Metal roofing for homes has been getting a lot of press lately, partly due to the massive fires in California. Because of the threat of fire, more and more homeowners in that area are making the move to metal roofing. And while we don't deal with wildfire situations here in Minnesota like they do in other places, it's still a very valid reason to consider switching to metal roofing when it's time to replace yours. That's especially true if you live in an area where there are lots of trees, if your neighborhood has homes close together, or if you've got concerns about lightning strikes from our frequent thunderstorms. Any one of those things could make a home fire a possibility. 
But once you've made the decision to replace your existing roof with a metal roof, you should be aware that not every roofing contractor here in the Twin Cities (or other parts of the country, for that matter) would encourage you to go that route, and in fact there are those who would try to persuade you to choose another roofing option such as the traditional asphalt shingles. So why are some roofers less than enthusiastic about metal roofing? As a Minnesota roofing company that specializes in the installation of metal roofs, that's a hard one for us to figure out. After all, metal roofing is quickly becoming the #1 choice of architects and home builders. So you'd think roofing companies would be in line with that trend. There are several reasons why they might not be, however. Lack of skilled installers: The construction trades in general are suffering from a lack of skilled workers or even those who have a desire to learn. While that includes roofers, there are far more individuals who have the skills to install asphalt roofing than there are metal roofing installers. It's a very specialized process that not every roofer possesses, even those who have been in the trade for a long time. We saw this coming decades ago, and we opted to invest in setups in our own shop to train our crews in metal roofing installation based on manufacturer specs and recommended methods. And we sponsor attendance at supplier-sponsored training events held out of state. Not every roofing contractor is willing to do that, but for us we believe it's paid off. Special equipment is required: While there are some basics to roofing installation that remain the same regardless of the roofing material, the tools used to install asphalt shingle roofing don't all work for metal roof installation. Again, this is an area where we've been willing to invest in tools and other equipment to facilitate metal roofing installation. Installation time is often longer: Yes, we will tell you up front that it will take longer to install a metal roof than a comparable asphalt roof. And roofing contractors who rely on volume find that a drawback. But for us there are trade-offs. For example, we can sometimes avoid tear-off of an existing roof because metal roofing is so much lighter than asphalt roofing. That in and of itself cuts the project time substantially. And it reduces labor costs for that portion. And then there's the issue of turnaround on materials. Unless a roofing company (like Quarve) installs metal roofing on a regular basis, there may be a lack of an efficient supply chain to get the roofing materials. We're proud of the working relationship we've established with our metal roofing manufacturers, and we are able to get the roofing a customer needs quickly.
But once you've made the decision to replace your existing roof with a metal roof, you should be aware that not every roofing contractor here in the Twin Cities (or other parts of the country, for that matter) would encourage you to go that route, and in fact there are those who would try to persuade you to choose another roofing option such as the traditional asphalt shingles. So why are some roofers less than enthusiastic about metal roofing? As a Minnesota roofing company that specializes in the installation of metal roofs, that's a hard one for us to figure out. After all, metal roofing is quickly becoming the #1 choice of architects and home builders. So you'd think roofing companies would be in line with that trend. There are several reasons why they might not be, however. Lack of skilled installers: The construction trades in general are suffering from a lack of skilled workers or even those who have a desire to learn. While that includes roofers, there are far more individuals who have the skills to install asphalt roofing than there are metal roofing installers. It's a very specialized process that not every roofer possesses, even those who have been in the trade for a long time. We saw this coming decades ago, and we opted to invest in setups in our own shop to train our crews in metal roofing installation based on manufacturer specs and recommended methods. And we sponsor attendance at supplier-sponsored training events held out of state. Not every roofing contractor is willing to do that, but for us we believe it's paid off. Special equipment is required: While there are some basics to roofing installation that remain the same regardless of the roofing material, the tools used to install asphalt shingle roofing don't all work for metal roof installation. Again, this is an area where we've been willing to invest in tools and other equipment to facilitate metal roofing installation. Installation time is often longer: Yes, we will tell you up front that it will take longer to install a metal roof than a comparable asphalt roof. And roofing contractors who rely on volume find that a drawback. But for us there are trade-offs. For example, we can sometimes avoid tear-off of an existing roof because metal roofing is so much lighter than asphalt roofing. That in and of itself cuts the project time substantially. And it reduces labor costs for that portion. And then there's the issue of turnaround on materials. Unless a roofing company (like Quarve) installs metal roofing on a regular basis, there may be a lack of an efficient supply chain to get the roofing materials. We're proud of the working relationship we've established with our metal roofing manufacturers, and we are able to get the roofing a customer needs quickly. So maybe some roofing contractors you might talk to aren't big on metal roofing. Fortunately there are other companies who are, like Quarve. It's our specialty, and it's our number one recommendation for tgwin Cities homes. We'd love to tell you more. So why not contact us for a free in-home consultation and find out how you can become a new member of the metal roofing fan club
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