When you begin to notice that your roof might need replacing, you might first want to ask if you can you paint a metal roof. Learn about the benefits to painting your roof below.
If you have a metal roof that’s starting to show its age, what you can do about it? Many homeowners think that they’ll need to start thinking about replacement, but that isn’t always the case.
You may be able to breathe new life into that roof, and increase it’s longevity just by painting it. Here’s everything you need to know about painting your metal roof.
Can You Paint a Metal Roof Rather Than Replace It?
There’s no denying that replacing your roof is an expensive job. In fact, it’s one of the most expensive jobs you’ll do on your home while you live there. As this is the case, its no wonder that you want to avoid doing that for as long as possible.
When you paint your metal roof, you’re doing a lot more than simply improving the look of it. The best paint will actually protect your roof by making it stronger and ready for anything the weather can throw at it. If you repaint your roof on a regular schedule, you’ll be able to prolong its lifespan and avoid having to replace it before its time.
Below are some of the benefits of painting a metal roof rather than replacing it.
Benefit #1: Makes Your Roof More Resilient
So what about roof paint makes it stronger?
Regular metal roof paint isn’t just a coat that makes your roof look better. It actually creates a solid barrier against anything that could damage your roof.
In most cases, this is water.
- When water gets into your roof, it causes all manner of problems.
- There’s the issue with your metal roof rusting and becoming damaged overtime, allowing more water in and causing more problems.
You’ll also see water get into your attic, where it causes mold and even wood rot. Left long enough, this will result in you needing a new roof. You’ll also see leaks starting to appear, causing damage to your ceilings, walls and more.
Painting your roof with the right paint will stop all of this from happening. All good metal roof paints are waterproof, so when you paint a roof fully with it, it creates an unbroken barrier against water. Doing this regularly will help you keep that roof in better condition longer.
Benefit #2: Improves The Look Of Your Home
While painting your roof makes it stronger, there’s no denying that it will also improve the look of your home tremendously. It’s only natural that you want your home to look good, so painting it regularly is the best way to go about it.
This is especially true if you’re thinking about selling your home in the future. Curb appeal is so much more important than you’d think.
- If a potential buyer sees the outside of your home and sees that it looks run down, they’re not likely to come see inside.
- You’ve got to make a good impression, and that means taking care of every aspect of the outside of your home.
Even if you’re not thinking of selling your home, you still want to take care of it. There’s a lot to be said of being house proud, and you may also have HOA rules that require you to take good care of the outside of your home. Whatever the reason, you can paint your metal roof and keep it looking good.
Benefit #3: The Cost Of Painting vs. Replacement
When looking into taking care of your roof, an important factor to think about is cost. Replacing a roof, as mentioned earlier, is one of the most expensive renovation jobs you can do to your home.
- To replace a metal roof, you’re looking at paying around $17,000, depending on the metal sheets you use and the size of your roof.
- If you paint a metal roof, it will cost around $6,250, again depending on the size of your roof.
That’s a lot cheaper than replacing it, so painting your roof is a good investment to make. Eventually you will need to replace that roof, but painting it helps you put that cost off by taking care of the roof you have.
How to Choose Roof Colors
So you know that you can paint a metal roof, and doing so will prolong the life of it, and that it’ll make your roof look better in the process. To get the best look possible, you’ll need to pick the right color.
The color you choose will very much be dependent on the style of your home. You’ll want to pick a color that matches the style and design of your exterior. If you don’t, the color will stick out, and not in a good way.
A good way to pick a color is to drive around your neighborhood and see what colors are used on homes similar to yours. You can get a good idea of what will work with your home this way.
If you want to go the traditional route, a black or gray paint will work well. If you want the roof to contrast with your home, choose a reddish orange or a lighter tan color.
When Does The Roof Need To Be Painted?
How do you know that you need to paint a metal roof? There will be signs, so make sure you’re looking out for them. They include:
- The roof color is fading
- The paint is bubbling or peeling
- You can see rust on the roof
- Paint is cracking or flaking off
- There’s stubborn staining on the roof
- Your roof has a chalky appearance
If you see any of these issues, you’ll need to take care of the repainting as soon as possible. As there’s cracks in the paint, that means there’s chinks in your roof’s armor. If you leave it for long enough, more serious issues will start to form in the roof, which you want to avoid.
Conclusion
When you paint a metal roof, it is essential to prolonging its life, keeping it in good condition, and making it look good.
It’s also much more cost effective than replacing your roof. Call in an expert today to see how much you will save by having your roof repainted.
