Roof material proves its mettle; Advocates say metal offers homeowners range of color, ease of cleaning, durability

CHARLOTTE FERRELL SMITH, DAILY MAIL STAFF

New roofs top houses nearly as quickly as flowers bloom this time of year.

And in many cases these days, the sun is reflecting off variously colored roofs made of metal.

Southern Building Systems Inc. on Piedmont Road was mostly erecting pre-engineered steel buildings until a few years ago when the company branched out into metal roofing.

"It opened up and it has never stopped," said Pam Sovine, vice president of the more than 20-year-old company. "We do residential and commercial. We do a lot of churches. Metal roofing looks nice on a lot of brick churches."

Her company put a copper-colored roof on the red brick Twin City Bible Church in Nitro.

She believes the biggest draw to metal roofing is it can be placed on a building without removing existing shingles. This saves the time required to remove the old roof and keeps those materials out of landfills, she pointed out.

She estimates that a metal roof costs 30 percent more than shingles. On the other hand, it lasts longer.

"Ours is manufacturer-warranted for 45 years against rusting, oxidizing and paint fading," she said.

Sovine said the roofs come in 20 colors and the most popular are green, blue and red. Reflective paints save energy and offer tax incentives, she added.

"A hard rain cleans it, or you can pressure-wash it if need be," said Sovine, who put a black metal roof with a shingle look on her white Kanawha City home.

John Comer, owner of Comer Residential Construction in Kenna, said metal roofs are more durable in storms. Through years of experience, he can tell whether the old roof needs any patching before putting the metal roof on top of it.

Of course, a metal roof doesn't suit all styles of houses and homeowners should consider the look before making the decision.

Homeowner Sue Hathaway put a metal roof on her white stucco West Side home four years ago. The two styles pair well.

"I knew I wanted metal," she said. "I had asphalt shingles. In a windstorm, they would blow off. I didn't want to deal with that ever again. I love that you can add color. I got a blue metal roof."

Alex and Carter Giltinan had a green metal roof put on their Loudon Heights home when they had the cedar shingle house built in 2000.

"It's the most provocative thing I've ever done," Carter Giltinan said. "We were looking for something practical, not provocative. People want to know who did it and where I got it. I've seen a lot of them go up around town."

The sound of rain on the roof reminds her of the tin roofs on country homes in Virginia where she grew up.

Brian Conley, owner of CSBC Construction, rattled off a list of pluses of the metal roof.

"It is lightweight, goes over the existing roof and lasts," he said. "Ours have a 40-year warranty. It reflects heat. It costs more, but in the long run it pans out the same. Eighty percent of what we do is metal. Everyone is going crazy over it."

Ed Davis, owner of Ed's Home & Commercial Improvement in Pinch, said it is important to consider the condition of a roof before putting metal over it.

"You don't have to tear the roof off, but you don't know what it is attached to," Davis said. "Your boards could be rotten. Get a roof inspection. Fix the bad spots. You need a moisture barrier."

Homeowners who like to get on the roof to clean out gutters should beware that a metal roof will be slick when wet, he said.

"Even with frost, you could fall off," he said.

"I prefer a shingled roof," said Davis, who has been in business 20 years. "I'm not a fan of the way a metal roof goes on. I definitely do more shingles. When the metal roof first came out, one-third of what I did was metal. Now only 1 percent is metal."

While some point to the longevity of the metal roof, shingles have improved and last nearly as long, said Davis.

And as flowers are blooming, the roofing business is booming.

"I'm four to six weeks out," said Davis. "I'm on my way to get materials now."

Contact writer Charlotte Ferrell Smith at charlotte@dailymail.com or 348-1246.