In our previous blog we talked about the many ways that you can make the exterior of your home look even more like a traditional log structure once our steel log siding is installed. But there’s one big upgrade that deserves it’s own blog: metal roofing.
If you’ve just had a new roof installed, it’s unlikely that you’ll upgrade to a metal roof immediately. But some of our customers who are installing steel log siding on their roofs are replacing traditional siding. The constant bombardment of UV rays from the sun, coupled with freezing temperatures in winter and blazing heat in summer, has caused their vinyl siding to start cracking and warping, exposing their homes to insects, animals, and the elements. All of this often happens about 20 years after the house was built, which often means that the roof is 20 years old as well…just about the time that traditional roof shingles start to give out. When homeowners start looking at metal siding panels, metals roofs start to look like an attractive option.
When you think of metal roofs, you might have to forget what you think you know. Log cabins and metal roofs have both evolved in similar ways over the years. At one time they were both associated with backwoods dwellings by people who used whatever materials they could find — wood and metal sheeting — to construct rickety structures that had a hard time holding up to the elements. “Tin roof” is more associated with the word “shack” than with most other structures.
How times have changed! Most log cabins of today are luxury structures, and metal roofs are stylish alternatives to traditional asphalt roofs. Steel roofs also have the following advantages over other styles of roofing:
- Steel roofing is lightweight and is usually installed directly on top of existing roofing, so you might not even have to remove the old shingles.
- Steel roofs have impact ratings that surpass most hailstorms.
- Steel roofs don’t disintegrate over time like asphalt shingle roofs do.
- Metal roofing requires lower maintenance than clay or concrete tile roofs, so if you enjoy the maintenance-free log siding aspect of TruLog you’ll also love metal roofs.
- Metal roofs, like our steel siding that looks like wood, is completely recyclable at the end of its long life. Speaking of which…
- A good metal roof will last 50 years, compared to around 20 for asphalt shingles.
- Asphalt shingles are made from oil and aren’t are fire resistant as metal roofs.
- Metal roofs come in as many colors as asphalt shingles do.
How does a log cabin with a metal roof look? More often than not, it looks absolutely amazing! A simple Google image search shows just how good a log cabin, or a home covered in log cabin siding, can look when it has a metal roof. If you click that link, notice the variety of color options.
If it’s time to replace your roof, you might want to take another look at the metal roofing options available. Considering all of the advantages and how good they look, it could be an easy choice to accompany your metal log home siding.
