Metal Roofing

The government stimulus package offers benefits for certain metal roofings.

Ed Del Grande: Many contractors are setting their ways and may never change the way they construct a home. We call these guys dinosaur contractors because sooner or later they become extinct. If every contractor thought like this, the home building industry itself could become extinct. But forward thinking contractors will break away from the pack and start installing new less labor intense systems and products. Today Metal Roofing may be poised to give the standard asphalt shingle a run for its money. In the late 1970s I saw this happened first hand in the plumbing industry when PVC drain piping took the industry by storm and replaced cast iron as the residential industry standard drain material. With that in mind, Common Sense should tell you the big changes in the industry can happen again. A big reason for the boom in residential metal roofing is the new stimulus tax credits available for energy efficient metal roofing systems. They can keep a home cooler because they tend to reflect the heat from the sun rather than to absorb it. Estimates range from 15-20% savings in cooling costs. Metal roofing is also resistant to wind and ice damage and can be made from recycled materials. So installing it can protect the environment as well as your home. As far as durability, a professionally installed aluminum roof can last well over 50 years. In fact its not uncommon for copper roofs to last over 75 years. Drawback in the past used to be cast bedeck because of the industrial looking roof panels. Also winter snow storms the slick surface was prone to sliding sheets of ice falling off the roof. Recently, standard metal roofs have been introduced that can give a home a shingled look or even a nice Spanish roof-tile appearance. Snow diverting tabs can also be installed on the roof to control ice slides over doors and walkways. With all these new roofing technology available the time may be right to look into metal roof as another option to offer your clients. Now, don't you be a dinosaur you need to keep up with future trends if you want to keep a roof over your head. I'm Ed Del Grande with my Common Sense Guide for HGTVpro.com.