Standing Seam Vs. Asphalt Shingles: The Pros And Cons
Posted on: 27 October 2021
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Standing seam roofs are becoming more and more popular in residential homes. In fact, their popularity rose by 14% between 2015 and 2016 and those numbers continue to climb each year making standing seam roofing the current most popular residential roofing choice. So what makes the standing seam a more popular choice than the past favorite, asphalt composite shingles, and how does a homeowner decide? Here are the major pros and cons.
PROS
Longevity
Although asphalt shingles have a decent life span, averaging 15 years at the lowest quality and 40 years at the highest and most expensive, standing seam still has them beat, topping out at a whopping 50 years. Since most people don't stay in one house for that many years these days, standing seam makes an excellent one-time investment when it becomes necessary to replace a roof.
Energy Efficiency
With changing climates and increasing temperatures all over the world, it makes sense to choose a roofing material that is going to provide the most energy efficiency so a homeowner expends as little energy and pays as little as possible. Standing seam is much more energy-efficient than asphalt shingles, especially because it's possible to choose highly reflective light-colored coatings for the metal panels. In fact, a metal roof with a reflective coating has as much as 67% reflectivity, while light-colored asphalt shingles only reach 22%.
Aesthetics
Although asphalt shingles are ubiquitous in many suburban areas, even the highest quality shingles don't look as sleek as standing seam roofing, mostly due to standing seam's innovative and inconspicuous locking system. And since you can choose a variety of colors for light-reflecting coatings, there is more versatility when it comes to aesthetic options.
CONS
More Expensive Materials
With all of these great advantages over asphalt shingles, there has to be a reason why asphalt shingles beat standing seam in popularity for so many years until now. The reason is simple; the materials for a standing seam roof cost significantly more.
Labor-Intensive Installation
Not only does the material for a standing seam roof cost more than asphalt shingles, but it's also a more labor-intensive installation process which means you'll also be paying higher costs for labor and installation. Rather than simply tearing off the old material and stapling on new asphalt shingles, installing standing seam roofs takes an experienced roofer to form the panels and properly handle the intricate locking system.
For more information contact a company like Premier Roofing Co.