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We truly love those words! They make our business grow the more we hear them. And there’s good advice out there regarding receiving multiple estimates when it comes to home improvement projects. But that advice applies more to commodity level items, such as asphalt roofs and siding. However, with regard to metal roofing, be sure to take into account much more than price. Not all metal roofing is created equally, and even when looking at the same exact roofing material, the majority of consideration should be given to the quality of the installation itself.

There are a lot of home improvement companies, many with great reputations, that are now attempting to install metal roofing as part of their portfolio of services and products offered. However, most of these folks haven’t installed many, if any, metal roofs in their day. While most metal roofers are expert asphalt roof installers, the reverse can usually not be said. Metal roofing installations require skill sets above and beyond that of asphalt roofing installation from the perspective of keeping everything water tight as well as aesthetically pleasing. Understanding how to work with sheet metal is crucial, and understanding how to work with it in tricky areas is even more important. Our teams have been manufacturer trained and certified on the installation of metal roofing. Only one other metal roofing company that we know of can say that. Nor can they say that residential metal roofing is their sole focus as it is ours. That makes us the experts and the ones to trust when it comes to your home’s metal roofing installation.

So when you meet with metal roofing installers, be sure to qualify them on more than product offered and price. See jobs they’ve done, visit job sites and meet the installation team. Watch them work, talk to the homeowner about their experience and get a good, well rounded feel for what the company is all about, from the owner to the crew. And keep in mind that Distinctive Metal Roofing is the “go to” for 3 manufacturers when problems arise from the installation of their product after it’s been installed by another company (that’s often out of business by the time we get the call). We’re here to stay, we’re here to help you make the right decision for your family and home, and we do it right the first time. We look forward to hearing from you!

We just installed a beautiful standing seam roof  in Ostrander, Ohio (near Columbus). Thanks Dee and Carol of Ostrander!

A beautiful KasselWood “New Cedar” roof was just installed in Vermilion, Ohio. Thanks Monica!

What should you look for in metal roofing? Here are a few of the keys to your search for quality, value, and integrity.

1. Integrity of the metal roofing company: What does Angie’s List and the Better Business Bureau have to say about them? Are they even listed on both? What kind of testimonials can you obtain from the company and how strong are they? Can you call the manufacturer of the metal roofing product to find out if the company is a quality installer?

2. Experience of the crews: How many roofs has the company installed? Can they provide you with a strong list of addresses that you can visit to see their work?

3. Quality materials: Look for Kynar 500^® PVDF resin-based finished, steel based materials, not stone coated (for many reasons we’ll be glad to discuss with you) or easily dented aluminum materials. If you’re considering standing seam, note the same things as above and look at the crispness of the formation of the ribs and gauge of the steel. Are the ends crimped in the sample to make it more rigid, or does it feel rock solid and strong without any crimped ends? There’s a HUGE variance of quality when it comes to standing seam panels. Compare ours to any others and you’ll see a major difference every time.

4. Does the company representative have a metal roof on their own home, or don’t they believe their own products enough to use it themselves?

5. Does the warranty cover fading and loss of surface coating or does it only cover the material if it’s penetrated? Please note, there’s not a stone coated material on the market that covers granule loss or color fading, nor is there one that provides a true”lifetime” period of coverage like other non-granular roofing materials often do.

6. Did the sales representative leave a material brochure and warranty with you, or are they ashamed of it? We believe in complete disclosure and full transparency. This is a MAJOR decision for most homeowners. Would you buy a car if you didn’t at least have a chance to see the warranty in print or have a brochure to take home/place to see it online?

7. Did the sales representative quote a price that seemed absurdly high and offer to discount if you “buy today”? We consider this an insult to your intelligence and know from experience that the discounted price is still higher than our regular price every time. This is old school, used car salesmanship that stopped being acceptable decades ago.

Distinctive Metal Roofing has won awards for installation expertise and overall integrity. Please talk to us before you make a move you’ll regret for as long as you own your home. Our honest, straight-forwaard, consultative approach will help you make a decision that’s right for you.

Kynar 500® is a registered trademark belonging to Arkema Inc.

We can tell you one thing without seeing your roof right out of the gate. It should NOT be 4 – 5 times the cost of asphalt, as we’ve seen quoted many times recently by a company that uses used car sales strategies to sell metal roofing and others that “pad” their quotes to cover unforeseen difficulties with your roofing installation. These companies that truly don’t know how to price residential metal roofing put a sour taste in many homeowners mouths which causes them to discontinue their pursuit of other quotes because they believe all companies will be as high priced. Conversely, residential metal roofing isn’t only 10 – 20% higher than asphalt roofing. If you receive a quote that’s radically lower than what you expected, you need to compare their metal roofing material and installation experience to that of companies like ours where crews are highly trained and experienced and the materials have been proven in the market for decades. Please watch for an upcoming post that addresses “WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN METAL ROOFING” for more information, and thank you for considering Distinctive Metal Roofing.

Adding Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and Columbus Ohio has been incredible for Distinctive Metal Roofing! We appreciate the huge amount of support from these two cities, and surrounding areas, since announcing our entry into these two markets in early Spring 2013. The people really “get” metal roofing (kind of a given, since Pittsburgh is, after all, Steel Town USA!) and we’ve found nothing but wonderful folks in both regions. We look forward to many more metal roofs in Pittsburgh and Columbus!

Lower Burrell, to be exact. Great working with you Russ and Michelle! (before/after)

Thanks Jim and Pati! Great working with you!! (KasselWood, Aged Cedar) – before/after photos. 

The top question on peoples minds who are considering metal roofing is, “Is a metal roof right for my home?” And the answer is…..”almost always, but it depends!” Here are a few key things to think about when considering this question:

1. Does your roof have a pitch to it, or is it relatively flat? A “3:12” pitch is usually the minimum recommended pitch (or slope) that a roof needs for a metal roof to be effective, and most homes fall into this category.

2. Do you like the look of a traditional standing seam metal roofing or would you like it to be less conspicuous because you, a) don’t like the look of standing seam, or b) you don’t think standing seam would fit into the look of your neighborhood well? We work with products that meet both needs. For example, most can’t tell that Kassel and Irons stamped steel roofing panels are metal, and their lasting beauty makes them the perfect choice for most homeowners.

3. Are you planning on living in your current home for at least another 12 – 15 years? If so, the one time investment in a metal roof will save you a significant amount of money during that period of time because you’ll never re-roof again, as you would at the 12 – 15 years mark with shingles. Even if you think you’ll sell your home within the next 10 – 15 years, many people won’t consider buying a home unless the roof and foundation are in great shape so you may have to re-roof just so you can sell your house. And many of our metal roofing warranties are transferable which contributes to resale value, as does the roof itself.

Send us some photos of your home in an email. We’ll help you decide what’s best for your particular home and help in any way we can.