The right roof for your home not only offers you protection from the elements, but it also adds value and accentuates your house's existing architecture. Popular roofing options for many homeowners today are cedar and metal roofs. Both are attractive solutions for homes because of their classic looks and visual appeal, durability and longlasting finishes and materials. If both styles would be a stylish solution for your home, which is the better option for you to fit your daily needs, personal design and budget? Are you wondering, "should I get a cedar or metal roof?" Here are some answers.
Benefits of Cedar Roofs vs. Metal Roofs
Cedar roofs have been the ideal roofing choice for hundreds of years. They provide a stunning appearance that remains attractive throughout its lifespan, and cedar roof benefits go unmatched by other roofing materials. When you invest in a cedar roof for your home, you’ll experience the following benefits:
Attractive: Cedar roofs stand out among other homes because of their natural beauty and traditional appearance. With cedar, you’re granted two design options — the wood can be restained over time to maintain its pristine, new appearance or gracefully age into an attractive gray, giving your home a dynamic look.
Longlasting: When you invest in cedar roofs, you’re guaranteed longlasting quality that outshines other materials by at least 10 years. Cedar shakes will maintain their attractive look and optimally perform with proper maintenance for at least 25 to 30 years.
Durable and Weather-Resistant: Not only are cedar shakes a beautiful roofing material, but they’re also incredibly durable. Cedar roofs can withstand any weather in your area, protecting your home against strong winds, hurricanes, heavy rain or snow, hail, direct sunlight and other natural conditions. For added protection, you can even apply special coatings to your cedar shakes to resist fire, fungus and other natural ailments.
Stability: Many roofing types don’t respond well to variable temperature changes — like metal roofing, for example — and will expand and contract, leaving areas of your roof vulnerable. Cedar shakes are designed not to significantly shift during different conditions.
Energy-Efficient: Cedar roofs are natural insulators and have two times better insulation abilities than asphalt shingles. Indoor temperatures tend to stay warmer in the winter and cooler during the summer, saving you money on monthly utility costs.
Drawbacks of Metal Roofs vs. Cedar Roofs
While metal roofing offers some similar benefits to cedar like longevity, durability and energy-efficiency, there are several disadvantages to installing a metal roof on your home, including:
Cost: For the price-conscientious homeowner, metal roofs are not an ideal roofing option. Metal roofs are two to three times more expensive than traditional roofing materials, and if you don’t intend to stay in your home for the duration of its lifespan, then the investment may not be worth the benefits.
Noisiness: As you may anticipate, metal roofs can be noisy, especially during hail or rainstorms. The effect of the noise can be tempered with additional insulation, but that will only drive up the roofing installation and maintenance costs.
Performance: Without proper maintenance or if the roof was improperly installed or repaired, metal roofs can be subject to serious and costly damages. Some metals may rust in certain climates or dent during storms.
Loss of Attractiveness: Like many materials, metal roofing can fade and lose its coloring over time. While this might not be noticeable over the entire roof, if you ever need to make repairs or replace a panel of your metal roofing, you may find it difficult to match the colors in the future.
Expansion: Metal naturally expands and contracts in response to heat or cooler temperatures, and metal roofing materials are not immune to these natural effects. If the metal roofing panels are not properly installed with fasteners that allow the metal to breathe during temperature changes, the panels may become loose over time.
Choose Beauty and Durability With Cedar Roof Coatings
At Cedar Roof Coatings, we believe in the unmatched attractiveness, durability and stability of cedar roofs. We’re a family-owned and operated company serving the residents of Fairfield County, CT, Westchester County, NY and surrounding areas, and our team is dedicated to helping you fix and maintain your beautiful cedar roof. We believe in offering our customers the best and most trustworthy restoration and preservation services performed by friendly, experienced local technicians. For all local homeowners, we even offer free project estimates.
Get started with your new cedar roof installation today by calling us at 203-847-5740 or complete our online contact form to schedule an appointment.