Rethinking metal roofs

I suppose I sunk to a new low Monday night (Sept. 25) when I became a fickle football fan. As the game between the Atlanta Falcons, my favorite team, and the New Orleans Saints began—the first in the reconstructed Superdome since Hurricane Katrina damaged the arena a year ago—I found myself pulling for the Saints. I blew off my husband’s frustrated comments at each mistake by the Falcons and each Saints’ success, and smiled inwardly. To many people, the repaired stadium is a symbol of New Orleans’ rise from the ruin wrought by Katrina—a sign that life just might return to some sort of normalcy. A sign of hope.

Tuesday I read a recap of the game on msnbc.com and watched the accompanying slideshow of the dome as a shelter, the damage it incurred, and its reconstruction. (View the article and click to launch the slideshow.) The slide that showed workers putting metal panels on the roof made me think of an interesting item that crossed my desk the other day about metal roofing.

The release from the Metal Roofing Alliance bore the headline Metal Roofs: Best Protection Against Hurricanes and featured an endorsement from New Orleans resident David Rossano, who described how his metal roof withstood Katrina. "Everybody had roof damage but me. Everybody - 100 percent," exclaimed Rossano.

Built in 1995, Rossano's home is located in the New Orleans suburb of Harvey, just south of the Mississippi River. He put a metal roof on his home in 2004. "All my neighbors had massive damage inside their homes where the roof leaked through and caved in the ceilings and just destroyed all their belongings. I'm high and dry," Rossano continued, which in his case was a good thing.

I've never been a fan of metal roofs. To me they aren't aesthetically appealing. Among the landmarks near my home are a group of antique stores and two silos, all with metal roofs. When telling people how to get to my home, I often mention these structures, because they are commonly known in the area and highly visible. And because of them, I associate metal roofs with commercial properties and not homes. However, I've noticed more and more homes sporting metal roofs, and they're looking better and better and making more sense.

A Q&A on askthebuilder.com lists some of the advantages to using metal roofing. "First of all, it is totally fireproof. If you live in an area that experiences wildfires, a metal roof just might save your home from a devastating roof fire caused by a wind-blown ember. Metal roofs are made with environmentally friendly, recyclable metals such as steel, tin, aluminum, and copper. A house with a metal roof can be extremely distinctive. When installed correctly, metal roofs are extremely wind-resistant. A light-colored metal roof can actually reflect a portion of the sun's radiant energy, thus lowering your cooling costs."

According to the article—which also describes what to look for in a builder and how to prevent possible metal roof problems—more aesthetic metal roofing options are available than I ever imagined, including the one that simulates traditional shingles.

The greatest recommendation? The metal roof at the Superdome helped provide shelter to many Katrina victims, and it's back in its full glory, better than ever.

Note to Dan, I'm glad your home team won, even if mine lost.

Note to Ron in Alabama, if you haven't started that roof replacement project, consider metal.

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