Metal roofs are continuing to become a common go-to as people are replacing the roofs of their homes. It isn't difficult to see why. They are known to last for up to 70 years, often coming with warranties that go up to 50 years or more. For comparison, standard roofing lasts an average of 12-20 years. Deciding to go metal is only the first choice to make. In addition to the roof, there are many useful metal roof accessories to upgrade your home.

Why a Metal Roof?
Besides the fact that a metal roof can last longer than the average life of a mortgage, there are even more advantages to a metal roof. Metal roofs are very green. They do not absorb as much heat as dark shingles, and they are light enough that they can often be installed over an existing rooftop without the waste created from stripping it.

There is even more control over the visual appearance. Traditional shingles usually have about 15-20 color choices (most being shades of gray), but metal roofing offers over 100 options, including various custom hues. Though the most common texture is the vertical seam, there are other options to choose from, including tile patterns or wood shakes. Metal roofs can be customized to be quite appealing as well as durable.

What Are Metal Roof Accessories?
Metal roofing does not begin and end with the sheets of metal that are placed on top of the house. As they function differently than the traditional roof, they must be assembled and treated differently than shingles and tar. These accessories complement the unique nature of the metal roof structure and assembly.

12 Useful Metal Roof Accessories to Upgrade Your Home
Though there are a substantial number of metal roof accessories, the following are a dozen of the most common to get started. The more familiar you are with metal roofs, the more accessories may be desired.

Closure Strips
Closure strips are used much like the sealing strips found in doorways. These are placed where the sections of the roof are connected. As there are different styles of roof panel formations, these closure strips will need to be sure to match that of the roof. Being for each side of the panel, for maximum efficiency, there are inside/outside mirror halves of these strips designed for each side of the joining overlap.

Chimney Pots
Available for steel or masonry flues on gas or wood-burning fireplaces, chimney pots add an aesthetic appeal that matches the roof rather than just letting it stick out as a pipe. Additionally, the cover of a chimney pot prevents rain from entering a vertical vent pipe while still letting the exhaust air leave the home. A netting design on the pots also prevents many bugs from using the vent as a point of entry.

Fasteners
Metal roofing benefits from specialized types of screws, rivets, and clips. Self-drilling fasteners are available in multiple gauges, frequently with EPDM or bond sealing washers. Special fasteners are available for metal-to-wood use and can come in painted and galvanized varieties as needed for the job. Blind rivets are also available in most standard industry colors.

Gutters
It can be self-defeating to spring for a metal roof for long-term home protection just for rainfall to pour down the sides of the home to the ground holding the foundation. Gutters are necessary to ensure that the walls or foundation are not being damaged from the rain.

Gutters work a little differently with metal roofs. They need to be installed a bit higher to ensure that they catch all of what falls from the roof. It is also suggested that gutters should slope towards the exit pour (about one-half inch for every 10 feet of guttering) to keep water from pooling.

Insulation
All roofing should have insulation. Not all do, but all should. Metal roofing is no different. This is for two major purposes: stabilizing interior temperature and minimizing exterior sound. In addition to helping control the heat, insulation helps with the noise. Metal roofing can be a little noisy in inclement weather, and insulation not only keeps the rainwater out, but the rain sound is greatly absorbed.

Options available include fiberglass batts, rigid board, and spray foam. Batts are the simplest, most economical way to insulate a metal roof as they are essentially foam boards that can be cut and shaped into place. Rigid boards are panels of polyurethane and polystyrene and must be placed directly under a metal panel and fitted together. Spray foam is an insulation that is literally sprayed into place.

Light Transmitting Panels
Not every single panel of the new roof must be made of metal. A metal roof design can be customized to include panels that allow light to come through. Skylight panels can be designed to work with the most common metal roofing shapes. They are designed to attach seamlessly to the metal panels. They offer natural lighting, which can increase energy savings, and offer excellent resistance to UV rays and extreme weather.
Shading and frosting can be customized to adjust the transparency, and thus the privacy, of these panels.

Trim and Flashing
Trim and flashing are used to prevent water from leaking through exposures in joints. It can also be used as a part of a weather-resistant barrier system. Just as with other aspects of a metal roof, trim and flashing will need to be specific to the design style of the metal roof being used.

Though often considered cosmetic depending on the location, trim does serve an important function and is better used than not, if given the choice.

Pipe Flashing
Pipe flashing is a seal specific to pipes or poles that protrude past the surface of the roof, such as ventilation. Available in both square and round, pipe flashing helps prevent water leakage from entering the roof where a hole had to be cut to accommodate the pipe or pole. Bases are often aluminum to avoid corrosion, and the flashing is designed to conform to any pitch.

Premium flashing can be made to be resistant to UV rays and weather damage.

Vents
Depending on the design at the time of building, houses will have exhaust ventilation leave through the side of the house or the top. During a major renovation, it is not uncommon for a homeowner to decide that they would like to change the vent from the side to the top. If this is the case, there are a variety of designs that can be considered, including low profile vents that sit close enough along the surface of the panel to nearly blend in.

Sealant Tape and Caulking
These will count as one as they are similar in function and used in tandem. Sealant tape is used to help adhere separate components of the roof or metal roof accessories to one another. This is done as the roof building is happening. Caulking is also used for sealing during assembly but is often used after things are in place and there are gaps that need to be filled.

Dormers and Cupolas
Not to be outdone by chimneys, dormers or cupolas can be customized to be built onto metal roofs in a variety of designs and slants. Usually copper or zinc with a protective lacquer, they come in small, medium, or large sizes. Windows can even be built into the side panels to create a lighthouse appeal.

Touch Up Paint
Being a surface on the very top of a house, the paint of a metal roof can be damaged from a variety of sources. A ferocious hail storm or a vengeful bird could leave a nick or scratch in an unseemly place. Though purely cosmetic, touch-up paint is available to keep the roof looking the way it did on the day it was purchased. This is assuming that you aren't tired of the color and opt to have the roof repainted another color (which can look tacky when done to shingles).

Experience and Means
Getting this job done right may make the difference between never having to touch your roof for the next half of a century or having it blow off during the next windy thunderstorm. At Hill Country Metal Roofing Supply, we have all of the experience necessary to help you determine which of these metal roof accessories will help ensure that your roof stays where it should, doing what is expected, for several decades.

Our roofs are environmentally friendly in that they reduce energy costs, reduce the frequency of replacement, and are 100% recyclable. Panels are rolled on-site, reducing transporting and allowing for last-minute changes. Contact Hill Country Metal Roofing Supply 512-676-5838 to inquire about metal roofing or metal roofing accessories and how they can benefit you!