FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Why should I choose Custom-Bilt Metals products?
A: Quality and 35 years of experience to back it up. Custom-Bilt Metals offers a lifetime material warranty, plus assistance in solving installation-related problems. Also, it makes sense to purchase building products with longer life cycles, since metal roofing products can cost less than half the price of asphalt composition roofing and about a third of wood shakes, when compared to the shorter usable life of those roofs.
Q: How is metal roofing considered a "green" building material?
A: According to Unbuilding, by building industry economists Bob Falk and Brad Guy, discarded building material accounts for almost 40 percent of landfill content. But because metal roofing is made of recycled products and can be recycled if removed, metal roofing is the original green building material. And, its green attributes don't stop once metal roofing has been installed (or removed). Consider this: Energy use of the average U.S. home creates almost twice the greenhouse gas emissions as the average car. The energy-saving abilities of a cool roof from Custom-Bilt Metals can play a significant role in lowering that home energy usage, thereby helping to addresses the challenge of climate change.
Q: What kinds of things will I need to do to maintain my metal roof for long life and like-new looks?
A: Metal roofing is a low- to no-maintenance product that can last as long as the roof structure itself. If you live in an area with more rainfall, the roof should stay relatively clean. If your home or building is in a region that gets little annual rainfall, the roof could be hosed down periodically to remove any dust and dirt buildup-keeping the roof looking as good as new.
Q: How do metal roofs handle extreme weather like hailstorms or high winds?
A: Most metal roofs are tested to withstand ¾" hail, ultraviolet rays, severe storms, and winds up to 120 mph—equal to an F2 tornado. As for lightning, metal roofs tend to act as a ground, dissipating the electrical energy over the face of the roof, which helps to prevent large-scale damage.
Q: I've heard that if a fire starts in a home with a metal roof, the roof acts as a barrier to the flames and the house burns up faster. Is there any truth to that?
A: Actually, today's fire insurance premiums are typically lower for homes topped by metal roofs. The barrier idea comes from the past, when metal was a less common roofing material. Twenty years ago, many first responders were not trained and prepared with the proper tools to cut through the metal while fighting a fire. However, education has resolved that concern and modern fire departments are equipped to effectively fight a fire in a building with a metal roof.
In addition, because they're noncombustible, metal roofs can actually help to prevent fires started by lightning, or sparks or burning tree branches that could fall on them in a wilderness fire scenario.
Q: If a cool metal roof is reflecting heat away from the house, will more energy be required to heat my home in the winter?
A: No, because the amount of heat an attic beneath, say, an asphalt-shingled roof would gain during the winter is comparable to a metal roof. And, because warmth wants to move toward cold air, the challenge remains the same as it is for any home: how to keep the heated air inside the house from escaping through the attic, doors, windows, etc. A metal roof is no colder than the ambient outdoor air, so it's not working to draw warmth out of the home. If your attic is insulated to the proper R-value, you shouldn't notice any appreciable difference in your heating bills.
Q: Is it safe to walk on my roof? Will I dent or damage it?
A: Walking on the flat portions of a standing seam metal roof won't damage the metal, because it's resting flush against the roof decking beneath it, but you should not step on the raised portions. For shingle-type metal roofs, walk with caution. No matter what type of metal roof you have, always wear rubber-soled shoes and step carefully. And, if your roof pitch is greater than 7:12, don't attempt to walk on it.