A common inquiry here at MRN is something along the lines of, "I've got to replace these old cedar shakes. Any ideas?"

As suppliers of the best roofing material you can buy, maybe we're a little biased. But it still boggles our minds when we see projects in the midst of construction - beautiful, impressive custom homes - topped with composition roofing material rather than something long-lasting and eco-friendly.

It's official! The first project featuring diamond shingles in our exclusive porcelain-dipped steel - the first roof of its kind in North America - is well underway! This amazing new roofing material is created when glass is exposed to extreme heat - temperatures of about 1300 degrees - and melted onto the individual tiles. This forms a finish that looks like nothing else. The process creates a color density unapproachable by any other process and a finish that is completely unaffected by the sun and other elements. The remarkable color won't fade or deteriorate and it will last hundreds of years. The jewel-like finish makes for a remarkably distinctive roofing material - the perfect top to a remarkable residence or structure.

There's a reason so many advertisements by log home manufacturers feature glossy photographs of magnificent log cabins crowned by equally magnificent metal roofs. Here's the truth, plain and simple - metal roofs are the best possible choice for a log home. Why? Just as log homes are renowned for their natural look and low-maintenance, a quality metal roof system is engineered to last generations with zero to minimal upkeep and look great doing it. Nothing says low-tech and long lasting like a log cabin (as this image from The Log Home Floor Plan Blog clearly depicts), and nothing offers natural, long lasting performance like a metal roof. But if you're still not convinced, let's discuss the other common options: composition roofing, concrete roofing and wood shakes.

Pop quiz - you're building a lovely garden retreat and you want the structure to be both distinctive and classic. How do you do it?

This is a recent project that turned out to be a lovely combination - our "Old Barn Tin" galvanized natural steel in a standing seam panel profile on, of all things, a barn! It's not an old barn, actually, but a rebuild of the original barn on that site that burned down. It was the unfinished, metallic gray of this particular metal that appealed to the owners, since it offered the exact look they were after - a rustic appearance with the added bonus of low-maintenance durability that will last for generations. Another bonus? Considering the circumstances of the old barn's demise, an incombustible and lightweight roof material that resists premature roof collapse is rather reassuring as well!

How cool is this?! These are copper diamond shingles in our Harlequin profile, chosen specifically by the homeowner to replicate the scales of a fish or reptile on the walls of this very unique and eclectic houseboat home in California. Because the copper shingles could be splashed with a patina solution to create an irregular pattern, they were the perfect choice. And on the walls of such a project, our copper roof shingles become sculpture instead of just a roof covering. Spectacular!

Log cabins conjure up nostalgic images of cozy, timbered lake homes and heavily forested valleys. Sounds great, but if you own a cabin, odds are good you're dealing with conditions like heavy snow, the potential threat of wildfire and remote access. And those are three reasons your cabin should absolutely be topped with a metal roof! If any of the following are a consideration when it comes to replacing your cabin's roof, you'll be doing yourself a huge favor by investigating the many options of metal roofing:

Backyard cottages are among the hot new green options to hit the market, and MRN is excited that the leader of the pack, New Avenue Homes, has incorporated our metal roofing into their menu of roofing options. If you're considering a backyard cottage, it's likely that you're addressing a space issue. These small yet fully-contained homes are a clever way to add additional living space - be it for an in-law suite or an income-generating rental runit - and they've got some serious eco-juice too. From green building materials to solar panels for generating your own electricity, it's critical that you consider efficient exteriors as much as interior details. While designing your mini home - and we hope it's from New Avenue! - take advantage of the many green options available. We're beyond proud that New Avenue Homes has incorporated our metal roofs into their designs to keep the focus on priorities like energy efficiency and eco-friendliness - staples of the appeal and value of these stylish space-savers. If you're considering a backyard cottage and haven't yet thought about the right type of roofing, here are three brilliant reasons it has to be metal:

Anyone tackling a re-roofing project knows what a gigantic undertaking the entire process can be. Should I re-roof with the same material or try something better? Who do I hire to install this thing? How do I know they'll do a good job? How much will it cost? How do I know I'm getting a good price? What's the deal with the energy efficient roof rebates? Where do I even begin?