Roof Restoration: Which Roof Is Right For You

Debbie in Louisiana is on the line and has a roof restoration question. How can we help you today?

DEBBIE: We’re getting ready to put a new roof on our home. And we’re going back and forth between a regular roof and a metal roof. And I’m finding the price is double for a metal roof. In the long run, am I going to recoup my money out of that if I go to sell?

TOM: Yeah, that’s a great question. So, how long do you see yourself living in this house?

DEBBIE: Probably minimum of 10 years.

TOM: OK. So, from a longevity perspective, you know, the metal roof is pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime kind of a roof. If it’s done right, you’ll never have to reroof it again. But then again, if you’re going to only be in that house for 10 years, your roof is going to be just fine, even if you were to use asphalt shingles.

Does it add value to the house? I think it definitely makes your house easier to sell compared to one that doesn’t have a metal roof, because it is a much more durable roof. So it’s kind of a nice feature. But whether you’ll get a dollar-for-dollar replacement for that is highly unlikely. So, what you get out of it is a more durable roof. It will protect the house more.

But I don’t think you’re going to get 100 percent of that money back when it comes time to sell. And if you’re only going to be there for 10 years, which is about half the life of an asphalt-shingle roof, it may not make economic sense for you to spend the extra money on the metal roof.

DEBBIE: OK. Does it make much of a difference on energy consumption?

TOM: Possibly. The new metal roofs have a low-E paint finish on them. So what happens is they’ll reflect some of the heat, which is important down in Louisiana, off of that roof and it’ll make it a little bit less expensive for you to cool the house. But then again, lighter roof shingles can do some of the same thing.

DEBBIE: We’re talking a difference between $8,000 and $16,000.

TOM: Yeah. No, it doesn’t surprise me. I think it’s probably worth every penny. It’s just it may not be worth it to you because you’re not going to be there more than 10 or so.

DEBBIE: I do appreciate it very much.

TOM: You’re welcome, Debbie. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

DEBBIE: Thank you.