Metal has long covered barns, sheds and poultry houses on the county roads, and it is increasingly going onto houses. Asphalt shingle is the common covering on brick ranches and older houses. The choice turns on storms, sun exposure, hail and how hard the roof is to reach.
Key takeaways
- Asphalt shingle is the common covering on the brick ranches and post-war houses across the county, and sun and heat age it fastest.
- Metal has long been the standard on barns, sheds and poultry houses out on the county roads.
- Warnings for this county have cited hail as large as golf balls and gusts of 60 mph, so either covering has to be judged against real storm history.
- Sun-facing slopes, usually the south- and west-facing ones, tend to show wear first on asphalt shingle, so exposure belongs in the comparison.
- Remaining life is judged on the roof itself, through granule loss, curling, cracking, nail condition and the decking, not by a lifespan figure.
- No price is printed here, and the contractor's on-site quote is the only real number for either material.
Why is metal so common on barns and sheds out here?
Metal has long been the standard on barns, sheds and poultry houses, where the building is a working structure and the roof is part of a system that keeps stock, feed and equipment dry.
On a farm, the building is a working structure, and the roof is one part of a system that has to keep animals, feed and equipment dry. Metal has been the covering of choice for those buildings for a long time, and it is what you will see on barns and sheds along the county roads. The reasons are about use and upkeep rather than appearance.
That history is why the question feels new when it comes to a house. Metal on a house is less of a stretch than it sounds, since the same covering has been protecting outbuildings all along. Whether it suits a particular house depends on the roof's pitch, the decking underneath and what the owner expects the roof to do over the years.
Why does asphalt shingle dominate the brick ranches and older houses?
Asphalt shingle is the common covering on brick ranches and post-war houses across the county. Crews know it well, and most repairs on these houses involve it.
Asphalt shingle is the common covering on the brick ranches and post-war houses across the county, so a roofer working here is most often repairing or replacing it. The material is familiar to crews, and its repair is well understood. That familiarity helps when a repair is small, because a few lifted shingles or a worn valley can be fixed without changing the whole covering.
The weakness of asphalt is the sun. Heat and ultraviolet light break down the surface over years, and the wear shows first where the sun is strongest. A roofer checks the granules, any curling or cracking, and the nails before deciding whether a repair is enough. Asphalt is a sound choice when it is maintained, and a reason to inspect it closely when it is not.
How do sun and heat affect each covering on a foothills roof?
Sun and heat age asphalt shingle, and south- and west-facing slopes usually fail first. Metal also faces the sun, but its wear tends to show at seams and fasteners.
In the hot, humid summers of the Piedmont, heat and sun work on any roof. For asphalt shingle, the sun breaks down the surface, and attic heat adds stress from below. The slope that faces the afternoon sun usually shows wear first, which is why a roofer looks at each slope separately rather than judging the whole roof as one piece.
Metal reflects and sheds heat differently from asphalt, and its wear can show up as fastener problems, seam separation and finish damage more often than as granule loss. The honest comparison is to look at the slopes, the fasteners and the attic on the actual house, rather than assuming either covering wins on heat. Ask the technician which slope took the most exposure and what that means for the material you choose.
How do hail and straight-line wind test the two materials?
Warnings for this county have cited hail as large as golf balls and gusts of 60 mph. Either covering can show that damage, but in different ways, and the inspection decides what was hit.
Warnings from the National Weather Service for this county have cited golf-ball-size hail with roof damage expected, along with 60 mph gusts that brought damage to trees and power lines. Those are forecast warnings, not damage surveys, so they describe the threat rather than a count of roofs hit. Either covering can be dented, cracked or stripped by storms like these.
On asphalt, hail often shows as bruised or cracked shingles and granules in the gutter. On metal, it often shows as dents and finish damage. Wind tends to show up as lifted shingles, bent panels and torn flashing. A technician checks both coverings for this kind of damage, and the insurer decides how any claim proceeds, so photograph the roof from the ground after a storm and keep the pictures.
A roof with hail on it is also a roof where the damage may be hidden. Bruises under the surface of asphalt and dents along the seams of metal can look minor from the ground and still matter to the covering. Ask the technician to check the underside from the attic when the roof has been through a hailstorm, and to show you what was found before deciding whether a repair is enough.
What does access on a rural lot change about the choice?
A rural lot can mean a long haul for materials, a steep drive and a longer walk to the job. Those factors show up in the quote, and they can matter as much as the covering.
Access is part of the price even when the roof is simple. A long driveway, a steep grade or a narrow lane can slow a crew and change how materials are brought to the house. Metal panels are long and need careful handling, and a crew needs room to work them off a truck. Ask the contractor how the materials will reach the roof, and whether the quote accounts for that.
The homeowner can help. Clear a path for the delivery, move vehicles away from the drop zone, and mark where the power lines and the water shutoff are for the crew. Ask whether the job needs a lift or a ladder truck, and whether the crew will have to carry materials up a slope. These are simple questions, and the answers shape both the crew's time and the scope of the quote.
Can metal go onto a house, or is it only for outbuildings?
Metal is increasingly going onto houses in the area, and a roofer can install it on a house when the roof and the owner's plans suit it. The question is fit for the roof, not habit.
Metal is increasingly going onto houses, and in many cases it is a choice an owner makes after seeing it on a neighbor's outbuilding or a farm building. Two-thirds of occupied homes in Cleveland County are owner-occupied, according to Census figures reported on Wikipedia, so most of these choices are the owner's to make. Its appearance and its upkeep differ from shingle, and the owner should weigh both.
Whether a metal covering suits a particular house depends on the roof's shape, the decking under it and the flashing details. A roof that is low-pitched or has complicated valleys needs particular attention, because the details at those joints decide how the covering performs. Ask the technician to explain each detail, and ask whether the old covering must come off before the metal goes on. The inspector and the existing roof decide that question, and the county or town inspections office confirms what applies to your property.
What does the age and condition of the roof decide?
Remaining life is judged on the roof itself. Granule loss, curling and cracking, the condition of the nails and the decking underneath decide whether a repair is enough or a replacement makes sense.
A roofer does not choose between metal and shingle from the age of the house alone. The first questions are about the roof: is the surface losing granules, curling or cracking, and are the nails still sound? A roof with those signs has less life left than one without them. A roof with sound nails and little wear may only need a repair to the flashing or a valley.
The decking matters just as much. Soft or rotted boards cannot hold a new covering, whichever covering is chosen, so the decision about material waits until the decking is known. Ask the technician to show you the decking and the underside from the attic before you choose. A quote that skips that inspection has skipped the part that decides the outcome.
How do I compare two quotes for the same house?
Compare the scope, the materials named, the handling of decking and flashing, and what is included for access and cleanup. A lower figure with items missing is not a better price.
Ask both contractors to quote the same scope: the same area of roof, the same covering, the same flashing work, the same removal of old layers and the same cleanup. Ask each to state how soft decking will be priced if it is found. A quote missing any of those items is not comparable to the others, even if the number at the bottom is smaller.
Ask for each quote in writing, and check it against the contract before you sign. Keep the inspection notes, the photographs and the decking findings with the quote, since those are the reasons the scope looks the way it does. A roofer who can explain each line of the quote is easier to plan with than one who cannot.
Frequently asked questions
Is metal cheaper than shingle?
This guide cannot say which costs more, because no price or lifespan figure for either covering is printed here. The contractor's on-site quote is the only real number. Ask each contractor to price the same scope, and compare the scope as well as the total.
Does a metal roof stop hail damage?
No covering is hail-proof. Metal can dent, and asphalt can bruise and crack. The inspection after a storm shows what was hit on the specific roof, and that is the record an insurer and a contractor will use. Photograph the damage before anything is repaired.
Which covering handles the sun better?
Sun and heat age asphalt shingle, and south- and west-facing slopes usually fail first. Metal has its own wear at seams and fasteners. The honest answer depends on the slope, the attic and the material, so ask the technician to look at each exposed slope rather than the roof as one piece.
Can I put metal over an old shingle roof?
Whether the old covering comes off is decided by the inspector and the existing roof. A roofer looks at the layers, the decking and the condition underneath before deciding. The county or town inspections office confirms what applies to your property, and this guide does not give a rule.
What design wind speed should my roof be built to?
This guide does not print one. The building code sets a design wind speed by location, and the building department confirms the figure for an address. Ask the inspections office, and ask the contractor how the chosen covering is fastened for your location.
Does the owner's choice matter more than the roofer's?
The owner sets the priorities, and the roofer shows what the roof needs. Tell the technician how long you plan to keep the house, how much upkeep you can manage and how the roof is reached. The inspection then ties those answers to the condition of the roof itself.
Should I check the attic after a hailstorm?
Yes, if it is safe to go up. A technician can check the underside of the decking for signs of water and impact that the ground view misses. Look for stains, damp insulation or daylight coming through. Ask the technician to show you what was found before deciding whether a repair is enough or a larger job is needed.
Sources
This guide is general information for Cleveland County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.