How to Choose the Right Roofing Material for Your Home

Choosing a new roofing material can feel overwhelming. With so many options—like asphalt shingles, wood shakes, clay tiles, and modern stone-coated metal—it’s hard to know where to start. Keystone roofing company offers expert guidance to help you understand your choices and why metal roofing may be the best option.

1. Easy to Install and Maintain

When replacing your roof, choose a material that’s simple to install and doesn’t need a lot of upkeep. Some roofs require frequent repairs or cleaning, which can be expensive and time-consuming.

• Asphalt Shingles: This is the most widely used roofing material in the United State because they’re cheap and easy to install. However, they wear out faster, especially in cold or stormy weather, and need regular checks for cracks and missing pieces.
• Wood Shakes: These look great on classic or coastal homes but are harder to install and need more care. They can absorb moisture and grow mold or moss, and matching new shingles to old ones can be tricky.
• Clay Tiles: These are perfect for Mediterranean-style homes but are heavy and can break easily. They require strong roof support and aren’t great in areas with freezing weather.
• Stone-Coated Metal: This modern material can be installed any time of year—even in winter—and often goes over old roofs, saving time and money. It needs little maintenance and won’t rust, mold, or crack.

2. Strong and Long-Lasting

Your roof needs to protect your home from harsh weather, and not all materials perform equally over time.

• Hail: Metal roofs such as DECRA have the highest impact resistance rating (Class 4) and are backed by a warranty that covers damage from hailstones up to 2.5 inches in diameter.
• Wind and Rain: DECRA roofs are tested to handle winds up to 240 mph and are approved for hurricane zones like Miami-Dade, Florida.
• Fire: DECRA metal roofs have a Class A fire rating, the highest level, meaning they resist flames without needing extra layers or treatments.
• Snow: In snowy areas, DECRA’s design helps snow slide off and prevents ice from building up, which reduces damage from freezing and thawing.

3. Cost and Long-Term Value

• Asphalt shingles are the cheapest upfront (around $1.71 to $6.12 per square foot) but only last 10 to 20 years.
• Wood shakes and clay tiles cost more and also wear down over time.
• Metal roofing costs more initially (about $23.81 to $43.42 per square foot), but lasts 40 to 80 years, so you won’t need to replace it as often.

Extra Benefits of Metal Roofing:

• Lower energy bills: Reflects heat and can reduce cooling costs by up to 25%.
• Insurance savings: Many providers give discounts for metal roofs.
• Higher resale value: Installing a metal roof can boost your home’s market value and allow you to recover up to 85.9% of the installation cost when you sell.
• Fewer repairs: It needs far less maintenance than other materials.