Homeowners who have delayed scheduling roof replacement will want to have the project completed before winter arrives if they live in a cold and snowy climate. Winter can worsen existing problems with a leaky roof. In addition, if the property owners have decided on metal to replace asphalt shingles, that material offers a distinct advantage during the snowy season.
Replacement Before Snowfall
Flaws in the roof will probably leak even more water into the home when snow piles up. As the snow melts, the water travels into cracks and holes in the roof and seeps inside. On a warm day when melting happens, the leaks can be dramatic. Household residents may discover water running down walls and dripping from the ceiling. Raking the roof after a storm prevents the worst problems, but it’s difficult to remove every inch of snow from the surface.
The Advantage During Winter
Metal roofing is convenient after heavy snowfall because the white stuff simply slides onto the ground. Contractors construct the roof so snow lands in a place where it doesn’t cause problems. For instance, it won’t fall into the driveway or onto sidewalks.
In homes with asphalt shingles, the residents typically rake snow from the roof with telescopic-handled equipment while standing on the ground. They also might climb a ladder onto the roof and shovel the snow off. These activities are unnecessary with a metal structure.
Other Advantages
Metal roof installation costs more than that of asphalt shingles, but it lasts significantly longer. Homeowners can expect not to need roof replacement for at least 40 years, and often longer than that.
This is considered an eco-friendlier option. The norm is for at least 25 percent of metal roofing to consist of recycled material. Asphalt shingles still mainly consist of new material from a petroleum source. Fortunately, those shingles increasingly are recycled and included in blacktop pavement.
Metal is not any more susceptible to lightning strikes than other materials are. Lightning seeks out the highest point, which could be a tree, an antenna or any kind of roof. In the rare event that lightning does strike a roof, metal is protective because it cannot start on fire.
Metal on top of the home also boosts energy efficiency during hot weather. It reflects sunlight, keeping the upper part of the house cooler than would be the case with asphalt shingles.
Installation Over Shingles
In many cases, metal can be installed over shingles instead of the contractor needing to tear off the old material. That’s because metal is so lightweight. Avoiding the labour costs for tear-off and for disposal of shingles saves the customer a substantial amount of money.
Some houses have two layers of shingles because the owner opted for a second set to delay full roof replacement when leaks developed. Tearing off both sets is even more labour-intensive and costs extra for waste disposal. Being able to avoid this when installing metal makes the job price more comparable to installation of a new shingled roof. The contractor evaluates the structure and the existing roof to confirm whether this is feasible for a particular home. You can call for help for asphalt shingle roof installations albertville mn and get your roof fixed.
