You’ve likely heard that metal roofs are great for keeping your house cool in the summer and cutting back on those extreme summer energy bills. But did you know that metal roofs can also help keep you cozy and warm during the winter months?
Metal Roofs Keep Your Home Warm in The Cold Weather
Did you know that residential homes use more energy every year to heat their homes in winter than to cool them in summer? Our customers are constantly asking us if metal roofs will add to the winter chill – and their heating bills. Fortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.
According to a study completed by the US Department of Energy, the surface of your metal roof will stay within five degrees of the average asphalt shingle roof, even during the coldest weather. Most metal roofs will be a few degrees warmer than their competition during the daytime and a few degrees colder at night. However, this surface temperature does not negatively affect your home’s internal temperature. In fact, when the air space below the roof is measured, metal roofs keep the air warmer by an average of fifteen degrees compared to traditional shingle roofs.
Metal Roofs Save You Money on Energy Bills
Fifteen degrees is a huge difference in temperature and can make an equally huge difference in your energy bills when your heater is not struggling to make up the difference. But how is this possible?!
The long answer is very boring and hard to understand so here’s the short version – remember how we mentioned that metal roofs were on average about five degrees warmer during the day? Because it takes so long for the metal to heat up and cool down, it’s basically storing the heat and then releasing it through the night, effectively insulating and radiating heat all at once.
You can enhance this effect by choosing the right underlayment and insulation, so talk to your roofer about your options and research carefully if your main goal is to preserve energy and, therefore, your pocketbook.
So if your main qualm about choosing a metal roof for your home is whether you’ll be comfortable in the cooler months – fear not! Metal roofs are actually the best choice you can make to keep your home insulated and safe through the winter.
Metal Roofs Are Durable
The holiday season is merry, bright, and beautiful – but it also brings with it the dangers of snow, ice, severe winds, and extreme temperature fluctuations. This can lead to hail, falling branches laden with ice, snow dams building up, and sudden expansion or contraction caused by the temperature dropping or rising unexpectedly. When these calamities befall your home, you want a metal roof there to protect you from the worst of the damage.
Metal does not expand or contract, most styles do not have shingles that can get knocked loose by falling projectiles, and they are basically impact-resistant which saves you beau coups of money in repairs.
Metal Roofs Shed Snow
In Arkansas, the weather varies from year to year, but we usually see at least one snowfall each winter. And when it snows, snow and ice can pile up on your roof and weigh it down. Shingle roofs can cave under the pressure, but metal roofs just let it slide right off the moment the temperature rises above freezing.