Considering the Benefits of Metal Roofing

By Alec Doniger. 

With metal roofs increasing in popularity, the future of the roofing industry is on the brink of significant change. 

Metal has become a highly desirable material in the roofing industry and not without reason. It is praised for its durability and modern style. Metal is also more sustainable than asphalt, making it a great long-term choice. This is just conventional knowledge, however. For a more detailed understanding of this great alternative material, Heidi J. Ellsworth sat down with some of the leaders in metal roofing — Matt Burke of Grosso University, Mark Reins of EagleView, and Sherwin-Williams’ Christian Zimprich and Mark MacDonald. In this new RLW, the panel breaks down why metal roofs are more sought after than ever before.  

The growth in interest for metal is great news for these experts. But why are these trends occurring? Christian notes that a big part of it is energy efficiency. 

“One of the big advantages of metal, especially in warm weather climates, is energy efficiency when it's combined with some of our coatings that can really incorporate solar reflectivity. What that allows is the roof to actually reflect off the energy and actually keep the underlying structure cooler, especially again, in those hot climates.” 

To harness solar power as a homeowner is a new reality. This is a very appealing feature for a roof to have, especially as global climates increase in temperature.  

Realistically, metal roofing doesn’t make up most roofing sales. Customers are still relatively new to the differences between metal and asphalt roofs. Metal roofs require different treatment and must be cut very accurately. The technological advancements that EagleView has implemented make it easier than ever for homeowners and contractors to familiarize themselves with metal roofing. Mark from EagleView specifies how one of their technological implementations have helped the state of metal in the industry: 

“EagleView [has] been around for close to 15 years, and one of the biggest misconceptions that people think is that we use satellite imagery. That's not the case. We actually have 140 planes — we call them assets — strategically placed across the U.S. and Canada…We fly low altitude to take high resolution photographs at all different angles, create digital twins, create accurate 3D measurements for contractors and help create a better buyer's journey or homeowner's experience. They know that they're getting the best accurate data and proposal out there.” 

With continued education and resources becoming available in the metal industry, it’s no surprise that demand for metal is on the rise. The energy efficiency of metal is attractive to many home and building owners. Thus, they are seeking out the material more than ever before. 

Learn more about Sherwin-Williams in their RoofersCoffeeShop Directory or visit sherwin-williams.com.

Check out the full RLW to learn more about the benefits of metal roofing. 

About Alec  

Alec is a reporter for RoofersCoffeeShop, MetalCoffeeShop and AskARoofer. When he isn’t investigating the state of the roofing industry, you might find him playing drums with his bands in Denver.