WSRCA ROOF TALK: Metal Roofing - Specifying the Best Option for Every Job

The metal roofing market is continuing to grow year over year.

by: Todd Miller - Isaiah Industries, Inc.

Todd Miller is President of Isaiah Industries, Inc., a leading manufacturer of specialty residential metal roofing. His personal website, www.asktoddmiller.com, is a great resource for answers to your questions about roofing and ventilation.

Why is there reason to be concerned that residential metal roofing products are specified and used properly? First of all, the metal roofing industry continues to enjoy rapid growth. Current market share is estimated at 14% of the roofing market and, depending upon where you live and exactly what sector of the roofing industry you serve, you may feel like the market share is considerably higher than that. This is much higher than 15 or so years ago when market share nationally was only around 2%.

So, what is driving this growth? Increased awareness is playing a big role. A rising tide raises all ships. Property owners see more metal roofs and they want to become a part of the trend. They read about metal roofing on the internet and see photos of beautiful roofs. Once they learn about some of the other benefits of metal roofing, they don’t want to miss out on those either. I think that what we’re seeing in metal, especially in the residential arena right now, is part of an evolution toward better building materials that has always existed and is going to continue to occur.

Those benefits that property owners appreciate include durability, wind resistance, and fire safety. We’re also seeing metal being selected for its low weight compared to other roofing materials, especially on older structures. There is also great interest in the energy efficiency of metal roofing, this being driven heavily by the federal tax credit that, for several years, was in place for reflective metal roofing. And, in general, homeowners really like the green benefits of metal roofing including not only the energy efficiency but also the recycled content of the metal, the 100% recyclability of the products at the end of their life, and the ability in many instances to install metal roofs over old shingles.

As a part of this increased use of metal roofing, we’re seeing more manufacturers and also more contractors entering the arena. And all of those new players come with some learning curve still ahead of them. Even the most experienced of us are always learning. That’s why education and information are so very important.

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