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

Question

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

In: 15

Answer 1

Also no, you don’t want any moss on your roof lol. That will eat into the metal. Moss degrades metal and concrete. As far as heat conduction, use a lighter color and it will reflect heat better (that’s recommended for all roofs in hot climates). Really it’s the attic insulation that should be handling most of that, though.