You’re ready to be done with shingles that curl and lose granules every few summers, and a steel roof keeps coming up. But you’ve got questions nobody has answered clearly, like whether it’ll rust in Central Florida humidity, what all the coatings and gauges mean and whether you should be looking at aluminum instead. If you’re researching steel roofing in Clermont, you’re in the right place.
Choosing a roof material is a big call, and you only want to make it once. It’s hard to know whose advice to trust when every company seems to be selling something. You deserve plain facts so you can decide for yourself.
APC Roofing has been roofing in Clermont since 2017. We’re GAF Certified, licensed in Florida (CCC1337030) and insured, and your inspection and estimate are free.
Why homeowners choose steel
Most metal roofs on Florida homes are steel. It’s strong, it holds its shape, and it costs less than aluminum or copper. A properly installed steel roof stands up to the heavy rain of summer storms and the wind of hurricane season, and it won’t curl, crack or lose granules in the sun the way asphalt shingles can.
Steel also comes in more forms than most people realize, so you’re not stuck with one look.
Will a steel roof rust in Florida?
This is the question most homeowners ask first. Roofing steel isn’t bare metal. At the mill, it gets a metallic coating, then a primer, then a baked-on paint finish. Those layers are what keep rust away.
The two common metallic coatings are:
- Galvanized. A zinc coating that protects the steel underneath, even sacrificing itself at small scratches.
- Galvalume. A zinc and aluminum blend that holds up especially well against weathering. It’s widely used on residential steel roofing.
Rust usually starts in a few predictable spots. Cut edges and deep scratches expose the steel. Contact with copper, pressure-treated wood or the wrong kind of screw can cause corrosion. And wet debris left sitting in a valley holds moisture against the metal. Good installation practices avoid all of these.
Steel or aluminum?
Aluminum doesn’t rust, and that makes it a common choice for homes right on the coast, where salt spray is hard on steel coatings. It’s also lighter. The trade-offs are that aluminum costs more, dents more easily at the same thickness and expands more in the heat.
Clermont sits inland in Lake County, well away from salt air. For most homes here, coated steel is the practical choice. If you have a second home on the coast, that’s a different conversation.
Gauge: thicker isn’t always what you need
Steel roofing thickness is sold by gauge, and a smaller number means thicker metal. Thin 29-gauge panels are common on sheds and barns. Homes more often get 26 or 24 gauge, which resists dents better and holds flatter between seams.
Panels of different gauges look the same once they’re installed, so ask what gauge is in your quote and check that it matches what shows up on site.
The finish matters as much as the steel
The paint on a steel roof does more than give it color. A high-quality finish resists fading and chalking under strong UV, which matters a lot under a Florida sun. Basic finishes fade sooner.
Color matters for comfort too. Light and reflective colors bounce back more of the sun’s heat, which can help keep your attic cooler in summer. Many steel roofing colors are designed to be more reflective than dark shingles.
The ways steel roofing can look
Steel isn’t just one style. The common options are:
- Standing seam, with hidden clips and clean raised lines. See standing seam metal roofing.
- Exposed-fastener panels, ribbed or wavy, often used on barns, porches and rustic homes. See corrugated metal roofing.
- Metal shingles, stamped to look like traditional shingles or shake.
- Stone-coated steel, with a textured granule surface that can look like tile or shingles.
How it works
- Book your free inspection. Call 407-270-1129 or request an estimate online.
- Get a clear, honest assessment and estimate. We look at your roof and deck, talk through steel styles, coatings and colors, and give you a written estimate with the gauge and finish spelled out. Financing is available through Aqua Finance, Fortifi, Hearth and Home Run Finance.
- Your new steel roof gets installed and the site gets cleaned up. Our metal roof installation in Clermont page walks through each step.
An aging shingle roof won’t get better with another summer of sun and storms. Planning a steel roof now, before a leak forces the issue, gives you time to choose colors and styles without pressure.
Steel roofing questions from Clermont homeowners
Will a steel roof get hot and make my house hotter?
No. Steel reflects much of the sun’s heat, especially in lighter colors, and it cools off quickly after sunset. Many homeowners find their attic runs cooler than it did under dark shingles.
Is a steel roof heavy?
No. Steel roofing is much lighter than concrete or clay tile and typically lighter than asphalt shingles.
Does steel attract lightning?
No. Metal roofs don’t make a lightning strike more likely, and if lightning does hit, metal doesn’t burn.
What’s stone-coated steel?
It’s steel panels with a coating of stone granules, shaped to look like tile, shingles or shake. It gives you steel’s toughness with a more traditional look.
Get steel roofing in Clermont
Call 407-270-1129 or request your free estimate online. You can also see every option on our metal roofing in Clermont page.
The end result is a roof that looks good from the street, stays dry through storm season and lets you stop watching the forecast every time the sky darkens.
