In the snow belt regions of the country there are always concern for the snow accumulation on house roofs this time of year. Heavy snow loads can cause structural failure to the house if is allowed to accumulate, particularly if the snow is laden with freezing rain. Shoveling snow off the roof can be a very dangerous; however, it is a task that must be done , unless you have metal roofing.

Roof snow shoveling also adds to roofing material (shingle) degradation. As most houses have either asphalt or fiberglass shingles, they become damaged during shoveling. In addition, if the shingles are more than twenty years old they are more likely to be damaged causing roof leaks.

When it comes time for re-roofing (replacing the shingles), usually occurring approximately every twenty five years, serious consideration should be given to installing metal roofing. Advantages of installing metal roofing is that it's light weight and is durable, lasting from seventy five to a hundred years. In addition, metal roofing does not have to be shoveled as it sheds the snow when there is a slight temperature rise and there is no ice build up at the roof edge.

The cost of re-roofing with metal roofing is nearly the same as replacing shingles when considering the labor of removing the old shingles, disposing of them, and the cost of new shingles. Usually when installing metal roofing the installer simply slats the roof right over the old shingles and installs the metal roofing. This in effect provides greater house insulation, a serious consideration given the cost of heating today.  

Metal roofing is attractive in appearance and comes in a variety of differ materials and colors. I strongly recommend that if you are replacing your roofing in the near future that you seriously consider metal roofing.