Gauging the Longevity of Michigan Roofs

If you live in Michigan, then you know all about our seasonal extremes; hot and humid in the summer, wet and windy in the spring and fall, and downright cold and snowy in the winter. If you think this has an adverse effect on you, how do you think your roof feels?

After all, your roof is exposed to Michigan weather extremes around the clock and has to handle everything Mother Nature can throw at it. That’s why durability needs to be a major factor in deciding on the best roof for your Michigan home.

Most shingles installed today are asphalt shingles – a product that has been around for generations. Asphalt has dominated the shingle market for so long that you may not be aware that there are other options worth considering - especially since today’s asphalt shingle isn’t what it used to be.

20 to 30 years ago, the main ingredient of an asphalt shingle was oil. However, with the increase in the price of oil, much of the asphalt has been removed from shingles and replaced with fillers. Prior to 1980 the material composition of an asphalt shingle was predominantly asphalt. Today, shingle composition is mainly limestone and filler with asphalt composition in the 10-30% range.

While removing oil from shingles can be sold as an environmentally sound move, it greatly compromises the flexibility, durability and overall strength of asphalt shingles. Shingle manufacturers have forced their costs down by removing asphalt, but in the end they’ve drastically reduced the quality of their product.

A roofing option that has made great strides in recent years is the metal shingle. Metal has been around for years but it has most often been seen in the “standing seam” variety used on barn roofs and commercial buildings. But According to McGraw-Hill Construction & Analytics, a new breed of stamped aluminum shingle - made from recycled aluminum - is now a viable alternative in the residential roofing market. McGraw-Hill reports that metal roofing now represents 11% of the residential re-roofing market nationally.

While more metal roofs are typically sold in the South and West, Michigan too is seeing more and more homes adorned with metal. However, you may not have noticed. That is because today’s aluminum shingles closely resemble traditional roofing materials. To see for yourself visit Michigan based American Metal Roofs online at www.americanmetalroofs.com and check out their photo gallery.

While it is true that metal shingles are more costly than asphalt shingles initially, when you consider that metal shingles save energy, increase home resale value and are essentially permanent, the actual savings over asphalt add up quickly.

But, what about having the durability to stand up to Michigan’s weather extremes? This is where metal roofs offer a distinct advantage. Designed as interlocking shingle systems,metal roofs hold up against winds to 120 mph - they also shed snow in the winter reducing heavy snow loads and are installed with high quality synthetic underlayments and sealants that create permanent protection against leaks from driving rain, and snow. For durability against Michigan’s wildest weather, your best option in the long run is a permament metal roof.