Personally I would never put a roof on any building I own other than steel. Here is my take: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/2012/01/steel-roofing-2/

Some folks have the mistaken idea shingled roofs are a better solution in the event of extreme hail events. Here is the truth: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/2013/04/metal-roofing/

For those who are still not convinced and seriously still think shingles are the answer, here are the roof shingle warranties facts:

Twenty some years ago asphalt roofing manufacturers typically offered 15 or 20 years limited warranties. These same products are now available in 25, 30, 35 and 40 years and even limited lifetime!

Few shingle vendors, roofers or consumers read the fine print and even fewer of them understand the fine print. A limited warranty: does not meet federal minimums! Some manufacturers’ warranties are voided by the application of coatings, sealants, moss or stain removers and similar products which are designed to help extend shingle life. In most cases, the roofing does not qualify for coverage under the warranties!

Full Warranty against Limited Warranty

Full shingle warranties provide coverage to anyone who owns the structure during the warranty period, it is free of any charge, and gives a replacement of full refund if the product cannot be repaired. A registration card is not required to have been mailed in and it does not limit the duration of any implied warranties.

In a limited warranty, the duration of implied warranties is limited. Coverage is often limited only to original purchasers. Service comes with charges and costs which may include return of the product or removing and reinstalling. The consumer does not have the choice between replacement or full refund if unable to be repaired. Building owners may be required to perform duties as a prerequisite for receiving service.

Asphalt shingle warranties are conditional, limited and pre-rated. In layperson’s terms, the replacement value of the shingles, in the event of a successful claim, is usually based upon replacement cost without labor. And, the replacement value is pro-rated so it decreases over the warranted shingle life!

Pro-Rated Warranties

Most shingles come with pro-rated warranty coverage. As mentioned above – this coverage decreases in value over time. When the shingles fail, the building owner sees only a small fraction of the cost of replacement.

The reality is – pro-rated shingle warranties give a false hope as to how long the roofing will actually perform as imagined!

Who’s Lifetime?

Lifetime shingle warranties often refer to the lifetime of the product’s availability in the market, not the lifetime of the building or the building’s owner! If a shingle is discontinued, the warranty may become totally void within just a few years after the product is offered to the public.

When it comes to shingles a “lifetime warranty” sounds great as a marketing tool, but may have little or no value!

Still not convinced? This lady does a pretty thorough explanation of warranties from several popular manufacturers’ products: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mkBAnmwWPU

And one person in my life whose opinion I value greatly…is my wife’s. Here is where I will let her tell her own story:

From my lovely bride – Judy:

After I’d had a double wide mobile home for about twenty years, several shingles had blown off over the course of time, had been replaced, only to have more blow off. It was time to replace the roof shingles, or so I thought. Mike kept talking to me about “steeling it”… putting down 2×4’s and with steel roofing on the top of them.

Quite frankly if you want to know the truth – the biggest thing holding me back was my mind-set! I had lived in a rural area of the country where shingle roofs were the standard. In fact, I’m not sure other than for commercial buildings, I had ever seen anything other than cedar shakes or asphalt shingles on a residential building.

But here we were, selling pole buildings with the majority of them roofed with steel. I had become a true believer in steel being the “best” roofing choice – for any building. I finally gave in about 5 years ago as my roof started to leak from missing shingles, and my son who then lived in the home, started to complain loudly! I hesitantly agreed to steel roofing over the shingles, and I was amazed at how beautiful it looked! Not only that, there is now a maintenance free roof on my son’s home. Ok, my husband was right – just don’t ever tell him that! Judy