In hopes that many of you have read the article from yesterday I wanted to touch upon the subject again with an independent opinion. Yes, I said it, an independent point of view. Now if you haven’t read the first piece click here first
because the perspective in that article is one that I find let’s say unintelligent, and ignorant in some ways. While we respect and are thankful for firefighters who risk their lives daily I feel that it is quite possible firefighters have either not trained adequately or given the proper education on metal roofs. Now this isn’t meant to point fingers but as with everything in life we tend to educate ourselves more in solving new problems. With that being said it is quite possible that the metal industry needs to organize a discussion or an education session with firefighters. It seems that within the article the firefighting community recognizes the value of a metal roof over an asphalt or shingle roof. They do however fail to recognize the other benefits of metal roofs. The article discusses how metal roofs require a special tool to cut it open during a fire and how this particular group of volunteers had to wait for the firefighters to arrive with the saw. As soon as I read that it was quite obvious that a red flag was raised in terms of how prepared the firefighters might be. I’m not saying that the volunteer firefighters should have these tools ready but wouldn’t it be smart to be prepared for the likelihood of a metal roof? Furthermore the author states this below, and Firefighter Patton also comments with this:
Homeowners considering a metal roof over shingles generally are looking for financial savings. Metal roofing is expected to last longer than asphalt shingles. However, when considering the increased safety risk during a fire, the savings might not be worth it. “Metal roofs are great, until you have a fire,” Patton said.
The author here is making an assumption without any research or survey to back the statement he is making. In my opinion yes homeowners do get metal roofs over shingles because there is a financial savings, but is that the only reason? The author of the article makes it certainly seem that way and if I asked homeowners with metal roofs they would have a difference in opinion. A metal roof is more expensive to install than a shingle roof that is a fact and most homeowners will only see the cost benefit over many years. We’ve been over the benefits of metal roofs before on this blog and we will continue to do so. They provide not only cost savings but environmental benefits as well. The quote by Mr. Patton, Firefighter in Crawfordsville, might be a great person but his quote is a bit on the ridiculous side. Does he think people want their houses to burn down? In conclusion it might be time for the Metal Roofing Alliance to get involved here and educate more about metal roofs and their benefits. This is a potentially huge opportunity for the metal construction industry, firefighter safety industry, and homeowners. There you have it let me know if you disagree with me or agree with the stance I have taken.