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Gable end of a black metal roof and matching board and batten siding

Metal vs. Shingles

Why Metal?

The honest version: what metal roofing actually does better, what it costs, and the cases where we would tell you to put shingles back on instead.

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The Short Answer

You Are Comparing One Roof Against Three

Every metal roofing argument eventually reduces to this. A shingle roof in Ohio is a fifteen-to-twenty year product. A standing seam metal roof is a fifty year one.

If you are forty and intend to stay in the house, the shingle option is not one roof. It is this roof, plus another one in your late fifties, plus a third one in your seventies — each at whatever roofing costs then rather than what it costs now.

Metal costs roughly two to three times as much today. Over the period you will actually own the house, it is usually the cheaper of the two, and it is the only one that is finished when it is finished.

That is the case for metal. Below is the rest of it, including the parts that are not flattering.

Aerial view of a standing seam metal roof with three dormers

Side by Side

Standing Seam vs. Asphalt Shingle

Comparison of asphalt shingle and standing seam metal roofing in Ohio conditions
  Asphalt shingle Standing seam metal
Realistic service life in Ohio 15–20 years 50+ years
Finish warranty Prorated, declines with age 40-year Sherwin-Williams
Fasteners through the weather surface Nails under every course None — hidden clips
Moss and algae under tree cover Common on shaded slopes Nothing for it to root into
Fire rating Combustible mat Non-combustible
Maintenance Periodic repairs, then replacement Keep the gutters clear
Replacements in 45 years Two or three None
Older Ohio farmhouse with a dark metal roof in autumn

Being Straight About It

When We Say Put Shingles Back On

You are selling within a couple of years. A new roof of any kind clears the inspection objection. You will not get the metal premium back in the sale price, so spend the smaller number.

The budget has to work this year. A shingle roof installed properly now beats a metal roof you cannot afford until after the next winter has been through the decking.

It is an outbuilding nobody looks at. Exposed-fastener ribbed panel is cheaper than standing seam and entirely adequate on a shed or a lean-to where a periodic screw check is realistic.

We install shingle roofs too. We would just rather tell you which one your situation calls for than sell you the expensive one by default.

Everything Else People Ask

Metal Roofing FAQs

Noise, lightning, hail, heat and cost — the myths and the real answers.

How long does a metal roof actually last?

A properly installed standing seam roof is a fifty-year product, and the painted finish carries a 40-year Sherwin-Williams warranty against fading and chalking. Asphalt shingle in Ohio’s freeze-thaw climate realistically gives you fifteen to twenty. You are comparing one roof against three.

What does a metal roof cost compared to shingles?

Roughly two to three times a mid-grade shingle roof up front, depending on pitch, complexity and panel choice. Divided across its service life it is normally the cheaper roof, and it is the only one of the two you buy once.

Is a metal roof loud when it rains?

No. The noise people remember comes from panel screwed directly to open purlins on a barn, with nothing underneath it. On a house there is decking, underlayment, insulation and a ceiling between you and the panel, and the result is quieter than the shingle roof it replaced.

Do metal roofs attract lightning?

They do not. Lightning is drawn by height and by what is around a structure, not by what the roof is made of. If a metal roof is struck it is non-combustible and conductive, which makes it a safer surface to be hit than a mat of asphalt and fibreglass.

Will a metal roof dent from hail?

Heavy gauge steel handles typical Ohio hail without functional damage. Very large hail can cosmetically dimple any metal, as it can crack and bruise asphalt — the difference is that the metal roof is still shedding water afterwards.

Can metal go over my existing shingles?

Sometimes. A single sound layer over solid decking can be covered. Two layers, or soft decking underneath, means tear-off — covering that buries a problem you will pay for later. We tell you which case you are in after we look, not before.

Does a metal roof make the house hotter?

The opposite. Painted metal reflects far more solar energy than asphalt of the same colour, and a vented assembly carries away what it does absorb. Attic temperatures typically drop after a metal install.

What is the difference between standing seam and the ribbed metal on barns?

Where the fasteners go. Ribbed agricultural panel is screwed through the face of the metal, so every fastener is a penetration held back by a rubber washer that eventually hardens. Standing seam conceals its clips under the seam, so nothing penetrates the weather surface. Standing seam costs more and is the one that belongs on a house.

What We Install

Our Services

Get Both Numbers and Compare Them Properly

We will quote metal and shingle side by side on your actual roof, and tell you which one we would put on our own house.

Get free estimate (740) 288-5191

Serving Southeast & Central Ohio

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Zanesville • Athens • Lancaster • Logan • Chillicothe • Newark • Jackson • Perry County • Morgan County • Meigs County • Vinton County

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