April Fools’ Day is just 10 days away and this year, the building products industry is highlighting products that may fool the eye yet are downright serious when it comes to exceptional performance.
That includes metal roofs that mimic traditional wood shakes, clay tiles, slate and even asphalt—those materials that are often appreciated for their classic style—but also have major disadvantages when it comes to long-term maintenance hassles and durability.
As showcased by the latest metal roofing styles on display at this year’s 2018 International Roofing Show, the “fakes” look so good, it can be hard for homeowners to tell the difference between metal options and the originals. Yet the performance advantages are obvious for reliability, sustainability and durability in extreme conditions; metal roofs last longer than 50-plus years and they are energy efficient, recyclable and low maintenance.
“Most people know that metal roofing is extremely durable, strong and long-lasting, but they may not realize it also offers more style and design variety than any other type of roofing material,” said Renee Ramey, Metal Roofing Alliance executive director.
Increasing the durability of homes throughout the country is no joke. With last year’s devastating storms and wildfires still top of mind for many homeowners and forecasts calling for greater climate extremes, spring is the season when homeowners begin to think about major projects such as reroofing. Metal roofing offers serious protection that other materials simply can’t match. That’s led to a significant jump in metal roofing popularity, growing to 14 percent of the overall U.S. reroofing market in just a few short years. Yet beyond practicality, appearance and styles that enhance a home’s architecture also remain paramount.
“That’s what makes these look-alike options so exciting,” said Ramey “The wide variety of colors, shapes, styles and metals that are available open up creative possibilities that many homeowners never before imagined.”
Greater awareness for look-alike metal roofing styles and options also are helping break down outdated homeowners’ association guidelines that limited homeowners to only certain roofing material options. According to Ramey, when considering the performance advantages of metal roofing in addition to the wide variety of architectural styles available, even the most restrictive HOAs are updating their guidelines to include metal roofing styles.
About Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA)
Representing metal roofing manufacturers in the United States and Canada, the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) was formed in 1998 to help educate consumers about the many benefits of metal roofs. The main objective of MRA is to increase awareness of the beauty, durability and money-saving advantages of quality metal roofs among homeowners, as well as to provide support for metal roofing businesses and contractors.
