In the late 1700’s and early 1800’s metal materials such as Zinc, Copper, and Lead were the main materials  used for roofing systems during that time.  History shows us that some of the more famous uses of metal roofing systems were on Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and the Washington Monument.  Metal roofing systems were also very popular in the Southern portion of the Unites States. Several country music musicians have immortalized metal roofing systems by using them in the lyrics of their songs.  However even with all this popularity and recognition metal roofing systems lost a lot of their popularity when other roofing systems became more reliable and affordable.

It seems now that metal roofing is making its comeback and I bet if you took a drive around your community you could find at least one building that has some kind of metal roofing system.  The popularity of metal roofing is definitely on the rise making it more common to see a metal roofing systems covering your neighbor’s house or garage.

The rise of metal roofing systems comes as no surprise considering what some of its benefits are in relation to the mindset of people today.   With global warming being a constant concern among today’s society, energy efficient and “green” products have never been more popular.   Research shows that metal roofing systems reflect heat therefore blocking transfer into the structure it’s covering.  Metal roofing systems also absorb 34% less heat than that of an asphalt shingle roofing system.  This translates into a 20% cut in energy costs for building owners who use a metal roofing system.   Another “green” attribute of a metal roofing system is that they are made up of 60 to 65% of recyclable materials.  Metal roofing systems are reliable, fire retardant, and almost maintenance free making them a popular choice among residential homeowners and commercial builders today.

Standing seam steal roofing is one of the most used types of metal roofing systems. The standing seam metal roofing system has an upturned or extruded metal seam that interlocks one metal panel to another.  This gives the standing seam metal roofing system a historical look that is favored by residential home owners.   Metal roofing systems can also be made to look like shingles, wood shakes, clay tiles, and a large variety of other roofing systems. Another popular trend that has come full circle is the use of copper accessories on your roofing system.  Years ago when metal forming was more of an art copper accessories were very expensive and hard to maintain.  All this has changed due to new manufacturing techniques and new technology.  Copper products such as seamless gutter, downspouts, lights, soffit, and many other copper items are now more available to consumers due to protective coatings and automated manufacturing.  This reduction in cost due to technology has brought copper along with other metal accessories back to the top of the popularity list.

Metal roofing systems are one of the best ways to upgrade your residential home or commercial building project; they’re also great for any type of new construction.  Most roof panels are from 24 to 28 gauge metal, with 24 gauge being the largest thickness and 28 gauge being the smallest thickness.  Keep in mind that metal panels will contract and expand with changing temperatures, installation must allow for this movement otherwise you will have leaks.  This is a major mistakes made by inexperienced metal roofing contractors, they install the application with the impression that caulking will cover the amount of movement of the roof panels will do with the temperature changes.  The truth is that these movements need to be taken into consideration when installing the metal roofing system.  The metal panels need to have enough coverage to allow for these movements.  A small bead of caulking at the edge of a seam will not prevent leaks if the panels to not have enough coverage.

If you’re thinking about upgrading your roofing system or want a new look for your building project, look into metal roofing systems I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.