Ottawa, ON Metal Roofing Review: Why I Chose an Interlock Aluminum Roof Over Asphalt Shingles

Dear Interlock,

My asphalt shingle roof was starting to curl and disintegrate after just ten years. Although I had considered metal the last time around, the cost seemed too high. This experience suddenly made it seem like the better choice.

Barry arrived on June 16 and delivered a wonderful presentation on the merits of Interlock aluminum products, reaffirming much of the information available on the internet. The price quoted was more or less as expected, although he did talk me out of the more expensive shake profile which featured in my plans. The one surprise was that my preferred colour, the aged <a class="wpil_keyword_link" title="copper" href="” data-wpil-keyword-link=”linked”>copper, came at an added cost. It would have been helpful had the website indicated that it commanded a premium price.

The timeline was for installation anywhere from 2 to 7 weeks from signing. Provincial Foreman Tony advised me that the boxes of metal shingles and other materials would be delivered on June 27, but they actually arrived early the following morning.

Kelly headed up the crew who did the actual installation. He kept me advised about timing and let me know when illness delayed their arrival by a few days. They showed up as promised on July 7 and had about half the house done before noon, working very smoothly together as a team, with the underlayment completed. Note that the underlayment comes with its own 50-year <a class="wpil_keyword_link" title="warranty" href="” data-wpil-keyword-link=”linked”>warranty and claims that it can cover a roof for up to six months without protection. This may be standard but seems like good quality to me.

Cleanup was very good. The roof was completed on their second day of work, July 11, with a weekend of rain intervening. They also managed to do the entire garage roof (a separate building) the same day. The house roof is 17 squares, with the garage being another 7. Both are hip roof style.

Cleanup was again quite good – I followed around for the final look and didn’t spot anything. However, the next day a closer look around found several strips of the cut asphalt shingles on top of a hedge and in a flower bed (well hidden, in all fairness), along with a few small pieces of cut aluminum which might pose a hazard for some of the younger children who routinely pass through my yard. Yesterday I found two aluminum nails which came to light only after a decent rainfall. Disappointingly, some cut shingles were also left in the gutters which is a much greater problem for an older person, meaning me, to resolve.

Note that the noise of the rain on the aluminum roof is not much different from that of the asphalt shingles. Perhaps a slightly higher pitch, but the insulation in the attic and the fact that the old shingles were left on the roof under the aluminum perhaps helped to make it almost unnoticeable.

Two days was quite a bit less than the estimated five for the installation. No complaints on this front. From signing the contract to completion was less than four weeks, which ranks as excellent service.

Neighbours have been very complimentary about the appearance, with one opining that it’s the best-looking roof in the area.

At the end of the day, my house and garage have great looking roofs which should add value when the house is sold (not anytime soon) and will not require replacement for the remainder of my ownership. Interlock personnel all performed admirably, and I am pleased with the final result.