MRA Shares Cautionary Tale for Homeowners Seeking to Repair and Rebuild After Harsh 2022 Hurricane Season

The Metal Roofing Alliance is cautioning homeowners to make sure their current roof is equipped to handle storm season.

Dealing with destruction and home damage in the aftermath of 2022's monster storm season and hurricanes like Ida is bad enough. But for unsuspecting homeowners, shoddy workmanship and inferior quality can turn a terrible situation into a worst case scenario.

That’s the warning from the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) in the aftermath of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season–which officially ends November 30, 2022–following some local reports that have demonstrated how subpar roofs left some homeowners not just in shock, but terrified, after their roofs failed to deliver on performance promises and were irreparably damaged.

“Hurricanes are definitely the ultimate stress test for roofs and that’s especially true for a monster climate event like Ian,” said Renee Ramey, MRA executive director. “Sadly, that’s also when homeowners sometimes find out first-hand they didn’t get the workmanship or quality they thought they had originally paid for.”

Quality metal roofs manufactured to meet or exceed industry specs and installed correctly are designed to be among the most durable and long lasting with the ability to withstand hurricane-force winds and guard against leaks and penetrations. However, as instances of damage caused by Hurricane Ian has shown, unscrupulous installers sometimes pass off substandard metal not designed to use as roofing material. This inferior material can literally peel off and be destroyed by strong wind gusts and hail.

Other issues include shortcuts and sloppy installation methods, such as not using proper sealing methods, attachments and underlayment can compromise the long-lasting reliability that quality metal roofs are so well-known for. That can lead to not just failure, but it can negatively impact the structural integrity of a home during severe storms and harsh climate conditions.

Industry groups like MRA are working hard to combat such scenarios, by arming homeowners with information and educational resources for how to ensure a quality metal roofing job done right. MRA offers a comprehensive Buyer’s Guide available for free here,  and its members help promote and uphold manufacturing and installation standards.

“The best way for homeowners to protect themselves is to do their homework: Take the extra step to understand the material being used and that the installer you’re hiring is reputable, experienced and stands behind their work,” said Ramey. “Ask for verification and proof of quality rather than relying on verbal promises and too-good-to-be-true offers.”

According to Ramey, all that extra effort is worth it in the long run to prevent added expenses, costs and headaches and most importantly, help protect homes and the safety of its occupants for the long run.

About Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA)

Representing the residential metal roofing industry in the United States and Canada, the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) was formed to help educate consumers about the many benefits of metal roofing. The main objective of MRA is to increase awareness of the beauty, durability, and money-saving advantages of quality metal roofing among homeowners, as well as to provide support to the residential metal roofing industry. For more information, visit MRA at www.metalroofing.com.