Metal Roofing Eliminates Need for Roof Shoveling
September 1, 2001
Due to its capacity to reflect solar radiation, metal roofing will prevent Michigan homeowners the chore of shoveling snow from their roofs.
On a non-shoveled, non-metal roof, problems occur when heat from the home is vented through the roof, melting accumulated snow over these heated living areas. Snow over unheated areas, such as overhangs and porches, does not melt and prevents the melted snow from running off the roof. Instead, the melted snow from the rest of the roof re-freezes and backs-up against the still-existing snow, and thus can back-up underneath the roofing shingles in a process known as "ice-damming." Ice-damming can cause substantial damage to homes and their contents.
Metal roofing helps eliminate the threat of ice-damming because it does not depend on heat from within the home to melt the snow. Solar radiation will travel through accumulated roof snow, striking the metal and reflecting back. This will, in turn, warm the bottom layer of snow over the entire roof. The snow will then slide off of the roof on its own. In order to protect shrubberies, decorations, and walkways from this falling snow, snow guards can be installed to manufacturer's specifications that will break up the sliding snow into smaller chunks.
Flushing-based American Roofs Inc. is one of the region's leading installers of metal roofing. Frank Farmer, majority owner of the metal roofing company, states that Classic Products' Rustic Shingle aluminum roofing system is probably the best way he has found to eliminate the need for roof shoveling in order to prevent ice-damming. "When we install Rustic Shingle, I feel confident that we are installing a top-of-the-line roofing product that makes it unnecessary to haul yourself up to the roof and shovel off those porches and overhangs," said Farmer. "This capacity to eliminate shoveling is only one of the many reasons the popularity of metal roofing has risen dramatically over the past couple years."
For more information on Rustic Shingle aluminum roofing, please contact American Roofs, Inc. at 1-800-287-0677 or visit them on the web at www.americanmetalroofs.com.
