When it comes to replacing your roof, there are many options available. You’re going to ask yourself many questions and listen to advice or opinions of many friends. If you live in an area that gets hit by hail quite frequently, it has become difficult to deny the enhanced durability, longer life-expectancy, and increased overall cost-effectiveness offered by metal roofing.

As urban metropolitan areas continue to grow, homes are being built in closer proximity to each other. Hail prone cities like Dallas, Minneapolis, and Denver simply have far more homes clustered together in a storm’s path than they did in the past. Not surprisingly, the damage caused by hail has been on the rise in the US with $8 to $10 billion in hail damage reported annually. Insurance carriers and homeowners alike have begun to look for ways to reduce hail-damage claims. The choice of roofing surface is now a topic for homeowners, unlike it was decades ago, when the main option was shingles.

Impact of Hail on Metal Roofing vs. Asphalt Shingles

For decades, asphalt shingles dominated the residential roofing market simply because they were the cheapest option. As economic factors, such as the price of crude oil, which is reflected in the price of shingles, homeowners are exploring long range options, such as the steel market and standing seam metal roofing panels.

Shingles are not necessarily seen much as a “green product” and many want something that’s environmentally friendly. A great benefit of having a metal roof, is that when it is time to replace it, the panels and accessories all become recycled materials, and turned into new steel for other uses.

While all roof types can sustain some cosmetic damage depending on hailstorm severity, metal roofing performed best and was much less likely to puncture as compared to asphalt, withstanding even golf ball-sized hail stones without compromising performance. This comes from a report done on roofing materials by the Metal Roofing Alliance. For more information about hail and metal roofing, browse this literature from the MRA.

Feel free to contact All American Steel regarding questions about metal roofing materials or talk to one of our sales team representatives today.

Hail and Metal Roofing
Hail on a Metal Roof
Hail