Stone-Coated Metal Roofing (All You Need to Know)
A roof is an integral part of a building– it provides protection against weather and outdoor elements. Asphalt shingles, clay tiles, concrete tiles, composite tiles, wood shakes, and metal roofs can all be used for roofing.
But the important question to ask is ”which of these roofing options can withstand a lot of wear and tear over the lifetime of your building?”
The best answer is Metal roofing with a layer of stone coating. Nothing beats this roofing option in terms of longevity and tolerance to weather and other outdoor conditions.
On installing a stone-coated metal roofing properly, you may never have to think about roofing again for the lifetime of your building.
Besides being extremely durable, stone-coated metal roofs boast resilience, stability, and enduring strength. These characteristics make it a desirable option for new and renovation roofing projects.
Knowing this, you may be asking yourself the following questions:
- What is a stone coated metal roof?
- What are the pros and cons of stone coated metal roofing?
- How much is a stone-coated metal roof?
- How long do stone-coated metal roofs last?
- Is a stone coated metal roof worth it?
This expert guide answers these questions and examines stone-coated metal roofs in detail to help you determine if this is the right roof type for you.
What is a Stone-Coated Metal Roofing?
Stone-coated metal roofing is a roof cover made of metal sheets with an outer layer of stone that’s extremely durable and resilient.
Metal combined with stone results in a roofing material of exceptional quality. By comparison, stone-coated metal roofs are far superior to traditional bare metal roofs.
With a stone-coated metal roof, your building will be protected against harsh weather conditions as well as other outdoor elements.
Stone-coated metal roofs are built to last extremely long while offering the aesthetics and practicality of conventional roofing materials.
The Structure of a Stone Coated Metal Roofing
Stone-coated metal roofing consists of several components, each playing a vital role. The table below summarizes these basic components and their functions.
| Component | Description/Role |
| The metal sheet | The metal sheet is the primary component of this roofing material. Common metal sheets coated with stones are steel and aluminum. |
| Primer | The primer is installed on the metal sheets on both sides to ensure that subsequent layers adhere to the metal properly. |
| Acrylic coating | This material acts as a UV and moisture protection layer for the metal sheet and an adhesive to the following layer. |
| Stone chips/granules | This top layer adds aesthetic and more resilient characteristics to the metal base. |
| Acrylic overglaze | The outermost layer is on the top side of a stone-coated metal roof. It’s the first protective layer of the roofing against outdoor elements. |
| High-temperature seal | This is the outermost coat on the bottom side of stone-coated metal roofing. It seals the roofing from high temperatures damage. |
Why Stone-Coated Metal Roofing?
Here are 6 reasons why a stone coated metal roof might be the right choice for your building:
Longevity and durability
The main reason why stone-coated metal roofs are a common choice for builders is their longevity and lifespan.
Metal coated with a stone layer shows exceptional endurance to outdoor elements and weather conditions; hence the roofing material is incredibly durable.
These roofs can last anywhere between 25-70 years, depending on the quality of installation and existing climatic conditions. In other words, stone metal roofs can last throughout the lifetime of a standard building.
In line with this long lifespan, stone-coated metal roof manufacturers give long warranties of around 50 years.
Maintenance-free roofing
Stone-coated metal roofs are also maintenance-free. Installed properly, a stone-coated metal roofing will continue to work for the rest of its useful life.
The same can’t be said for other roofing options, such as traditional shingles that require replacement every 20 years.
Aesthetically pleasing
Stone-coated metal roofs are also popular because of their decorative appearance. By altering the arrangement of the stone grains, you can get several designs from this metal roofing material.
Stone-coated metal roofs also come in a variety of colors and textures, so you can play with the look and feel of your roof.
Sustainability
When properly installed, stone-coated metal roofs may never need to be replaced, so they won’t end up in landfills. What’s more, stone-coated metal roofs are made from recycled materials, so less roofing waste is sent to landfills.
For reference, asphalt shingles, the most common roofing material, contribute 8% of all the waste from construction materials.
Good energy efficiency
During summer, stone-coated metal roofing will reflect the sun’s UV and Infrared radiations off the roof surface. A coated metal roof can re-emit up to 90% of the absorbed solar radiation.
During the winter, this roofing option serves as an excellent insulation option as well.
Therefore, installing a stone-coated metal roof on your building reduces heating and cooling costs during summer and winter.
Solar friendliness
While roofs present free space to install solar panels, some roofing options are a challenge to integrate with solar modules.
Impressively, solar panels can easily be installed on stone-coated metal roofing, not to mention that the material is strong enough to hold the weight of the PV modules.
A stone-coated metal roofing outlasts a solar PV system’s useful life, allowing for installation on existing roofs.
Types of Stone-Coated Metal Roofing
Stone-coated metal roofing can be categorized by design and type of metal used. Here’s an overview of each of these categories.
Design
A stone-coated metal roofing can be tailored to match your specific roof design concept. Common design options for stone coated metal roofs are in the style of:
- Cottage shingle
- Standard tile
- Decra tile
- Barrel vault tile
- Wood shake, etc.
Clearly, you can get any common roof design out of stone-coated metal roofing.
Type of metal
| Type of metal | Description |
| Steel | Steel is a preferred roof material as it’s incredibly resilient to outdoor conditions such as heavy rains, snowfall, strong winds, etc. A stone layer over a steel sheet base is highly durable roofing material. |
| Galvanized steel | Zinc coating gives steel extra durability as it acts as sacrificial protection from corrosion. Stone chips on this material offer a nice roundup that makes a highly durable roofing material. |
| Aluminum | Thanks to its lightweight characteristic, stone-coated aluminum roofing is one of the most commonly used metal roofing materials. However, stone-coated aluminum roofs aren’t sufficiently resistant to hail. |
| Tilcor | Tilcor stone-coated metal roofing combines the sacrificial protection of zinc and corrosion protection of aluminum to make a very durable roofing material. |
| Galvalume steel | When steel is coated with zinc, aluminum, and silicon, it makes galvalume steel. Stone-coated galvalume steel is exceptionally strong and corrosion-resistant, making it one of the best roofing materials available. |
Stone Coated Metal Roofing Cost
Material cost
The material costs for a stone-coated metal roof range from $5 to $10 per square foot. Obviously, this price range is not constant and could differ depending on the targeted roof design.
Installation cost
Installing a stone-coated metal roof should cost you around $4 to $9 per square foot. Availability and accessibility to skilled labor and the design of your roof determine the final price you’ll pay for the installation.
Combining material and installation costs, you should expect to spend around $5000-$15000 for a stone-coated metal roofing installation on a standard-sized home.
Maintenance cost
Stone-coated metal roofing is maintenance-free hence doesn’t need a maintenance budget. Traditional roofing maintenance costs can be entirely eliminated by upgrading to a stone-coated metal roof.
Stone Coated Metal Roofing Problems
High initial cost
Metal roofs with stone coatings are expensive to purchase and install. Actually, stone-coated metal roofs are among the most expensive roofing options available.
The good thing is, the long-term savings from installing this roofing material outweigh the high upfront costs.
Roof noise
A stone coating on a metal roof reduces some sound frequency, but some noise can still be heard when it rains or hails heavily.
Thankfully, barriers such as a sheathed roof deck can always be installed between the roof and your building. An alternative solution is to insulate your attic.
The stone layer degrades with time
With continued exposure to UV rays, the acrylic material used on the stone layers degrades, causing the stones to break down with time.
While the bare metal can still work as roofing, the aesthetic feel and practicality of the roof are compromised.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you walk on a stone-coated metal roof?
Due to the sturdiness and resilience of a stone-coated metal roof, you can walk on it without causing damage. However, there’re risks associated with working at height, so please follow all the standard safety precautions.
Do stone-coated metal roofs leak?
A properly installed stone-coated metal roof should seal out water and, therefore, have no leaking problems.
If you see leaking on your stone-coated metal roof, then it’s either due to excessive water flow, or damage to the water drainage system. In this regard, you must hire the right professionals for your stone-coated metal roofing project.
Is a stone-coated metal roofing heavy?
People tend to think that metal roofs with stone coating are heavy, but actually, they are not. On average, a stone-coated metal roof weighs around 2-3 lbs. per square foot, depending on the thickness of the metal and stone layer.
If you compare this to other roofing options like clay or concrete tiles that weigh approximately 10 lbs. per square foot, you can tell that stone-coated metal roofs are a lightweight option.
As such, you can save money as there’s no need to erect very robust support structures for this roofing material.
Should I upgrade my traditional roof to stone-coated metal roofing?
If the current roof on your building is deteriorating, then a stone-coated metal roof is a nice option to consider. There’re so many benefits, such as superior durability and reduced maintenance costs, to enjoy with this roofing option.
Stone-coated metal roofs offer you the most value for your money when it comes to a roof renovation project. For new installations, it’s one of the most reliable roofing options you can choose.
Can you install a stone-coated metal roof on existing asphalt shingles?
About 90% of homes in the US use asphalt shingles as the roofing material, so most roof renovations or upgrades are based on this roofing option.
If the decking has not deteriorated and local codes and manufacturer recommendations allow it, stone-coated metal roofing can be installed over existing roof shingles.
If otherwise, it’s advisable to first remove the existing asphalt shingles and install new decking prior to a stone-coated metal roofing installation.
Does a stone-coated metal roof interfere with Wi-Fi, phone, and TV signals?
Stone-coated metal roofs can cause some physical obstruction to phone, WiFi, and TV signals but not as much to cause reception problems.
Modern phone, WiFi, and TV signals are strong enough to be disrupted by a stone-coated metal roof. So, if you’re experiencing reception problems, it might be time to switch to another provider.
Wrapping Up
With a stone-coated metal roof, you have peace of mind knowing that there’ll be no need for a replacement in the near future.
A stone-coated metal roof’s longevity, durability, and appearance make it a brilliant long-term investment for your home or commercial building.
If you live in an area prone to hail or that rains heavily, stone-coated metal roofing is one of the best protection you can have for your building.
Is a stone-coated metal roofing worth it?
If your budget can cater to the initial investment, stone-coated metal roofing is definitely worth it. It will blend well with your building design, reduce your energy bills and carbon footprint, and most importantly, hold up as long as your building exists.