The Toronto Star recently ran an article with the following question:

Q: How do asphalt shingles compare with metal roofing? My house needs a new roof and my late father always preferred metal. Sadly, I don’t have his guidance now. What do you suggest?"

The answer is just another example of the ignorance surrounding metal roofs - even in the building industry! You can read the full article here, but essentially, the author has a list of pros and cons for both materials that's entirely unfair. And it's because he apparently believes that metal roofing is only available in finished steel or aluminum panels. This is evident in his metal roofing "con" -

"On the downside, metal can lead to large and sudden snow slides and the surface can be noisy in heavy rains."

Where to begin! This statement clearly does metal roofing a great disservice, because there are a number of profiles and materials that make metal ideal for snow country, as well as accessories like snow guards that are specifically designed to prevent sudden snow slides should you desire a panel roof. His other con relates to factory finishes, of which he declares he's never seen one looking good past 25 years. Finishes are directly related to location and the quality of the product you choose. Are there cheap finishes that will look bad in a few decades? Absolutely. Are there finishes that will look as good on day one as they will in 50 years? You bet! Like anything, you get what you pay for!

His glowing rundown on shingles includes their cost, the fact that they "look classier than metal" and their "rough surfaces" that "prevent snow slides." He also commends their "50 year warranty" and, in some cases, "lifetime warranty." Well, they are cheap, he's right about that. Cheap in price, performance and lifespan. And appearance is entirely subjective, but really, low-profile composition shingles don't even begin to copper to a beautifully textured coated steel or copper diamond shingle roof. Regarding warranties - suffice it to say that comp shingle warranties are full of holes, including but not limited to expiration dates for things like wind blow-off and other disclaimers. Doesn't it make sense that if the real performance of this material was anywhere near its claimed warranty period, the warranty itself wouldn't need such a long list of explicit disclaimers? Read them carefully - you'll be unpleasantly surprised if you think that piece of paper is going to protect your home when that comp roof inevitably fails.

Another one of his asphalt shingle pros is also misleading - "it's easier to make valleys reliably water tight." That's because valleys are typically made of long, straight pieces of metal that go under the shingles!

The author's cons of shingle rofs are bang on - bad for the environment, petroleum-based - but he neglects to mention performance, lifespan and limited variety. Here's the truth when it comes to comparing shingles and metal - if price is your only consideration, get a comp roof. Period.

Read more about metal roofing vs shingles roofs with our free comparison sheet, or download our comprehensive re-roofing guide for a more in-depth look at the pros and cons discussed here for a variety of other roofing materials too. You can also learn more about how asphalt shingles compare to metal roofing here.

Thanks to plasteringcshl on Twitter for the link!