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The votes are in, and not only have metal roofing materials ceased to be considered as stark, industrial and boring - they've become the new architectural style-staple, while also being favored by those looking to diminish their carbon footprints, save electricity and improve the fire rating of their homes.

Furthermore, metal roofing is much more recyclable than other type of roofing materials - unlike fiberglass it can be easily melted down and reshaped. Quite aside from such social and environmental issues, metal roofs are also known for being the most durable and safe option around. Many insurance companies will actually give discounts topping 25% off your payments if you have a metal roof, given their resilience when faced with the hazards of hail, strong wind, and fire.

Furthermore, residential roofing materials have come a long way in the past few decades, and now come in a wide enough array of design aesthetics to appease even the most architecturally traditional home-owner. Various cunning products are painted and treated to emulate the appearance of wooden slats and even clay-roofing tiles, so that you needn't compromise the classic appearance of your home.

If you're keen to move into the new era of design, on the other hand, panels crafted in that raw exposed style, in copper, stainless steel and aluminum, have never been more meticulously crafted or of better quality. Galvalume is known as the strongest of all materials - galvanized sheet steel coated in a silky-sheen layer of zinc-alloy, its hardiness approaches that of Kevlar.

If you're looking for the most solid, durable design, that of the standing-seam metal roof is a good way to go - these panels clip together to be virtually water tight, while still having enough flexibility to endure the stress place on them by swelling ice and, by some accounts, hurricane-force winds. The best material to look for is Galvalume, which consists of a Zinc-Aluminum alloy that's laid over galvanized sheets steel. It's corrosion resistant and reflects light even better than standard metal roofing materials.

Just how long it'll last is really the clincher. Most manufacturers of metal roofing materials offer a forty or fifty year warranty on their stuff. This is void if the panels are improperly installed, but if you fork out the necessary cash for a good contractor, you're pretty much looking at having a roof over your head that will last as long as the walls can hold it up.