Metal is one of the most durable roofing materials – and it’s growing in popularity, especially among homeowners. A recently completed project in Lake Worth, Florida, demonstrated how the material is increasingly a go-to choice for both aesthetics and performance.
Replacing a Leaky Clay Roof
When the Moss family bought their South Florida Mediterranean-style home, they had a few concerns about its existing roof after noticing some leaks. Working with the team at Designing Spaces, an award-winning home design show that travels throughout the country to remodel and revamp homes, Jonelle Moss began to learn about metal roofing and why it might be the ideal replacement.
“I wasn’t really too familiar with metal roofing,” she recalled. “Being an older neighborhood, a ton of roofs were going on, and some of them were metal and some of them were tile, but I wanted to know more—I wanted to know about the pros and the cons of metal roofing.”
Designing Spaces’ Executive Vice President of Programming, connected with Fabral Metal Wall and Roof Systems, to help educate the Moss family, as well as the greater Designing Spaces audience, about whether metal was the right fit for the house.
Metal Roofing for Residential Areas
Though clay tile is often a go-to material for Florida homes, metal roofing’s performance properties are an ideal fit for the area. First and foremost, metal is a highly durable and long-lasting material; the life span for a metal roof is up to 40 years or more. This is a crucial benefit to consider for homes in areas like Florida where there is a higher potential for extreme weather and wind. The material is also very low maintenance. Secondly, metal roofing can reflect heat, thereby reducing the amount of heat absorbed by the building, which can lead to lower cooling costs and a less energy use environmental impact.
The want for a modern, aesthetically pleasing design has increased tenfold over the past decade – and it’s showing no signs of stopping. One crucial aspect needed to achieve a more contemporary look is to include clean, sleek lines in the design, a characteristic of metal roofing. We’re also seeing a trend of contrasting looks, in which darker colors are used on the roof alongside white or other lighter colors for the siding.
One advantage of metal roofing is that the material offers design flexibility, allowing for many desired looks to be accomplished. Not only can homeowners choose between various styles and colors, but they can also pre-fabricate panels to add visual elements and ease installation.
Reroofing the Moss Home in Metal
For any project, it’s essential to Fabral that our people are out in the field and working on-site with the rest of the team – and that was no different for the Moss home. Installation is always a crucial aspect of the building process, which means we must find the right people for the job. For this project, we worked alongside the Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association to connect with Tim Graboski, a roofing veteran in the coastal-Florida area.
Moss was able to use Fabral’s online visualizer to help with product selection. She uploaded an image of her home and experimented with different colors and patterns to see how they would look in real time.
Moss and the team eventually selected Fabral’s classic 1 1/2 inch SSR roof. Chosen in a stunning charcoal grey, this panel offers a high-end luxurious profile. It boasts a sleek aesthetic with shadow lines fabricated in the metal to give the illusion of depth.
Beauty isn’t the only thing SSR has going for it. Constructed of 24-gauge high-strength galvalume steel, this panel will perform at optimum levels for many years to come. It also features a concealed clip fastening system that ensures a smooth look while allowing thermal movement on the roof deck, meaning the roof will have the flexibility to expand and contract with the outside temperatures. Fabral offers a 40-year metal roofing warranty and a 30-year paint warranty.
“We love the way our metal roof turned out,” Moss said. “It really adds a modern, sleek look to our home.”
Fabral was equally pleased with the end result. “Being involved in this project was a unique and exciting opportunity for Fabral, and we got to be part of it every step of the way,” said Michael Vaughn, National Marketing Manager for Fabral. “To see the total transformation from the tear-down of the previous roof to working with the contractors on site, and finally to see the joy on the homeowners’ face when it was all said and done was an amazing experience.”
Click here to check out the Designing Spaces segment, see the Moss’ home before and after, and learn more about the benefits of metal roofing.
How Fabral Supports Homeowners
At the end of the day, the homeowner is the person who will be living under their new roof – so how they feel about it is essential. At Fabral, we work closely with homeowners to arm them with all the information they need to make the right purchase decision. Whether they’re looking for aesthetic guidance, technical details, installation assistance, or help to connect with a builder or dealer in their area – we’re more than happy to help. tool is also an excellent way to see how a Fabral roof would look on their home or similar homes.
“At Fabral, we don’t simply send the product and walk away. We’re invested too. It’s gratifying when we can help a homeowner transform how they view their home, all while providing them peace of mind with our premium product and warranties,” said Vaughn.