Roof Options: Asphalt Shingles vs. Metal

If you’re shopping for a new roof in Pinellas County, Florida, you may be weighing your options on roofing materials and the pros and cons of each approach. If you are comparing asphalt shingles vs metal roofing, you have come to the right place.

Here are the pros and cons of asphalt shingles and metal roofing systems, so you can make an informed decision on which roofing material is best for your home. We will also provide other helpful information about what you need to consider for each roofing solution.

The two main differences between asphalt shingles and metal roofing options are cost and lifespan.

Asphalt Shingle Options

Asphalt shingles are an American invention dating back to 1903. In the 1980s, fiberglass asphalt shingles were invented. Today’s asphalt shingle manufacturing technology bears little resemblance to its humble beginnings.

Advantages of asphalt roofing shingles:

• Most affordable, especially initially
• Flexible
• Quick to install
• Dozens of colors to choose from

Disadvantages of asphalt shingles:

• Non-recyclable; old roofing materials end up in a landfill
• Can’t match metal for longevity
• Low solar reflectivity

When clients of Classic Roofing choose asphalt shingles for their preferred roofing material, we typically recommend they opt for the GAF Timberline shingle. According to a recent survey of 380 real estate agents and certified appraisers of single-family homes, upgrading a roof with GAF Timberline shingles can increase the resale value of a home by an average of 10 percent. Moreover, Timberline is the number one selling asphalt shingle in the U.S.

Timberline shingles feature the proprietary GAF Dura Grip adhesive that seals each shingle tightly and reduces the risk of shingle blow-off, with a warranty to withstand winds of up to 130 miles per hour. Timberline shingles have also earned the highest roof fire rating—UL Class A, listed to ANSI/UL 790.

Since Pinellas County often experiences tornadoes and hurricanes, Timberline Shingles with LayerLock Technology may qualify for WindProven Limited Wind Warranty, the industry’s first wind warranty with no maximum speed limitations when installed with the required combination of GAF accessories.

If you are concerned about hail, then you may want to invest in impact-resistant shingles such as the Grand Sequoia AS and Timberline AS II. These shingles have a rubbery flexibility, allowing them to recover from hail impacts.

Since St. Petersburg has an average of 361 days of sunshine annually, you may want to choose GAF Timberline Cool Series Shingles. The highly reflective shingles of these cool roofs can help reduce temperatures in your attic and keep your home cooler.

Shingles + Solar

Another way to take advantage of all that sunshine in St. Petersburg is to add a cutting-edge solar-powered roof to your home. Classic Roofing & Construction is one of just two local roofing companies offering new composite solar roof shingles that can generate energy from the sun. The award-winning Timberline Solar roofing system is made up of shingles, not panels or heavy tiles. The shingles are water shedding, strong and warranted to withstand winds of up to 130 miles per hour. The shingles also add a sleek curb appeal that’s far better looking than older models of bulky, roof-mounted panels.

The most affordable time to go solar is when you are in the market for a new roof, by turning two home improvement projects into one. To meet the surging demand for its solar shingles, GAF is building a new factory in Texas, which will make GAF the largest solar roofing producer in the world.

Metal Roofing Options

With metal roofs, your options include panels, such as standing seam, or stone-coated metal shingles. Both kinds will last a lot longer than asphalt shingles.

With standing-seam panels you have two gauges, or thickness, to choose from. The thicker the gauge, the heavier, longer-lasting, more durable and more expensive the metal roofing is. Metal roofing panels are the most energy-efficient material on the market, often marketed as the “coolest roofing material.”

Stone-coated metal shingles are structurally similar to asphalt shingles, except instead of a fiberglass foundation, they employ metal. With the addition of asphalt and granules, they produce a product similar to asphalt shingles in appearance, except they last a lot longer. Metal shingles can appear similar to wood shake, traditional shingle, Southwestern, Italian, Mediterranean or slate tile.

Advantages of metal roofing:

• Longevity
• Less expensive in the long run
• Can resemble a wide variety of design styles
• Recyclable
• Cool
• Less maintenance

Disadvantages of metal roofing:

• Can be dented over time
• Metal panels can be subject to “oil canning,” as the metal shrinks or expands with the temperature variations, it can cause waves or distortions on the surface of the metal, or canning can be caused by an uneven substrate
• Costlier both in upfront costs as well as the labor to install; expect to pay more than three or four times what you would pay for asphalt shingle installation

Asphalt Shingles vs Metal? Your Choice Could Be Made For You

Both asphalt shingles and metal roofing systems can produce a beautiful roof that will protect what matters most — your home and family. But your choice in roofing materials could be made for you by local building codes or an HOA (homeowner’s association). Before you invest too much time in research, reach out to the team at Classic Roofing & Construction to help you navigate building codes or HOA requirements. Just give us a call at 727-329-8023 or schedule a free consultation.

The whole team at Classic Roofing & Construction is trained through the GAF Roofing Academy and has been certified as Master Elite Residential Roofing Contractors. We never use subcontractors. All our team members are full-time craftsmen who show up on time, every time, which is why we consistently earn five-star ratings from homeowners in the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater communities. We are a local company with more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of new roofing or re-roofing using a variety of roofing materials. We hope our discussion of asphalt shingles vs. metal has given you the tools you need to make an informed decision!