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Why a steel roof makes sense in the Maritimes
Metal costs more on day one. Here is what you get for it, in plain words, without numbers we can't stand behind.
Snow
Snow slides off instead of sitting there
A shingle roof holds snow until it melts. A smooth steel roof lets it go once the sun warms the panels, so the load on your rafters drops sooner and less meltwater refreezes at the eaves.
- Fewer ice dams, because less snow sits above the cold overhang.
- Snow guards over doors, decks and driveways so it comes down in small amounts, not one slab.
- No granules to wash into the gutters each spring.
Wind
Built for the nor'easter
Storms off the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Bay of Fundy lift shingle tabs and peel them back. A metal roof has far fewer edges for the wind to catch.
Clips along the full panel
Standing-seam panels hook onto concealed clips from ridge to eave, so the whole sheet holds, not just a strip of tar.
Fastened to the manufacturer's pattern
Every panel line comes with a fastening schedule for its wind rating. We follow it, and on exposed coastal lots we add clips.
Trim that hooks, not just nails
Eave and rake trims lock under the panels, closing the edges where wind usually gets its start.
Noise and other myths
What people worry about, and what's true
It'll sound like a drum in the rain.
On a house, the steel sits on a solid deck with underlayment and your attic insulation below it. Most people hear rain about as much as they did under shingles. A barn with open rafters is louder, and that's the sound people remember.
Metal roofs attract lightning.
They don't. A metal roof is no more likely to be struck, and if it is, steel doesn't burn the way shingles and wood can.
It'll rust in the salt air.
Modern panels are steel coated in a zinc-aluminium alloy and then painted. Cut edges and scratches are where trouble starts, so we touch up as we go and keep metal shavings off the panels.
Lifespan and cost over time
Paying more once, or less several times
We won't quote you payback charts. Here is the honest comparison we give at the kitchen table.
Asphalt shingles
Cheaper now, replaced sooner
Shingles cost less to install. In our freeze-thaw winters they lose granules, curl and lift, and a typical asphalt roof needs replacing well before a metal one would. Each replacement means another tear-off, another dumpster and another week of crews on the roof.
Metal
More up front, then decades of leaving it alone
A metal roof costs more to install, often two to three times an asphalt quote. If you plan to stay in the house, or the cottage is staying in the family, it is often the last roof you pay for. If you are selling next year, shingles may make more sense, and we will tell you so.
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