More and more homeowners are exploring alternatives to traditional shingle roofs. Yet others still remain unsure about the wealth of exciting new roofing techniques available today. If you would like to improve your awareness of today's hot new roofing methods, here are three exciting benefits of a metal roof.

Lower Year-round Energy Costs

People often find it hard to believe that a metal roof could reduce their energy bills--especially in the heat of summer, when it's easy to imagine that large expanse of metal soaking up the heat of the sun. Yet a metal roof actually has quite the opposite effect. Rather than standard shingles, which do retain large quantities of heat, a metal roof reflects ultraviolet solar rays, thus promoting a cooler home.

In fact, metal roofs are so efficient at redirecting unwanted heat that they can lower summertime cooling bills by up to 40%. They are also effective at retaining heat in cold winter months, thanks to the metal's natural properties of insulation. You can expect your wintertime heating costs to be lowered by up to 15%.

Decreased Environmental Impact

People are becoming increasingly concerned about the greater environmental impact of their lifestyle decisions. Metal roofs are a great option for those with such concerns, thanks to their highly recyclable nature. For one thing, new metal roofs are composed of 25–95% recycled materials. And when a metal roof has finally come to the end of its serviceable life, it will remain 100% recyclable. That fact stands in stark contrast to the enormous amounts of waste related to old asphalt roofs. 

Easy Installation Over Existing Roof

Once your home is equipped with a metal roof, you can rest assured that you won't have to worry about it for many decades to come. But what about the installation process itself? Here is a common misconception about metal roofs is that their installation process is much more laborious than that of traditional asphalt roofs. After all, people figure, metal must be more difficult to attach to the roof than shingles.

Yet that belief overlooks one key fact: metal roofing can be installed directly on top of existing asphalt shingles. This fact is made possible by the surprisingly light weight of metal roofing, which allows it to sit atop old shingles without overloading the structural capabilities of your decking. As a result, you will be able to avoid the time-consuming—and costly—process of removing all those worn out shingles.  

For more information, talk to a professional like JD Metals.