Steel Roofing Shingles

Choosing the right roofing material can be a tough task, as the options are many. The market is flooded with many different types of roofing shingles and other roofing materials. The perfect roofing material for a house has to be decided on the basis of various factors like the style of the house, location, local weather conditions, the houses in the neighborhood, your budget, durability and strength. Nowadays, metal roofing is available in different types and are getting popular for its durability and strength. They are also fire resistant and lightweight. Metal roofing is available in a wide range of colors and styles too. Earlier, metal roofing was mainly available in ridged versions like corrugated sheet metal roofing, but nowadays, metal roofing shingles are also available.

More About Steel Roofing Shingles

As mentioned earlier, metal roofs were available as ridged sheets. But nowadays, metal roofing shingles, especially, steel ones are available in different colors and models. You may find that these shingles resemble cedar shingles, slate or clay tiles and stone finish. The manufacturing of a steel roofing shingle involves preparation of a core, which is often made of metals like aluminum or tin, fiberglass and plastics. This core is shaped in mold and is then coated with steel powder, either by spraying or dipping. Stone coated steel roofing shingles are one of the popular type. In this type of steel shingles, the steel substrate is attached to UV resistant acrylic polymer that is embedded with specially graded stone chips. Even the plain ones and the slate and wood finish are also equally popular.

Pros and Cons

The advantages of this roofing material is its strength and durability. This type of roofing shingles is not vulnerable to mold, insect attack or decay. They are also not prone to splitting, cracking and curling. They are also highly fire-resistant. Above all, steel roofing shingles are environment friendly, as they can be recycled. You may also install steel roofing over shingles (your existing asphalt shingles), so that you don't have to worry about disposing off the old ones. They are light weight and are not found to make excessive noise during rains. However, if you analyze the various aspects of steel roofing vs shingles (asphalt), then, the former can be very expensive and pretty difficult to install. Steel roofing shingles can be around two to three times expensive, as compared to the regular asphalt ones. It may not be suitable for all weather conditions, especially in locations that are prone to cyclones and hailstorms. While you can try to install these roofing shingles on your own, it has been observed that many people find to difficult to work on the edges. So, it is always better to hire professionals for this purpose.

In short, steel roofing shingles are perfect as it combines durability and strength with looks. If you can afford this roofing material and if it is suited for the climatic conditions in your region, then you may go for this type of shingle. Even the maintenance cost for these shingles is minimal.