Houses as homes and other musings

Hard to imagine anyone not taking notice of the turmoil in the stock market, but I wonder if the sudden focus on value of assets might prove to be a good thing for the construction materials business. The leveraged, short-term, disposable society we've developed may be forced to begin viewing things like houses as homes and not just inventory - much like the rest of the world already does.

I heard someone say recently, "We've decided to build homes intended for generation, instead of building for the next tenant." While this has been the mindset of other parts of the world for eons, it's only now coming back into vogue in North America. Metal roof materials fit this new paradigm wonderfully. Since metal roofs have life spans that can be measured in generations, it's fair to say that a properly specified and installed metal roof can last for the life of the building on which it's installed.

While it's true that a (very) few other materials can make the same claim, none of them have the properties of metal that make it so ideal for re-roofing existing buildings. The lightness and rigidity of metal allow its use to cover or replace all other roofs. Plus, metal gives the most options to owners when it comes to stye, color and texture. No other roofing material even comes close.

Finally, and unlike asphalt or wood roofing, metal isn't deteriorating rapidly from the day its exposed. The sun and wind that destroy these lesser roof options are easily handled by a metal roof. This means that owners with a notion that homes should house generations will find that metal roofs fit the bill. Measured against such long-term performance, it becomes quickly apparent to anyone with a long-term eye on value that metal roofs are the most valuable of all.

More questions? Download a free copy of my booklet, "What Every Homeowner Needs to Know about Roof Replacement," on our website.