estimated that metal roofs see a return-on-investment of around 86% as opposed to just 67% for asphalt shingles.
Metal Roof vs Shingles: Which Wins Out?
When it comes to the battle of metal roof vs shingles, there is no clear winner. Both materials have their upsides but their downsides as well. In the end, your personal needs and preferences will influence your choice.
Seeking out other such info? Our website has you covered. Browse some of our other blog posts now!