[Greenbuilding] roof replacement asphalt versus steel

[Bobbi Chukran]

>I really would hate to put asphalt shingles back on, as i think they
>are really dumb for many reasons:
>

Hi Ben,

There's another good reason not to do asphalt, too....if you ever 
want to add a rainwater collection system, having a metal roof would 
be ideal.  We put a metal roof on the house we're selling now, and it 
was at least twice as much as asphalt when we built 12 years ago.  We 
recently bought another smaller house in town, and if I'd seen any 
with metal roofs, I would have jumped at the chance to buy it. 
Having said that, I think a lot of people do like metal roofs, and 
they know they are expensive.  I think for the right buyer, a metal 
roof would be a selling point.  I think we'll be OK with ours since 
there are several other metal-roofed houses in our sub-division.  In 
areas where they're more rare, you might have trouble getting your 
money back out of it.

One thing to consider if you need repairs before you move, we had 
major problems getting roofers out to even look at our metal roof 
after a storm.  Nobody around here wanted to even look at it and 
several told me that they just "don't do" metal roofs.  Granted, it 
is a steep roof, and metal can be VERY slick  even when dry.

We look forward to the day when we can replace this asphalt roof with 
metal.  As long as it's of a "brownish earthtone color" (HOA rules) I 
think we can get by with doing it.

That's another potential problem.....HOA rules in your area.  Check 
to make sure they allow metal roofs; some areas don't!

bobbi c.
Leander, TX
http://www.bobbichukran.com
Abstract art for residental and commercial projects