From an eavestrougher’s perspective, it’s can be hard to understand why some homeowners prefer metal roofs. First, they are at least three times more expensive than asphalt shingle roofs, but seldom last twice as long.

Moreover, if you have been in an attic sorting out ventilation when a hail storm breaks, you will know it sounds like a hundred hammers. Not having lived in a metal roof house, we can only imagine what driving hail sounds like at night.

Why Eavestroughers Don’t Like Metal Roofs

Steel roof salespeople like to talk about the superiority of their product over asphalt roofs, their warranties, and longevity, etc. Now we won’t dispute those claims, because their products do last a bit longer.

However, those salespeople may not be quite as up-front about the capital cost per year of life of their roofs. Or, for that matter the higher maintenance costs, because they are harder to work with and roofers and eavestroughers will charge more accordingly.

1… Some steel roofs are installed over old asphalt roofs that are past their time. The metal roofer may therefore extend the coverage several inches over the asphalt line, with a bull nose drip edge to prevent capillary action. This can cause major hassles when maintaining, removing, or replacing the eavestrough itself.

2… Metal roofs are treacherously slippery when wet, no matter what the brochures say. Those steel bull noses add further to the inconvenience, if we have to send a fitter to help loosen the old eavestrough from above.

3… The smooth surface also means entire ice dams may come loose and crash down during bright sunny winter days. These dams can, and often do wreck the entire eavestrough line, unless the roofer had the foresight to include snow guards in their quote.

Speak to Experts to Avoid These Hassles

A couple of ‘cowboy’ steel roofers moved into Calgary a few years ago. One of their clients called us to attend to few leaks after they had moved on. When we stripped a few sheets away, we found the old asphalt tiles were covering badly rotten roof decking. The repairs ended up costing almost as much as a new asphalt roof.

The moral of the story, and the gist of our advice, is never to take a salesperson at their word, especially in the crush at a home show. The reputation and skills of the people doing the job should count at least as much. That’s why it’s worth asking Valiant Exteriors to quote for a roofing or eavestrough project.

More Valuable Tips

Roof Decking & How to Care For It

Eavestroughs the ‘Foundations’ of Good Homes

Image: Example of a Metal Roof: Credit Pko by CC 2.0 Generic