Advantages

Slate, clay, concrete, and composite shingles, and metal roofing, last longer and have mny advantages over common asphalt-based shingles. Correctly maintained, roofs made of slate, clay or composite shingles can last a century. Metal roofs in traditional standing seam applications are available in terne (a thin mixture of tin and lead coating a carbon steel core panel) and now in terne coated stainless. Stunning in cathedrals and institutional buildings, one manufacturer estimates a useful life of terne coated stainless roofing material to be about 500 years. Non-asphalt choices give a freedom from reliance upon imported petroleum products.

Savings

Costs are always greater than short-lifetime asphalt shingles. But, over the lifetime of the lasting roofing material, costs are usually lower than short-life alternatives. Over the span of a century, building owners may expect 4 to 5 roof replacements of asphalt shingles. The labor and landfill costs are often several times that of a long lasting roofing material. For the homeowner who typically moves every five years, the value is the actual increase in resale value.

More Information On This Topic

U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies Program - Concrete and Tile Roofing