In terms of appearance, metal roofing is easily one of the most customizable roofing options available. Metal roofs come in a wide array of different styles and colors, which you can select from based upon your tastes and the aesthetic of your Dallas Texas’s home. In fact, just about every architectural style is compatible with a metal roof of some kind—making it an incredibly versatile roofing material.
If you’re considering investing in a metal roof, then this is one of the decisions you’ll need to make: the appearance of your new roof. If you’re unfamiliar with what the possibilities even are, figuring out the style of your new metal roofing system can feel overwhelming. That’s why we’re here—to give a brief overview of the aesthetic possibilities, before you have your new roof installed.
In This Article
Metal Roof Styles: What’s Possible?
First, we’d like to go over the many styles of metal roofs. Before you even determine details such as color or finish, there’s a good chance you’ll want to figure out the overall style. Of course, don’t come to a decision until you’re familiar with all the possibilities.
Standing Seam Metal Roofing
This style of metal roofs features neat, crisp lines, due to the uniform interlocking of the panel edges. The plates are held in place by hidden clips, which are designed in a way that helps the metal to move and breath. In addition, this is one of the more versatile possibilities—rather than working with just one or two architectural styles, standing seam roofs are simple enough to pair well with a wide variety of different styles. This includes both modern and traditional home styles.
Slate Metal Roofing
As the name would imply, this style of metal roofing is meant to mimic the appearance of a traditional slate roof. So, rather than being a single, uniform color, slate metal roofs typically feature some color variation throughout the panels of the roof. This helps to provide a more natural, slate-like appearance. In terms of design, these roofs also have “split” edges, to further replicate the appearance of slate, in a way that could actually fool a viewer without an issue.
However, if this is the style of roof you’re after, why wouldn’t you just install an actual slate roof? Well, the answer to that question is pretty simple: Metal roofing features some important benefits over your typical slate roof. For one, metal roofs are much lighter than slate roofs—something that makes them quicker to install than the real thing, seeing as they feature less individual panels. Each panel is actually 50 x 12 inches in size, although they’re embossed in a way that gives them the appearance of six full slates.
Shake Metal Roofing
On another hand, shake metal roofing mimics the appearance of hard-split wood. In a similar vein to slate metal roofs, this roofing style does a great job at creating the believable appearance of wood.
Still, metal roofing comes with a considerably cheaper installation cost, compared to your standard hard-split wood roof. Real wood also features a good deal of maintenance, and is far less durable than a sturdy metal roof.
Victorian Shingle Metal Roofing
These panels are made of Galvalume steel, which are then clear-coated to mimic the appearance of intricate, scalloped shingles from the Victorian era. The individual panels are 9 x 12 inches in size and are embossed to create the appearance of five individual shingles. Panels are attached to the roof sheathing using concealed clips.
Compared to actual shingles, metal roofing is far more sturdy, with less of a need for frequent repairs and maintenance jobs. More often than not, this leads to metal roofs lasting considerably longer than shingle roofs, before a replacement is necessary. Plus, metal roofs are much better at keeping your home cool. While shingles absorb heat from the sun, and transfer that heat into your home, this isn’t the case for metal roofing. Instead, metal roofs reflect heat away from your home. This is why metal roofs can be such a beneficial investment, if you’re looking to lower your HVAC bills without compromising on temperature control.
Diamond Shingle Metal Roofing
Another shingle-inspired option, this metal roofing style takes on a different shape and aesthetic. Rather than scalloped edges, diamond shingle roofing looks like a neat arrangement of diamond-shaped shingles. These roofs are typically made of painted steel, specifically. Six colors are available.
Each diamond shingle metal panel is 16 x 16 inches in size.
Tile Metal Roofing
Fired clay roofing is notoriously fussy to install, due to both the heavy weight and the high fragility of the material. However, tile metal roofing can give homeowners the appearance of a fired clay roof, minus the hassle. These roofs are finished with a low-gloss PVDF paint, as well as a specific embossing technique. This ensures that tile metal roofs look as authentic as possible.
Metal Roofing Paint Finishes
If you’re installing a metal roof, you’ll also be able to choose between two paint finishes. These are:
- Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF). This particular finish is highly durable, as well as extremely UV resistant. Examples of popular metal paints used to provide a PVDF finish are Hylar 5000 and Kynar 500. PVDF is the pricier option, when it comes to metal roofing finishes.
- Silicone-Modified Polyester (SMP). If the metal roof being installed is cheaper, it’s likely to receive a SMP finish. Within about ten years, you’re likely to see substantial fading, if you use one of these paints.
Metal Roofing Colors
When it comes to color, there’s an enormous number of possibilities, as you design your very own metal roof in Dallas. Depending on the aesthetic and desired curb appeal of your home, you’ll be able to choose from colors such as white, blue, red, and green, as well as variations of these particular colors.
Before you install your brand new metal roof, you’ll first need to determine its appearance. Fortunately, there are numerous possibilities to choose from, depending upon the architectural style and aesthetic of your home. Not only are metal roofs durable, they’re also one of the most customizable roofing materials out there.