Help me think through the pros and cons of an accent roof
May 25, 2022 5:41 PM Subscribe
We are about to have our house reroofed. It is currently asphalt shingles and will be redone in shingles, but I'm thinking about having the small piece of roof over the front porch done in metal as an accent. I realize it will probably add cost to the project, but are there other things I'm not thinking of? Like it's a fad and I'll be sorry I did it? Or maintenance is a pain? Or something else?
I personally love the sound of rain on a metal roof but sound is something you should consider as well as visual impact.
They also shed snow somewhat differently than asphalt-shingled roofs, so keep that in mind, too, especially if it will be over an entry way.
These are not reasons to rule metal out, but just be aware that its behavior will be a bit different than the existing use, to which you were accustomed.
posted by Nerd of the North at 6:33 PM on May 25, 2022
They also shed snow somewhat differently than asphalt-shingled roofs, so keep that in mind, too, especially if it will be over an entry way.
These are not reasons to rule metal out, but just be aware that its behavior will be a bit different than the existing use, to which you were accustomed.
posted by Nerd of the North at 6:33 PM on May 25, 2022
Slate roofs can last 120 years or more. They are pretty. There are also solar roof tiles. Accent your roof with saved money.
posted by Oyéah at 6:36 PM on May 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by Oyéah at 6:36 PM on May 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
Metal roofs are definitely not a fad.
I can't quite picture metal + shingles, but if you like the look, then it is easy enough to maintain (replace the little rubber gasket things on the screws every few decades?). There are some really nice colours available, like copper that isn't really copper and stays shiny.
Slate is beautiful, too!
If anyone wants to remove it in the future, it comes off very easily and cleanly and they can reroof with whatever they prefer.
Things like trim / flashing might be a concern, but it should be possible to get matching or nicely contrasting colours to go with your shingled part.
posted by Acari at 7:56 PM on May 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
I can't quite picture metal + shingles, but if you like the look, then it is easy enough to maintain (replace the little rubber gasket things on the screws every few decades?). There are some really nice colours available, like copper that isn't really copper and stays shiny.
Slate is beautiful, too!
If anyone wants to remove it in the future, it comes off very easily and cleanly and they can reroof with whatever they prefer.
Things like trim / flashing might be a concern, but it should be possible to get matching or nicely contrasting colours to go with your shingled part.
posted by Acari at 7:56 PM on May 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Slate roofs can last 120 years or more. They are pretty. There are also solar roof tiles. Accent your roof with saved money.
You'd want to have a structural engineer assess whether your roof framing could handle that kind of load (same goes for tile) before installing it though. Going from asphalt shingles to metal shouldn't be a problem.
posted by LionIndex at 8:14 PM on May 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
You'd want to have a structural engineer assess whether your roof framing could handle that kind of load (same goes for tile) before installing it though. Going from asphalt shingles to metal shouldn't be a problem.
posted by LionIndex at 8:14 PM on May 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Is this a small piece of roof that attaches with valleys to the main roof or a completely separate small piece of roof that attaches to the wall independently? If it's independent, I'd say go for it, could be a neat look and I can't think why it would matter (the metal will probably last two shingle lifetimes). Bear in mind that a roof that used to hold snow with shingles, if that's an issue in your area, may send snow flying down in chunks off of metal roofing.
If this is an extension of the shingle roof, things might get a little more complicated. You'd need to look very carefully at how to detail the valleys, as this would be very non-standard. You'll want a knowledgeable roofer who feels comfortable tackling the job. I expect you can just run the shingles right underneath the metal as a transition, but that could look bad if not thought through. But this also sounds like it might look a little odd in general.
posted by ssg at 11:03 PM on May 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
If this is an extension of the shingle roof, things might get a little more complicated. You'd need to look very carefully at how to detail the valleys, as this would be very non-standard. You'll want a knowledgeable roofer who feels comfortable tackling the job. I expect you can just run the shingles right underneath the metal as a transition, but that could look bad if not thought through. But this also sounds like it might look a little odd in general.
posted by ssg at 11:03 PM on May 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
In our area everyone is doing metal roofs due to forest fires.
posted by miles1972 at 12:17 AM on May 26, 2022
posted by miles1972 at 12:17 AM on May 26, 2022
We have a metal roof (in New England) and it’s a lifetime roof, it’ll be our kid’s problem in 60 years or whatever. Zero maintenance, beautiful, sounds like the sweetest musical instrument when it rains.
I don’t know about the look of an accent being a fad but I personally like it. I wouldn’t worry to much about the aesthetics looking dated, it’s a pretty timeless look.
posted by lydhre at 4:10 AM on May 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
I don’t know about the look of an accent being a fad but I personally like it. I wouldn’t worry to much about the aesthetics looking dated, it’s a pretty timeless look.
posted by lydhre at 4:10 AM on May 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
There are a couple homes in my neighborhood who have done exactly what OP proposes...Roof done in traditional shingles*, and then a small overhang over the front porch done in metal. It looks fine, so long as the metal is color-coordinated with the rest of the house. It’s usually done in a color as close to any trim color on the house. You could also go with a color similar to the new roof, and it will look fine. Just don’t try to match the body color of the house. That would look really odd. The metal will easily out-perform and wear longer than the shingles. Go for it!
* by “traditional shingles” I’m referring to what the trade calls “dimensional” asphalt shingles. They’re the ones that from a distance look more like shake shingles, rather than flat, monotone shingles of yore. Dimensional shingles are far more common in my neck of the woods than anything else, and have been for decades. The dimensional shingles will visually work better with the metal accent roof, too, as both lend a kind of “country-ish” vibe.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:34 AM on May 26, 2022
* by “traditional shingles” I’m referring to what the trade calls “dimensional” asphalt shingles. They’re the ones that from a distance look more like shake shingles, rather than flat, monotone shingles of yore. Dimensional shingles are far more common in my neck of the woods than anything else, and have been for decades. The dimensional shingles will visually work better with the metal accent roof, too, as both lend a kind of “country-ish” vibe.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:34 AM on May 26, 2022
As a Minnesotan with a metal roof, I want to say that we have temperature extremes with plenty of days in the 90s as well as under -20, and yet I still have a 50 year warranty on my standing seam steel roof and no one, not even people trying to sell me a shingled roof said temperature extremes were an issue. Maybe that's true if you don't do standing seam, but it is designed to account for it.
posted by advicepig at 6:39 AM on May 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by advicepig at 6:39 AM on May 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
There are a couple homes in my neighborhood who have done exactly what OP proposes...Roof done in traditional shingles*, and then a small overhang over the front porch done in metal.
Yes in my area too. I think it's a fad, but I think metal roofs for porches (even if the whole roof isn't metal due to metal roofs costing approximately 3X for less than 2X the lifetime) is going to be a fad that lasts a long time.
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:41 AM on May 26, 2022
Yes in my area too. I think it's a fad, but I think metal roofs for porches (even if the whole roof isn't metal due to metal roofs costing approximately 3X for less than 2X the lifetime) is going to be a fad that lasts a long time.
posted by The_Vegetables at 8:41 AM on May 26, 2022
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This is second hand information, but most roofing contractors specialize or prefer a type of material, and they’re better at that material. Unless this is an extremely small area I would probably sub that portion of the roof out to another company that specializes in metal roofing. A good contractor might even sub something like this out themselves.
posted by furnace.heart at 5:58 PM on May 25, 2022 [2 favorites]