White Steel Roofs on Houses

Benefits of Steel

• Many types of metal roofs exist, including steel, stainless steel, copper and aluminum, and they all offer tremendous benefits over traditional shingles. Most notably, a non-metal roof lasts an average of 17 years, while asphalt shingles require reproofing as often as once every 10 years, but metal roof panels can last a lifetime, and usually do not require reproofing. Moreover, steel roofing offers better sun reflectivity than other types of metal.

Benefits of White Coating

• Some steel and metal roof materials come coated with a white pigmentation. You can also purchase white plating to cover your steel roof. A white coating can dramatically increase the energy efficiency of a home when applied to steel roof panels. While traditional shingles absorb most of the sun's radiation, metal panels reflect most of the radiation, and the white coating increases its reflectivity. This ensures that the home preserves cooler temperatures.

Installation

• When purchasing white steel roof panels, it is always best to have a professional contractor install the panels for you. If you have some experience with metal roofing, or just prefer to take on the job yourself, read all documentation carefully. With a standard steel roof, you would first install a metal drip edge or gable trim along the edge of the roof. Your panels can snap or hook directly into these supports. Subsequent panels would then snap into one another, overlapping slightly for added protection.

Alternatives

• While white-coated steel is always a safe and effective choice, you can enjoy similar benefits from aluminum roof panels. Aluminum panels have similar reflectivity and will last about as long as steel panels. If you have traditional asphalt shingles, you can purchase special white coatings that offer some of the same reflective benefits, given the limitations of absorbent roof shingles.