Types of Aluminum Roofing: Matching the Style to a New England Home

What are the main types of aluminum roofing?

The main types of aluminum roofing are shingle-style panels, standing seam panels and corrugated or ribbed sheet. Shingle-style panels are stamped to look like traditional materials and installed in overlapping courses. Standing seam panels run vertically from eave to ridge with raised seams. Corrugated and ribbed sheets are long lengths screwed through the face. The first two are designed as complete residential roof systems with matching trim, flashing and accessories, and they typically hide their fasteners. Corrugated sheet is a simpler, lower-cost product used mostly on agricultural and storage buildings. Within the shingle-style family there are several looks. The Interlock® system offers Slate, Cedar Shingle, Shake and Mediterranean Tile, plus a Standing Seam profile, all in heavy-gauge aluminum with a factory Alunar® finish. A separate solid copper option is also available for owners who want real copper.

Which aluminum roof looks like slate?

Slate-profile aluminum panels look like natural slate, and they are the most popular Interlock profile. The panels are stamped with the texture and edge lines of individual slates, and colors such as Black, Deep Charcoal and Hunter Green read as traditional slate tones from the street. In New England, slate has a long history on Victorians, churches, town halls and older Colonials, and Vermont's Slate Valley along the New York border has been quarried for roofing slate since the 1800s. Natural slate is beautiful but heavy, and tear-off is required when it is replaced. Aluminum slate panels weigh roughly 0.4 to 0.7 lb per square foot, a small fraction of natural slate, which can matter on older framing. If your house is in a local historic district, check with your local historic district commission before switching from natural slate to any other material.

Which aluminum roof looks like cedar shingles or shakes?

Cedar Shingle and Shake profiles reproduce the look of wood roofing in aluminum. Cedar Shingle has the tighter, more uniform lines of sawn cedar, while Shake has a heavier, more rustic texture like split wood. Cedar has deep roots in New England building, from Cape Cod houses and shingle-style coastal homes to farmhouses and camps. Real cedar weathers, grows moss in shaded spots and can rot or split over time, especially in damp coastal air and long snowy winters. Aluminum versions keep the look without absorbing water. They do not rot, and aluminum does not rust, which suits homes on the Cape, the Islands and the Maine coast. Colors such as Colonial Brown and Tudor Brown give a natural wood tone. Tear-off is required over existing cedar shingles or shakes before a new roof goes on.

When is standing seam aluminum the right choice?

Standing seam aluminum is the right choice when a house calls for clean vertical lines, such as a modern farmhouse, a contemporary build, a barn conversion or a ski-country home in Vermont or the White Mountains. The long panels and raised seams give a simple, crisp look. Standing seam is less common on traditional Colonials and Victorians, where a shingle or slate look usually fits the architecture better. It also has wide flat areas, so some visible waviness, called oil canning, can appear in low sunlight. That is cosmetic, but owners should know about it in advance. Interlock's Standing Seam profile is part of the same system as the shingle-style panels, with a factory Alunar® finish and a 30 Year coating warranty. In our New England installations it has been chosen far less often than Slate or the original Interlock Shingle.

Is corrugated aluminum a good choice for a house?

Corrugated aluminum is usually not the best choice for a house, though it works well on outbuildings. Its wavy profile is economical and light, and it does not rust, which is why it is common on barns, sheds and boat storage across rural New England. For a home, the drawbacks show. Corrugated sheet is fastened with exposed screws and rubber washers, which age with sun and freeze–thaw and can become leak points. Its agricultural look rarely suits a Colonial, Cape or Victorian, and historic district commissions may not accept it on a house in a regulated area. If you want a metal roof on a house, a concealed-fastener shingle-style or standing seam system generally performs and looks better. Corrugated sheet remains a sensible, low-cost answer for detached outbuildings where small leaks are easy to live with.

How do I choose the right type for my house?

Choose the type that suits your house's architecture, your roof's pitch and any rules your town or association applies. Start with the style of the house: slate or cedar looks for most traditional New England homes, standing seam for modern or barn-style buildings. Then check the slope. Interlock systems need at least a 3/12 pitch, so nearly flat porch or addition roofs need another material. Next, check approvals. Homes in local historic districts should check with the historic district commission, and Massachusetts condominium owners should talk to their trustees under Chapter 183A. Finally, look at real roofs. We have installed 5,036 Interlock roofs across New England since 1999, so there are probably examples near you. An in-home roof consultation lets you see the profiles and colors against your own siding and trim.

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