After years of dealing with a leaky roof, we finally decided to splurge on a "permanent" solution to the problem. I have had problems with the asphalt roofs on both of the houses I've owned. They simply don't last nearly as long as advertised, and with current labour prices, they aren't as cheap to replace as they once were. I also wanted to try to choose the most environmentally friendly roofing option that I could (within reason).

After a little research, we finally decided to spend a little extra and go with a steel roof. Steel is a fairly environmentally friendly option for a number of reasons:

• It goes on top of your existing asphalt roof, so you can postpone sending it to the landfill (apologies to future generations who will have to deal with it).
• It (supposedly) lasts a long time, so the "reuse" factor is high.
• When it does come time to replace it, steel can be recycled fairly easily.
• It is quite reflective, which should cut down on our air conditioning costs in the summer.
• Because it goes on above the asphalt roof, it is an extra layer of insulation which should help our heating costs in the winter.

I didn't get any estimates on a new asphalt roof, but my guess is that this steel roof was somewhere between 150-200% of the cost of a new asphalt roof. Assuming it lasts 75% as long as advertised, that means we should still come out "ahead" in the long run, financially speaking. My goal is for this roof to last 30 years, which is roughly how long we plan to stay in this house. If it does that, I will be very happy, regardless of the cost.

My first impression of the roof after the first few weeks is this:

• I think it looks nice. I might be biased though.
• It is possible to walk on it, but I don't feel nearly as safe up there as I did on the asphalt. Maybe this is a good thing, as I will now try to avoid ever going on the roof again.
• I don't think it is much louder in the rain than the asphalt roof. Maybe slightly louder, but only slightly.
• Ice and snow does slide off it though, even with the ice guards. Having the ice guards does seem to prevent large chunks of ice from sliding off, but smaller chunks still come crashing down.
• When ice does slide around on the roof, it is very loud. It sounds like there are squirrels fighting on the roof.

Technical Details: This photo was taken with my 5D Mark II + EF 17-40L at 17mm, ISO 200, f/8 for 1/25th of a second.

Comments

Quite a story. I'm amazed that you had to wait six months for the job to be
completed. I used steel roofing on my cabins on the Farm and so far so good.