5 Reasons To Choose Insulated Metal Panels For Your New Commercial Roof On An Older Building
Buying an older building or retail store can save you thousands of dollars over building a new structure from scratch, but you may need to invest in a brand new roof pretty quickly. Replace missing asphalt shingles or leaky flat roof coatings with lightweight and tough insulated metal panels. This type of commercial roofing offers a wide range of benefits to the owner of a building already a few decades old.
Easier Indoor Climate Control
For most business owners, a chance to save money every month on heating and cooling costs is worth investing in insulated metal roofing alone. Each panel is constructed from two thin layers of steel or aluminum, sandwiching a thick layer of expanded foam that serves as insulation while making the panel even stronger against winds. With some panels offering extremely high R-vales, which is how insulation is rated, you may find that the new roof pays for itself in less than a decade in the amount of money you save on climate control. Aside from insulating the roof, these tight fitting panels also help maintain an air-tight building envelope to prevent losses of heated and chilled air.
Fewer Re-roofing Visits
Most metal insulated panel roofing products come with warranties covering at least 30 years after professional installation. With regular maintenance and inspections, you can expect the roof to last the rest of the building's lifespan. Why spend more money for complete re-roofing jobs every decade or so when you can get a roof that lasts longer?
Features that contribute to the longer lifespan of an insulated roof panel include
- The laminated construction method, since the multiple layers resist cracking better
- UV ray coatings, preventing sunlight from wearing down the metal layers and causing the finish to peel
- The light weight, which puts less stress on the roof structure and supports.
Better Green Rating
Want to get an edge over the competition by making your building as eco-friendly as possible? Installing insulated roofing panels provides you with the perfect green bullet point to add to your advertisements or brochures. You can describe how the insulation reduces your company's reliance on electricity and explain how the panels you've chosen are recycled or recyclable.
Faster Installation
Most of the usual materials used on commercial roofs require a lot of experience and training for correct installation. However, insulated metal panels are so lightweight and easily mounted on the roof that practically any roofing crew can install them with minimal special equipment. This speeds up the installation process and helps you save money on labor costs for the roofing project.
This benefit is essential when you discover your building has leaks or a sagging roof only a few weeks before your planned opening day. It's equally helpful when your business is already operating and long downtime could threaten your cash flow. Getting the roof covered with a reliable new layer of material as quickly as possible gets you back on track faster.
Reduced Need for Reinforcement
Finally, consider how the light weight of an insulated metal roofing panel saves you money and time in structural reinforcement. Many roofs originally covered in asphalt or another very light material can't hold up solar panels, solid metal roofing material, or heavy concrete tiles without major changes to the rafters or trusses. The foam core of an insulated panel reduces the weight of the entire roof, which also causes less damage if a tornado or earthquake knocks the top of your building off.
Consider the cost of replacement when comparing insulated metal roofing to other options like asphalt and built-up flat materials. You'll save a lot more money in the long run by sticking with durable panels that cut your heating and cooling costs too.