Is Traditional-Look Metal Right for You
Whether metal shingles or stone coated steel is right for a Westwood homeowner depends on what you want from a roof. Here is how to decide.
Right If You Want Both
These products are right if you want metal's durability and longevity but prefer a traditional appearance over the standing seam or panel look, since they deliver both. For a homeowner who values metal's performance but whose taste or home leans traditional, they bridge the gap. When you want metal's benefits in a conventional form, these products fit. They suit homeowners who want the best of both. They are made for this preference.
Right for Certain Homes and Neighborhoods
They suit homes and neighborhoods where a traditional look is wanted or expected, letting a homeowner have a durable metal roof that fits the conventional aesthetic. For a home whose style calls for shingles, tile, slate, or shake, or a neighborhood where standing seam would look out of place, these products provide a fitting option. They let metal work where its typical look would not suit. They match traditional settings well.
Consider the Premium
These products are premium options, generally costing more than basic metal panels and asphalt, so they make most sense when the traditional look is genuinely wanted and the budget supports it. For a homeowner to whom the conventional appearance matters, the premium is justified, while for one indifferent to the look, a basic metal or asphalt roof may suffice. Weighing the premium against the value of the look is part of the choice. The look's worth to you matters.
Compare to the Alternatives
It helps to compare these products to the alternatives, standing seam or panels for those fine with metal's typical look, real tile or slate for those wanting the genuine material, and asphalt for the lowest cost. Metal shingles and stone coated steel occupy a specific niche, metal performance with traditional looks. Seeing where they fit among the options clarifies whether they suit you. They serve a particular want. The comparison guides the choice.
Get Honest Guidance
The best way to decide is a consultation with a contractor who installs these and other roofing and will help you weigh whether traditional look metal, standard metal, or another material best fits your home, taste, and budget. That honest guidance ensures you choose what genuinely suits you. For some, these products are ideal, while for others an alternative serves better. The right choice depends on your priorities. Honest input helps you decide.
Is It Right, in Short
Traditional look metal is right if you want metal's durability with a conventional appearance, suits homes and neighborhoods where a traditional look fits, and makes most sense when the look is genuinely wanted and the budget supports the premium. Your priorities decide.
One point worth making clear for Westwood homeowners is that the assumption many people hold, that choosing a metal roof means accepting the sleek, modern look of standing seam or the industrial look of exposed panels, is no longer true, because metal shingles and stone coated steel offer metal's performance in the appearance of traditional roofing materials. This matters because it removes what is, for many homeowners, the main reason they hesitate to consider metal at all, the look. Some homeowners genuinely prefer the appearance of standing seam, and for them the standard metal options are perfect. But many others want a roof that looks conventional, that fits a traditional home or a neighborhood where standing seam would stand out, or that simply matches their personal taste for a familiar shingled, tiled, or shake appearance. For these homeowners, metal shingles and stone coated steel bridge the gap, delivering metal's genuine benefits, a lifespan far beyond asphalt, strong weather resistance, low maintenance, in the form of roofing that looks like asphalt shingles, clay or concrete tile, natural slate, or wood shake. Stone coated steel achieves this with a steel base for strength and longevity topped by a coating of stone granules that gives the textured, conventional appearance, while metal shingles are formed and finished to resemble traditional materials. The result is that a homeowner no longer has to choose between metal's performance and a traditional look, they can have both. For homes suited to the look of heavy materials like tile or slate, there is an added practical benefit, since the metal versions are considerably lighter than the genuine materials, providing the appearance without imposing their heavy weight on the structure.
It also helps Westwood homeowners to understand where metal shingles and stone coated steel fit among the roofing options, since they occupy a specific and useful niche that is worth weighing against the alternatives. On one side are the standard metal options, standing seam and exposed fastener panels, which deliver metal's performance with metal's characteristic appearance, sleek and modern or functional and rustic, and which are often more economical than the traditional look products. On another side are the genuine traditional materials themselves, real clay or concrete tile, natural slate, and wood shake, each of which offers its authentic qualities but comes with its own considerations, tile and slate are heavy and require a structure that can bear the weight, slate is costly, and wood shake demands maintenance and carries fire and decay concerns. And on a third side is asphalt, the most economical option, which provides a conventional look but with a much shorter lifespan than metal. Metal shingles and stone coated steel sit in the middle of all this, offering the traditional appearance of those conventional materials combined with metal's durability, longevity, lighter weight than the heavy genuine materials, and low maintenance, generally at a premium over basic metal panels and asphalt but often at a lower cost than genuine slate. So they make the most sense for a homeowner who specifically wants both a traditional look and metal's lasting performance, and whose budget supports the premium for that combination. A contractor who installs these products along with standard metal and other roofing can help a homeowner weigh honestly whether traditional look metal, standard metal, a genuine material, or asphalt best fits their home, their taste, and their budget.
One point worth making clear for Westwood homeowners is that the assumption many people hold, that choosing a metal roof means accepting the sleek, modern look of standing seam or the industrial look of exposed panels, is no longer true, because metal shingles and stone coated steel offer metal's performance in the appearance of traditional roofing materials. This matters because it removes what is, for many homeowners, the main reason they hesitate to consider metal at all, the look. Some homeowners genuinely prefer the appearance of standing seam, and for them the standard metal options are perfect. But many others want a roof that looks conventional, that fits a traditional home or a neighborhood where standing seam would stand out, or that simply matches their personal taste for a familiar shingled, tiled, or shake appearance. For these homeowners, metal shingles and stone coated steel bridge the gap, delivering metal's genuine benefits, a lifespan far beyond asphalt, strong weather resistance, low maintenance, in the form of roofing that looks like asphalt shingles, clay or concrete tile, natural slate, or wood shake. Stone coated steel achieves this with a steel base for strength and longevity topped by a coating of stone granules that gives the textured, conventional appearance, while metal shingles are formed and finished to resemble traditional materials. The result is that a homeowner no longer has to choose between metal's performance and a traditional look, they can have both. For homes suited to the look of heavy materials like tile or slate, there is an added practical benefit, since the metal versions are considerably lighter than the genuine materials, providing the appearance without imposing their heavy weight on the structure.
Find Out if It Fits
Westwood Metal Roofing installs metal shingles, stone coated steel, and other roofing across Westwood and Marion and will advise honestly. Call (765) 676-3491 for a free consultation on whether traditional look metal is right for your home, taste, and budget.