Name: American Metal Roofs
Price range: $$
Rating: 4.9

Smart answers to a homeowner’s most common roofing concerns

MY HOME IS READY FOR A NEW ROOF. WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?

Roofing your home is a big project that involves time, effort and, of course, money. If you put a new roof on your home next year, are you willing to do it all again in 15 years? In fact, you are lucky if your roof lasts that long. Homeowners are learning the hard way that asphalt shingles produced today are far inferior to those made 40 years ago.

HOW LONG CAN I EXPECT MY ROOF TO LAST?

The typical asphalt shingled roof will fail after seven to ten years. Expect to see cracking, splitting, buckling and granule loss fairly quickly.

WHY IS MY ROOF FAILING SO QUICKLY?

In the past few years, manufacturers have moved away from petroleum based shingles to fiberglass. This cuts costs, but decreases quality, too. These shingles are a very temporary solution to roofing needs, and homeowners are often surprised when their roofs begin to leak. The National Roofing Contractors Association has reported failure across the asphalt shingle industry, not just with one or two brands.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE WARRANTY? THE MANUFACTURER SAYS MY ROOF SHOULD LAST 30 YEARS.

Manufacturers have actually in-creased their warranty periods, but if consumers read the fine print, they’ll learn that warranties are limited to manufacturing defects. While very few asphalt shingles are defective, cost-cutting production methods have dramatically reduced their lifespan, which is in no way covered by the warranty.

WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?

Do your research. Consumers looking for a truly permanent roof will never be satisfied with asphalt. Metal roofs are durable, low-maintenance, impervious to weather and energy-efficient. A metal roof will be the last roof you will ever install on your home. The durability of a metal roof means it has a very low life cycle cost. Because it never needs to be replaced, it costs as little, or even less, than conventional asphalt roofing. That’s great news for homeowners.