Metal Roofing FAQ for Dallas-Fort Worth Homeowners

For most inland DFW homes, steel is the better value. We form 24- and 26-gauge Galvalume steel, which carries an aluminum-zinc coating that resists rust and costs less than aluminum. Aluminum in .032″ and .040″ never rusts and weighs less, so it suits roofs exposed to constant moisture or chemicals. It is a softer metal, though, and can show hail dents sooner than steel. Our steel vs. aluminum guide compares the two side by side.

Copper and zinc suit owners who want a roof that ages naturally instead of holding one painted color. Copper weathers from bright penny to brown and, over many years, toward a green patina. Zinc develops a soft blue-gray surface. Neither has paint to fade. PMRS forms 16 and 20 oz copper and .7 and .8 mm Rheinzink zinc in mechanically seamed profiles, plus flat lock panels and diamond shingles for turrets and bays. Both metals cost well above steel, so most owners use them as accents.

Standing seam uses long panels that run from ridge to eave, joined by raised seams that hide the clips and fasteners. It gives a clean, modern line with no exposed screws. Metal shingles are smaller interlocking pieces shaped like slate, shake or tile, which helps on traditional homes and in strict HOAs. Both handle hail and wind well when installed correctly. Compare them on our standing seam and metal shingle pages, or read snap lock vs. mechanical lock to choose a seam.

Both are interlocking metal pieces, and the difference is mostly the look. A metal shingle has a flatter face that reads like slate or a dimensional asphalt shingle. A metal shake has a deeper, textured face shaped like split cedar, which adds shadow lines across the roof. Shakes such as EDCO ArrowLine Shake suit ranch and rustic homes, while the Oxford Shingle fits traditional brick houses. Unlike real cedar, neither one rots, splits or burns. See ArrowLine Shake for an example.

Slate, clay and concrete tile look handsome and last a long time, but they are heavy and can crack under large hail or foot traffic. A house framed for shingles often needs a structural review before it can carry tile. Metal weighs a fraction as much, does not crack, and can copy the look. Aluminum Slate Rock Oxford imitates slate, while Grandetile and DECRA Villa Tile give a Spanish-tile profile.

Choose stone-coated steel if your HOA or your taste calls for the look of shake, shingle or tile, with a textured granule surface that hides minor hail marks. Choose standing seam if you want clean lines, the fewest seams and the easiest base for solar. Both are steel, and both can carry UL 2218 Class 4 impact ratings when the specific product has been tested. Our stone-coated steel vs. standing seam guide compares cost, hail behavior and upkeep.

It can. Research by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Florida Solar Energy Center found that cool metal roofing can cut annual cooling energy by up to about 25 percent compared with dark asphalt shingles. Your result depends on color, insulation, attic ventilation and your air conditioner, so we never promise a number. Light colors and PVDF finishes with cool pigments reflect the most sun. See metal roof energy savings in Texas and our PVDF finishes.

In most homes, neither. A cool-pigment metal roof reflects more sunlight than dark shingles, so less heat soaks into the attic, and the thin panels cool quickly after sunset. For noise, residential standing seam normally goes over a solid deck with underlayment and attic insulation below it. Rain on that assembly sounds much like rain on shingles. The loud tin-roof drumming people remember comes from panels on open purlins over an uninsulated barn.

Standing seam is one of the easiest roofs for solar. Racking clamps grip the raised seams, so the installer does not need to drill through the panels, and the roof typically outlasts the solar array. Texas Property Code 202.010 also limits how far an HOA can restrict roof-mounted solar, with some exceptions. We can talk through seam height and panel layout with your solar installer before the array goes up. Learn more on our standing seam page.

Yes, and metal is a popular surface for rainwater collection. Its smooth face sheds dust and leaves, and it has no granules to wash into the tank. Pair it with gutters sized for heavy Texas downpours, leaf screens and a first-flush diverter. Water for gardens and landscaping is simple to use. Drinking water needs filtration, disinfection and testing, and you should confirm with the finish maker that the coating suits potable use. We fabricate matching gutters and box gutters.

All three protect the metal; they differ in how long the color lasts. SMP (silicone-modified polyester) is the budget paint and carries a 15-year coating warranty on our spec sheets. PVDF paints such as Kynar 500 resist fading and chalking far better, with 30-year warranties on solid colors. Tedlar is a PVF film bonded to the metal rather than a paint, with finish warranties of up to 50 years through Metal Alliance. For dark colors under Texas sun, we recommend PVDF or Tedlar. Compare our PVDF and Tedlar finishes.

Tedlar is a polyvinyl fluoride film that DuPont introduced in 1961, so it has more than 60 years of field history. Metal Alliance reports that roof and wall panels finished with it are UL listed, carry Florida Product Approval and are approved for High Velocity Hurricane Zones, including Miami-Dade County. The film is dense and chemically inert. It resists UV, pollutants and mold growth, and it has very low VOC emissions. Read more on our Tedlar finishes page.

Usually a little. Tedlar-finished coil is a premium product, and depending on the supplier it can cost somewhat more than PVDF-painted metal. On a full roof, the finish is only one part of the price, next to labor, trim, underlayment and tear-off. Owners who choose Tedlar usually want its longer finish warranty and color stability, especially on dark or matte colors that would show fading. Ask for both options on your free estimate.

Matching is one of Tedlar’s strengths. The film is made to a tight color standard from lot to lot and resists fading once installed. Panels ordered later for an addition or a repair should blend with the original roof. Stock colors ship fastest and keep schedules on track. On larger projects, Metal Alliance can review whether a film color outside the chart is available. Browse current options on our metal roof color chart.

Yes. We roll-form standing seam panels on our own equipment and cut each one to the length of its roof run. Trim, flashing, coping and custom parts are bent on computerized equipment, which keeps every piece consistent and helps prevent crazing, cracking and oil canning. Controlling the whole system keeps quality up and cost down. Builders and architects can request spec sheets, shop drawings and submittals. See our services and the downloads library.

No. Since September 1, 2019, Texas law has required the policyholder to pay the deductible on a property claim. A contractor who offers to waive, absorb or rebate it commits a Class B misdemeanor, and roofing contracts paid from insurance must carry a bold notice saying so. Any roofer who makes that offer is breaking the law and may cut corners elsewhere too. We give you an honest written estimate and leave claim decisions to you and your carrier.

We work across Dallas-Fort Worth from our Mesquite office, centered on east Dallas County. That includes Mesquite, Garland, Rowlett, Sunnyvale, Forney, Rockwall and Dallas, out to Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Arlington and Irving. Request a free estimate online or by phone. We inspect and measure the roof, talk through panels and colors, then send a written estimate with line items. See all service areas or our Mesquite location.