Steel Roofs: The Pro's and Cons

I'll come right out and admit it before I write. I like asphalt shingled roofs so this article may be a bit biased. Don't get me wrong, they have their benefits and some people prefer them. However, there are pro's and con's to both.

I have been to countless home shows and listened to all the hoopla by steel roof companies, their superiority over asphalt roofs, their warranties, longevity, etc.... It's true. They do last longer than asphalt. However, I think they have a decided disadvantage over asphalt. A great asphalt roof properly installed will last approximately 30 years. A steel roof will last approximately 50 years (despite claims of a lifetime warranty). Longevity is the only advantage I see of steel over an asphalt roof. Here are some of the disadvantages.

1. COST. They are expensive. Usually they are 3 to 4 times the price of an asphalt shingled roof. So, in my opinion, as far as cost per year goes, steel is far more expensive per year than asphalt. Even if they are twice the price of asphalt, their cost per year is more.

2. Many contractors who have to access the roof in future years will charge you more. WHY? Because they are harder to work on and around. I know, as an eavestrougher, we dislike working around steel roofs. The most common problems for us are two fold: First, they sometimes have an enormous drip edge at the end of the roof that sometimes covers up to 3 to 4 inches of the top of the eavestrough. The reason is that before a steel roof is installed, the old asphalt roof is left in place. The steel roof is begun with a drip edge that I call a "bull nose". It is a large bulky rounded starter strip. See the picture below:

This picture only shows maybe an inch or so of the eavestrough covered. Believe me, when I encounter these roofs, far more than an inch is covered. This makes eavestrough installation a chore! Sometimes even impossible! However, not all steel roofs have this bulky drip edge.

Another reason we dislike installing around a steel roof is that if you have to get on the roof for any reason, we are paranoid about preventing any denting and they are slippery! If they are wet, they are like a sheet of ice!

3. No matter what steel roofing companies say, steel roofs WILL create major ice and snow issues in winter. The reason is that when the heat from the home or the sun melts the underneath layer of show or ice, it all lets loose at once and it is like an avalanche!  When that avalanche of show comes off all at the same time, It goes over the edge of the roof and can rip off the eavestrough and/or damage whatever is beneath it on the ground. I did a major repair for a customer we installed eavestrough for 3 years ago. Thankfully his eaves trough did not rip off the house. It merely bent the front of the eavestrough and damaged about 20 hidden hangers.

Yesterday I went to do an estimate for a man in Dundas. Look at the pictures below to see what happened to the eavestrough on his house. This is a major repair!

OOPS! Half the eavestrough is gone and the fascia has major damage from a snow slide off this steel roof! Where is the other half of the eavestrough?

Oh! LOOK! I found it! We don't call this eavestrough. We call it scrap metal! Here is more damage.

These are some of the problems I see with a steel roof. Let me be clear, I am not against steel roofs if a home owner has his or her heart set on it. However, you should go into any purchase with eyes wide open. If you are getting a steel roof, I would recommend you consider doing these things before you install it.

1. Replace your old eavestrough with brand new AND install Alu-Rex 5200 to make the eavestrough super strong. Alu-Rex 5200 can ONLY be installed on new eavestrough. This will help assure that an ice or snow slide won't rip off the eavestrough.

2. Strip off the old asphalt shingle roof and make any necessary repairs to roof sheathing before the steel roof goes on. Sure this make cost you an extra $1000 but it is worth it! It will also help assure that your steel roof  company will not cover over 3-4 inches of your eavestrough! Truth be known, I have never seen a steel roof company steel roof company strip off the old roof. They ALWAYS seem to cover the old. Personally I think this could create a steel roof that is hotter than normal as well as the old asphalt shingles will be unbelievably hot underneath the steel roof. I don't care what your steel roof company says.....STRIP OFF THE OLD ROOF!

3. Install snow guards around the entire perimeter of the roof. Snow guards help hold the snow and ice back so that you do not have an avalanche when the snow heats up. Below is a picture of some snow and ice guards:

Installing ice and snow guards is not only imperative to protect the eavestrough, It is imperative so that people and pets do not get hurt if the snow or ice happens to let go when they are directly underneath!!!

There you have it! My opinion on steel roofs. I have never owned one and probably never will. I like asphalt and the only negative I can see in them is that they do not last as long. If you are determined to get a steel roof and want to replace your eavestrough, contact The Eavestrough Company at www.theeavestroughcompany.com or phone us at 905-966-2564.