In this roofing section of Hometips for Home Improvement, I explain about metal shingles roofing.

Most Metal Shingles and made from painted or coated steel or aluminum that are pressed to form realistic shapes and resemble wood shakes, Spanish and mission tile, slate, and Victorian metal tiles. Some metal shingle roofing materials offer great looks and appearance. Producers of painted metal products often texture the metal, layer the finish, and give granulated-stone topcoats to reduce tell-tale sheen. These textures have great looks and are typically tile or slate look-alikes and it is hard to distinguish from the real material. All this is possible with the advancement in roofing technology and advanced technology used by manufactures to manufacture metal shingle roofing products.

Metal shingle systems are manufactured in large panels of about 4 feet long. They are designed for quick installation or as single shingles that can be applied individually. Most metal shingle panel types can be installed over one or two layers of existing roofing. The individual types require tear-off so that it can be applied to a firm, flat roof deck.

Metal roofing requires slightly different techniques. Because of this very reason, some manufacturers or distributors require metal roofing contractors to take a few factory-taught classes before they will allow their contractors to install their products.

Let us now learn and understand few popular brands of metal shingle systems:

Decrabond: Manufactured by Carter Holt Harvey, this is a tile facsimile with a granulated-stone finish and extra-ordinary appearance. Colortile is another unusually shaped galvanized steel with a baked-on acrylic finish also made by the same manufacturer. These are available in only six standard colors, but custom colors may be special ordered and custom-made subject to a minimum order size and quantity.

Gerard roofing: This is galvanized steel with a tile-colored finish of stone granules. These are made in two patterns - facsimile shake and tile with a variety of colors. Price of these stone-finished shingles may run from $3 to $4 per square foot and even more if tear-off is required.

Prestige Copper Shingles: Manufactured by Petersen Aluminum Corporation, these are made up of real copper bonded to an asphalt-shingle base. They offer the elegant look of a real copper roof at about one-third the price. Price may run from $5 to $7 per square foot for this material.

Met-Tile: These are made from painted 26-gauge galvanized steel. They are a tile lookalike. Most of the met-tile applications run an average of $3.

Zappone: They are manufacturers of aluminum and copper shingles which are shaped and designed to resemble wood shakes. These are easy to install and almost half of the shingles sold are owner-installed. Pricing depends on the roof’s construction and complexity of installation. The number of accessories needed for installation also affects the cost.

Alcoa: They make two varieties of aluminum shakes that resemble wood shakes and slate or tile. Both these patterns may be applied over up to two layers of some existing roofing materials. Alcoa offers a lifetime, non-prorated limited warranty that is also transferable if you plan to sell the house.