The “best roof replacement materials” question depends on how long you'll stay, what the house looks like, and how you feel about the sound of rain. This is how the two compare on a Connecticut home.
Asphalt shingles: the pros
- Lowest upfront cost of any full roof system.
- Fast: a typical home is torn off and finished in one day.
- Easy to repair; any roofer can match a few shingles.
- Wide color range; architectural shingles look right on a colonial, cape, or ranch.
- We're a GAF Certified Contractor, so they come with a manufacturer-backed warranty.
Asphalt shingles: the cons
- Typical Connecticut lifespan is 20 to 30 years, less with poor attic ventilation.
- Granules wear off; moss grows on shaded north slopes.
- Wind lifts shingles that weren't nailed right.
- Vulnerable to ice dams if the eaves weren't protected. We run two rows of ice-and-water shield, double the code minimum.
Metal roofing: the pros
- A 40-to-70-year lifespan is realistic for standing-seam panels.
- Sheds snow instead of holding it; stands up to nor'easter wind.
- Lightweight, non-combustible, low maintenance.
- Looks right on barns, farmhouses, and modern homes, and we've installed standing-seam on both barns and houses.
Metal roofing: the cons
- Higher upfront cost, and it takes a crew that's done it before.
- Snow sliding off can land on a doorway or deck, so snow guards are often needed over entries.
- Louder in rain without good underlayment and attic insulation.
- Hail and dropped branches can dent some panels, and dents stay.
- Repairs and color matching are harder years later.
Which one handles Connecticut snow and ice better?
Metal sheds snow, but ice still dams at the eaves if the attic leaks heat. It just forms over the gutter instead. Either way the fix is the same: ice-and-water shield at the eaves and valleys, and ventilation that keeps the deck cold. We do both on every roof.
What we'd tell a friend
Staying 10 to 15 years in a colonial on a street of colonials: architectural asphalt, installed right. A barn, a farmhouse, a steep roof under trees, or a forever home: metal earns its price. We quote both without steering you. Apart from the material, nothing changes: same crew, same walk-through of the job, same schedule, same cleanup, same lifetime workmanship warranty.
Written by the crew at Pattison Construction, a family-owned general contractor in Wallingford, CT since 1991. GAF Certified Contractor, licensed Connecticut Home Improvement Contractor HIC.0672217. Free estimates, no pressure.