Toronto roofing trends have shifted hard toward metal. But aluminum roofing Toronto gets overlooked for steel options. Folks don’t know the perks. Seven surprising facts about aluminum roofs shock homeowners.
Perk One: Lasts Forty to Sixty Years
Asphalt shingles die after fifteen to twenty years. Wood shakes rot in twelve to twenty. Aluminum roofs laugh at that. Forty years is common. Sixty years is realistic with care.
Toronto’s brutal freeze-thaw cycles kill most roofs. Water seeps in. Freezes. Expands. Cracks form. Aluminum doesn’t rot. It doesn’t absorb moisture.
Over fifty years, you’d replace asphalt three times. Aluminum goes once. Do the math—aluminum saves money long-term.
Perk Two: Reflects Heat Like Nobody’s Business
Aluminum reflects up to ninety-five percent of solar heat. This cuts cooling costs in summer by thirty percent. Toronto’s heat waves hit hard. That reflection matters.
Dark asphalt shingles absorb heat. Your attic turns into an oven. Air conditioners work overtime. Electric bills spike.
Light-colored aluminum sheds heat back to the sky. Attics stay cooler. AC systems don’t strain. Homeowners save fifty to eighty dollars monthly in summer.
Perk Three: Snow Slides Right Off
Toronto gets one hundred twenty-two cm of snow yearly. That weight stresses roofs. Aluminum’s smooth surface sheds snow naturally. No ice dam buildup.
Traditional shingles are rough. Snow sticks. Dams form. Leaks follow. Repairs cost five hundred to two thousand.
Aluminum with proper pitch handles heavy loads. Snow slides off before it can compress. Less stress on framing. No emergency calls mid-blizzard.
Perk Four: Weighs Nothing Compared to Others
Aluminum is forty percent lighter than steel. This matters for older homes. Wood trusses can handle the weight. Foundations don’t need reinforcing.
Asphalt shingles weigh more per square foot than aluminum. Some reroofs need structural upgrades. Aluminum? Drop it right on. No costly bracing.
Installation gets faster too. Less weight means easier handling. Crews finish sooner. Labor costs drop.
Perk Five: Corrosion Resistance Beats Steel
Aluminum forms a protective oxide layer naturally. Salt can’t touch it. Moisture can’t rust it.
Steel needs coatings to resist rust. If the coating cracks, rust spreads. Aluminum’s protection is built-in.
Toronto winters bring salt spray from roads. This corrodes steel and copper. Aluminum handles it like nothing.
Coastal homes in salt zones pick aluminum. Toronto’s road salt environment benefits from aluminum’s corrosion resistance too.
Perk Six: Fire Resistance Protects Your Family
Aluminum is non-combustible. It won’t catch fire. It won’t spread flames.
Wood shakes catch embers and burn. Asphalt shingles soften and ignite. Aluminum stays cool.
This matters for wildfire zones and neighborhoods with fire risk. Toronto doesn’t have huge wildfire risk, but fire-resistant roofs lower insurance premiums. That savings adds up.
Perk Seven: Comes in Any Color You Want
Aluminum accepts paint or coatings easily. Copper tones, dark grays, rustic blacks. You pick the look.
Standard shingles come in limited colors. Aluminum offers limitless options. Match your home’s style exactly.
Color choices hold well too. Finish degrades slower on aluminum than asphalt. Your roof looks fresh for decades.
The Cost Story Nobody Tells
But here’s the thing—aluminum saves cash over fifty years. Fewer replacements. Lower energy bills. Reduced repairs. Insurance savings for fire resistance.
One homeowner spends five grand on shingles, replaces twice, pays two thousand in repairs, and shells out three grand in extra cooling costs over fifty years. That’s ten grand.
Aluminum costs upfront. Zero replacements. Zero major repairs. Aluminum wins.
- Lasts forty to sixty years versus fifteen to twenty
- Reflects ninety-five percent of summer heat
- Sheds snow naturally without ice dams
- Weighs forty percent less than steel
- Resists corrosion and salt spray
- Non-combustible and fire-resistant
- Available in unlimited colors
Why Toronto Isn’t Talking About This
Steel gets pushed because it’s stronger. Asphalt stays popular because of lower cost upfront. Copper looks fancy but costs triple.
Aluminum sits in the middle—strong like steel, lighter, cheaper than copper, and better than asphalt long-term. It’s the smart play for Toronto.
More homeowners are learning. Metal roofing increased thirty percent in Toronto area last year. Aluminum will keep climbing as folks do the math.