Beyond the barn

By Emma Peterson. 

From new panel profiles to high-performance metal shingles and tiles, modern metal products are redefining performance and design. 

For many home and business owners, the mention of metal as a material option elicits an image of rusting barn roofs or industrial-style warehouse siding. But modern metal roofing and siding have come a long way from the simple corrugated sheets that so many think of. To learn more about all the metal options on the market, Megan Ellsworth spoke with Mitch Heitsch of Westlake Royal Building Products for a MetalCast™ episode on the topic.  

Mitch opened the discussion by highlighting the sheer number of metal options available today:  

You’ve got two broad categories, which are panel-style or shingle-style. So, in panel, you have corrugated metal panels, which are the ones that are associated with either a barn style look or coastal look. You also have your standing seam which has hidden fasteners and your ribbed R-panels with exposed fasteners. And then in the category of the metal shingles, you have painted stamp metal, stone-coated metal and so many more profiles. 

The really interesting thing is that these categories of metal roofing materials are not new, even though most people only know about the panels. Mitch explained, “This product is not new or innovative. It has been around forever. There’s always been the joke that things like stone-coated metal roofing, which are Westlake’s shingle and tile metal option, were roofing’s best kept secret.” 

But the secret is out now as more home and business owners look for more weather-resistant and long-lasting roofing solutions, finding that metal roofing is the answer. As Mitch surmised, “It's a great tagline to say it’s roofing’s best kept secret, but honestly, I’m glad it’s not a secret anymore. I want everyone to know what stone coated metal is because it's a very high performing, great product... And people are starting to know. You’re starting to see different profiles, products and manufacturers coming out with these type of options. It’s really fun and exciting to see the shift.”  

Listen to the podcast or Watch the episode to hear more of Mitch’s insights into metal construction products.