Steel Rooves

I grew up in a land where rooves were clad with steel, clay tile or concrete tile. I had never heard about asphalt shingles until I came to Canada. As I learned about asphalt shingles it sunk about the absurdity of them and how they are a rich worlds roof. I didn’t start out as a roofer but as I talked to people about the benefit of metal roofing I would get asked to install them.

I mostly work on old houses that have badly ventilated or even non ventilated roves. In these situations shingles normally last eight to thirteen years. The oldest roof that I have replaced has been 18 years old.

When people say to me that they can’t afford a steel roof, my response is that I can’t afford to not have a steel roof. It will cost two or three times the price of asphalt shingles but last a lot more than three times the life of asphalt. Also the fire risk of steel is nil whereas covering a roof with an oil based product is an obvious source of fuel in the event of a fire. If a steel roof needs to be replaced it is fully recyclable as compared to asphalt shingles that go into a landfill.

Dark rooves contribute to global warming in the urban micro-climate. A lighter coloured roof reflects more of the suns radiation and so is better to live under as the house will be cooler in summer. All three of the buildings that I am part owner of have ‘heritage silver‘ rooves. This is the most reflective, most durable and slightly cheaper than any other colour.