Stone-coated steel roofing quick guide

Stone-coated metal roofing combines the industrial strength of steel with the elegance of traditional roofing materials like shingles, shakes, and tiles.

While this may sound like the ideal combination of benefits for roofing material, you’ll likely want to consider the potential downsides, namely costs.

Fortunately, this article covers the key of stone-coated steel roofing. Read on to learn whether roofing material with the beauty and brawn suits you.

What is stone-coated steel roofing?

Stone-coated metal roofing involves multiple distinct layers, typically starting with galvanized steel sheets. Manufacturers then coat the steel panels with a primer to ensure it adheres well to subsequent coatings, starting with acrylic paint. This layer both protects the underlying metal from UV and water exposure and serves as an adhesive for the next layer – stone granules. To give granules gloss and further protection, manufacturers finish the product with an acrylic overglaze.

For reference, tiles can weigh between 8 and 12 pounds per square foot. Asphalt shingles typically weigh between 2.3 and 4.5 pounds per square foot.

From a cost perspective, lightweight stone-coated steel roofing can save you money in two ways.

First, installers can place them directly on top of your existing roof. This drastically speeds up roof installation and possibly reduces costs as you can skip tearing off the old material.

Second, with no old roofing materials to dispose of, you save on dumping fees.

However, the high initial costs for materials and installation do not suit homeowners on a tight budget.

Asphalt shingles cost significantly less per square foot to install – the main reason why four out of five homeowners choose them.

Are stone-coated steel roofs noisy?

Although metal has a reputation for increased rain noise, most stone-coated metal roofing applications will not sound noticeably loud.

Many rightfully assume metal roofing resonates loudly in the rain based on their experiences in barns and sheds with no barriers to deaden sound.

Unlike these typically open-framed structures, residential buildings have drywall, insulation, underlayments, and solid decking to absorb sound before it penetrates the living space.

The Acoustic Group at the University of Luleå in Sweden found that rain on a metal roof produces only 52 decibels – quieter than a normal conversation.

Stone-coated steel further reduces unwanted noise with its thick and irregular granular surface, which dampens and disrupts sound waves.

All things considered, you need not worry about deafening raindrops when you install a stone-coated steel roof.

Is stone-coated steel roofing worth it?

Yes, if you can afford it.

A significant drawback of regular metal roofing back is debatably its cold, industrial appearance. Stone-coated roofing solves this issue by offering traditional shingle, shake, and tile profiles to harmonize with just about any home, all while requiring little maintenance and possibly lowering energy bills throughout its 50-year lifespan.

However, we can easily see why you wouldn’t choose stone-coated steel roofing – it costs substantially more than asphalt shingles.

Although relatively high costs are the only substantive downside we found among the impressive array of benefits, pricing is often the most critical factor for homeowners narrowing down their options.

We’d be happy to sit down with you to show you a sample of a beautiful, durable stone-coated roofing panel, and to discuss installing one of these remarkable roofs on your home.