Roof Dramas: Shingles vs. Metal After Heavy Rain

- Totally agree on the maintenance—my old shingles needed constant patching after every windstorm. Metal’s been way less hassle.

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“Upfront cost was a shock, but factoring in all the repairs and time saved, it’s starting to feel worth it.”

Same here. The sticker price stung, but I’m not buying bundles of shingles every year anymore.

- One thing I noticed: my cooling bill dropped a bit after switching to metal (light color, Midwest). Not huge, but every bit helps.

- Only downside for me is snow sliding off in big sheets. Had to add snow guards over the entryway. Worth considering if you get heavy winters.

I get the appeal of metal—especially with all the patching and blown-off shingles after storms. But honestly, I’ve seen a few metal roofs turn into headaches of their own. The upfront cost is one thing, but repairs can get pricey if something goes wrong. Had a tenant call me last spring because a branch dented a panel and suddenly there was a leak right at the seam. Not exactly a cheap fix.

Also, about the cooling bills—yeah, lighter metal reflects some heat, but in my experience, attic insulation and ventilation make a bigger difference. I’ve got two buildings side by side, one metal, one shingle, both with upgraded insulation, and the bills are pretty much neck and neck.

Snow guards are a must for metal around here, and even then, you’re still dealing with ice dams sometimes. Shingles aren’t perfect, but at least they don’t send a mini-avalanche onto your porch every February. Just my two cents after juggling both types on different properties... neither is totally hassle-free.

I hear you on the metal roof costs. When we first looked at switching from shingles, the price tag was a real gut-check. I actually sat down and did a side-by-side spreadsheet for our place—metal was almost double up front, and while everyone says “it lasts forever,” I kept thinking about what happens if a tree branch decides to drop in. Seems like with metal, you’re often stuck replacing a whole panel, not just patching a shingle.

Here’s what I ended up doing, step by step, after a few storms trashed our old shingle roof:

1. I called around for quotes on both metal and architectural shingles. The metal was about $14k, shingles were $8k (midwest, 1800 sq ft house).
2. I asked about repair costs. Metal folks warned me that dents and seam leaks aren’t always DIY-friendly. Shingles, I could at least patch myself if it came to that.
3. Insulation was my next focus. Like you said, the bills didn’t change much between my neighbor’s new metal roof and our fresh shingles—turns out, blowing in extra cellulose made the biggest difference.
4. For snow/ice, I looked at those snow guards, but honestly, I was nervous about the “roof avalanche” thing too. My porch is right under the eaves and I’ve seen some gnarly ice slides on other houses.
5. Ended up picking upgraded shingles, then spent a little extra on attic vents and insulation instead of fancy roofing. So far, that’s worked out for us—no leaks, and the bills are steady.

If I had a super low-pitch roof or lived somewhere with more hail, maybe I’d reconsider. But for now, patching the occasional shingle feels less risky than worrying about a dented metal panel. Not saying one’s better than the other, just that for my budget and nerves, shingles + good insulation seemed like the safer play.

Curious if anyone’s found a way to make metal repairs less of a wallet-buster? That’s the one thing that keeps me second-guessing my choice every spring when the storms roll in...

I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve had a different experience with metal. Here’s my take:

- Upfront cost is rough, no doubt. But after replacing shingles twice in 15 years (hail, wind, you name it), I bit the bullet on standing seam metal. Haven’t touched it in 8 years—no leaks, no missing pieces.
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“Seems like with metal, you’re often stuck replacing a whole panel, not just patching a shingle.”

True for big dents, but I’ve had luck with minor repairs—rubber mallet for small dings, and touch-up paint for scratches. Not always a full panel swap unless it’s really bad.
- Insurance actually dropped my premium a bit after the switch. They said metal holds up better in storms around here (central plains).
- Noise isn’t as bad as folks say if you’ve got decent attic insulation. Rain’s just background white noise now.
- Snow slides are a thing, but snow guards helped. I put them above the porch and haven’t had an avalanche since.

Not saying it’s perfect, but for me, the “set it and forget it” factor has been worth the pain up front. If you’re handy and don’t mind the occasional patch job, shingles make sense. But if you’re tired of climbing up there every couple years, metal might be less hassle long-term—even if repairs aren’t always cheap.

I hear you on the “set it and forget it” part—my neighbor did metal after a nasty hailstorm wiped out half the block’s shingles, and he hasn’t had to mess with it since. I’m still patching up asphalt tabs every spring. Only thing I’d add is, metal can be a pain if you’ve got a lot of weird roof angles or dormers. My place is all cut-up, so the install quote was wild. But for a simple roof? Hard to argue with the low maintenance.