eli5 why roofs aren’t made out of metal or something more durable than shingles?

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Shingles need to be replaced every 10-30 year depending on wear and their type. It just seems so uneconomical and such a pain.

I get that metal conducts heat more easily, but couldn’t you just let a thin layer of moss grow on your metal roof and call it a day? Even if they dry out in the summer, I doubt metal + thin layer of dirt would conduct heat more than black shingles

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Anonymous 0 Comments

My 1927 house (Midwest US) came with a slate roof, original timber. I’ve lived there 8 years, have had to replace 5 of the slate tiles after a storm. Our home inspector said we’d likely never need a new roof all at once. The slate tiles last an extremely long time, can be replaced singularly as needed, and the roof construction is super solid. Plus, I looove how it looks.

To be fair, I have no idea how much a slate roof runs from scratch, but highly recommend if it’s an option.

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