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Discover the cost to paint a metal roof, including average prices, key cost factors, and tips to help you budget and save on your next roofing project.
Do Metal Roofs Make Your House Hotter?
Raise the roof, not your indoor temperature
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Metal roofs help your home stay cooler than asphalt shingles because they gain and lose heat fast, releasing warmth to surrounding air.
Expect to pay $4 to $30 per square foot for metal roof installation, with average costs around $11,700 depending on your home.
Choose a light-colored aluminum metal roof and add insulation under it, so your home holds comfortable indoor temperatures year-round.
Hiring a local metal roof installer provides reliable guidance on the right metal type and color, so you keep your home comfortable.
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Metal roofs are a popular option in cold climates because they shed snow easily and are suitable for steeper roof pitches than asphalt shingles. But what about hot climates? Do metal roofs make your house hotter? In this guide, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about how a metal roof affects your indoor temperature.
Will a Metal Roof Make Your House Hotter?
The short answer is no—a metal roof will not make your house hotter than asphalt shingles, clay tiles, or slate. In fact, metal is the most reflective roofing option, so it will actually keep your home cooler than most other roofing materials, especially in hot, sunny climates.
How Do Metal Roofs Help to Keep Your Home Cool?
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There are four key ways metal roofs keep your home cool in hot, sunny areas, and understanding these factors can help you install the right metal roof for your home.
Reflectivity
First and foremost, metal is naturally reflective and will reflect a good portion of the sunlight that hits it away from your home. This helps reduce solar heat gain, which means the heat from the sun will stay outside rather than transfer through your roof.
High Thermal Conductivity
Metal also has a high thermal conductivity, which means it gains and loses heat rapidly. When the sun warms your metal roof, it will quickly heat up, but it will also lose heat readily to the air surrounding it. Since the heat is lost to the surrounding air, less of that heat transfers through your roofing system and into your home.
Cool Roof Options
Metal roofs come in a variety of colors, and lighter colors like red and white are considered “cool roof” options. Light colors naturally reflect more sunlight, so roofing materials like asphalt shingles and slate shingles that are almost always black or dark gray aren’t ideal for keeping your home cool. The fact that metal roofs are available in white means you can maximize reflectivity and reduce your cooling bills in hotter climates.
Insulation
Finally, it’s relatively simple to insulate under a metal roof. Most local metal roof installers will be able to couple your metal roof with rigid foam board insulation or even a reflective insulation to help keep the heat outside. Adding insulation will drive up metal roof installation costs, but it can be a worthwhile addition for boosting energy efficiency and saving on cooling costs over time.
Pro Tip
Metal roofing is great for snow prone homes because metal conducts heat really well, meaning it can warm up faster and melt the snow on top of it more quickly.
How to Keep Your Home Cool With a Metal Roof
Any metal roof will help keep your home cooler than asphalt shingles, but if you’re hiring a roofer to install a new metal roof, there are a few things you can prioritize to maximize your home’s energy efficiency.
Choose a light-colored roof: According to the Department of Energy, white and light-colored roofs reflect the most sunlight and keep your home the coolest. Choose a white metal roof for the best reflectivity.
Choose the right type of metal: The most common types of metal roofs are aluminum, stainless steel, zinc, and copper. Of these options, aluminum reflects the most thermal radiation, followed by zinc, steel, and copper. For the coolest home possible, choose an aluminum metal roof.
Add insulation: Paying a bit more for insulation under your metal roof can make a major difference when it comes to how your roofing material affects how hot your home gets. Choose a reflective insulation for the best results in sunny areas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Roofing services reviews from real Angi homeowners in Columbus, OH
4.3★ avg. • 120 total reviews
- Chance R.
D1 Roofing delivers outstanding service from beginning to end, backed by a strong warranty and expert teams. I highly recommend them for their excellence in meeting and surpassing expectations with unmatched communication. Choosing D1 Roofing was flawless decision
Division 1 Roofing LLC - Jeremy P.
This place took $25,000 for a flat roof job with a five-year warranty and never returned to fix the leaks that were caused by their work. These people are not professionals and should not be doing this type of work. They incorrectly changed the pitch of the roof, and caused more damage than...
- David B.
The technician was very professional and friendly. He answered all my questions and was very thorough. He left the fireplace area very clean . He inspected from the roof and advised me as to other work that might need to be done. There was no pressure there. I was very satisfied with the...
Supreme brick & chimney - Kevin S.
I am really impressed with their timeliness and turnaround. Mitchell came out, and we decided to move forward with their pricing. Our roof was on within a week, and we could not be happier with their team! Amazing company, great prices and honest, dependable craftsmanship. I highly recommend...
Window Depot USA of Central Ohio - Rob B.
Manuel Calvillo is the best option in the area for roofing and you won't be disappointed.
- Julie K.
They damaged multiple items on my property, including a marble slab used as a table top, tried to hide it, and refused to pay or replace. Arrived day one without a ladder to access roof & delayed a day. Left a mess in back yard; didn't wear face masks; no show by owner to property to see damages
Grants Tree Service - Marcia L.
I've hired Gary/Cherokee Roofing for two different homes, work quality, responsiveness, and completion have been great both times. And the prices quoted were very competitive. I would definitely hire again.
- Paul F.
Lyle did a great job removing asbestos shingles from our front porch roof. They worked together with our roofer to make sure that the new roof was able to be installed on the same day that Lyle removed the asbestos shingles.
Lyle Environmental - Paul F.
Bradley Builders did a good job replacing the roof on our front porch. They color-matched the existing shingles on the rest of the house and installed a metal ridge roll since we live in a historical neighborhood. They did the job while we were out of town. When we got back, everything was...
Bradley Builders, Inc. - Madison B.
I would absolutely recommend this business. They offer a variety of services, including: painting, roofing, and refinishing wood flooring. I hired them to refinish the original hardwood flooring in my home built in 1874. The job was quite challenging, as the floors were extremely aged and...
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