Spring Cleaning: “I’m In New England, When Is The Best Time To Get Metal Roofing?”
March 21, 2014 | By Mike Gonet | Filed under: Articles, Education, General, Metal Roofing
Boston Public Garden, Boston, MA. Credit to: MOTT.
The Northern Hemisphere is beginning to tilt towards the sun as we are approaching warmer weather. The snow is melting, and homeowners all over New England are simultaneously beginning to do work on their homes. A common question among homeowners is when the best time is to replace their roof with metal roofing. Though it is much easier for most homeowners to do their home improvement when the weather is warmer, most experienced metal roofing companies will have the endurance and expertise to work in most cool or warm conditions. Believe it or not, residential metal roofing is actually a four-season industry. Most contractors in this industry will have their crews working all 12 months out of the year, installing aluminum, zinc, or copper roofs year-round.
The spring and summer seasons are when this industry is approaching it’s “busy season”. Because of this, the backlogs of projects under most metal roofing contractors are going to be much longer than they are during the cooler seasons. Homeowners will have to wait quite a bit longer to get their new roof put on than they generally would during the cooler, slower seasons.
“So, when is the best time to install metal roofing?”
A quick answer to that question is, truly, “Whenever you can.”
There are, however, positive and negative aspects for each season regarding when a metal roof should be typically installed on a home. Summer may seem to be an appropriate time to have a roof installed, but believe it or not, it can be considered among the worst. Why? The sun is out, it is warm, the conditions are fair – there is no better time to put a new roof on the house! This is absolutely wrong. Can you imagine being on a roof for 10 hours at a time in near 100 degree weather?
Just how it can be too cold for metal roofers to work in the winter, it can also be too hot. The relaxing summer days are when the family is leisurely lounging around their house and yard; especially when the children are playing in the yard with their beloved pets. Though most reliable contractors will have their crews do a simultaneous job clean-up while installing the roof, there is a much higher risk of landscaping around your home to potentially suffer minor damages. Before the warmer part of the spring season – before you begin doing your yearly yard clean up – is the ideal time frame for metal roofing to be put on the home. That way you will not be seeing any potential mess from the installation crew after you have cleaned up your yard. This reason is why later fall is an excellent time for installation as well.
The other side of the spectrum, the winter, is also not the best time for an installation. However, keep in mind that you will be beating the “spring and summer rush” that most New England metal roofing contractors face if you decide to get your new roof during this season. Installing a metal roof in the winter can be a struggle and usually takes a lot of patience. There are a lot of variables that can slow down an installation during the winter, such as conditions being too cold for the installation crew, heavy ice, wind, and snow. These variables can be restrictive to the installation process; so in some cases, homeowners may have to wait a bit longer than they initially expected. That being said, planning a new roof for a winter installation will put the homeowner before the warmer season rush, so your roof will be all set for the warmer season and will not prevent or restrict any other additional home improvement endeavors.
“When should I get metal roofing, then?”
As outlined earlier, as soon as you can. Because installing metal roofing is a long term investment for you and your home; the sooner, the better. You must also keep in mind that if additions are being planned for the home that will tie into the roof line, save yourself the trouble and get the addition at the same time as your new metal roof.
Keep in mind that winter is generally considered to have the harshest weather conditions out of all of the seasons in New England, and one of the primary reasons to get a metal roof is to protect your home. Throughout the New England winters, ice damming can be a problem on most homes with conventional asphalt roofs. Homeowners say to themselves that they can wait because they are going to replace their roof anyway. This is a common fallacy. Ice damming not only does damage to the roof, it can actually do damage to the home as well. The reason is that when there is poor ventilation in the attic, the warm air will melt the snow on the roof; that in which can leak under the shingles and into the house. This can cause internal damage, mold growth, rotting, and unhealthy air that you are potentially inhaling every day and night. Read more on how dangerous ice dams can potentially be…
In conclusion, there is no better time to get a metal roof than now. Regardless of when this is being read, the answer is still now. There are advantages and disadvantages to doing an installation during each season, and these factors are always going to be subjective to each homeowner. Do what applies best to you and your home. Initiate the process and speak with a metal roofing contractor today to get your free estimate and ventilation analysis.
