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Metal roofing materials have long been seen to be the province of stark industrial buildings looking to improve their fire ratings and energy efficiency. But the fact is, energy-efficiency is not the dull, book-balancing issue it once was. With 'green' policies becoming increasingly popular amidst growing concern about global warming and the environment, the energy-saving characteristics of having a metal roof are starting to look more and more desirable for the average person.

Furthermore, metal roofing is much more recyclable than other type of roofing materials - unlike fiberglass it can be easily melted down and reshaped. Quite aside from such social and environmental issues, metal roofs are also known for being the most durable and safe option around. Many insurance companies will actually give discounts topping 25% off your payments if you have a metal roof, given their resilience when faced with the hazards of hail, strong wind, and fire.

You'll be pleased to find that, since metal roofs moved from factories to top the most desirable suburban homes, residential metal roofing materials have come a long way in terms of their design aesthetics, as well as their functionality. You'll even find metal shingles treated and colored to resemble all manner of traditional products, including clay tiles and wooden slats.

If you're keen to move into the new era of design, on the other hand, panels crafted in that raw exposed style, in copper, stainless steel and aluminum, have never been more meticulously crafted or of better quality. Galvalume is known as the strongest of all materials - galvanized sheet steel coated in a silky-sheen layer of zinc-alloy, its hardiness approaches that of Kevlar.

If you're looking for the most solid, durable design, that of the standing-seam metal roof is a good way to go - these panels clip together to be virtually water tight, while still having enough flexibility to endure the stress place on them by swelling ice and, by some accounts, hurricane-force winds. The best material to look for is Galvalume, which consists of a Zinc-Aluminum alloy that's laid over galvanized sheets steel. It's corrosion resistant and reflects light even better than standard metal roofing materials.

So what, exactly, is a standing-seam metal roof's lifespan? Well, scientists have artificially aged metal panels by subjecting them to extreme levels of corrosive gas and heat, and found that, odds are, your average metal roofing materials will last up to seventy years without any need of repair. Of course, you'll have a hard time convincing most manufacturers of that number - their warranties stretch to a 'mere' forty years.