Metal roofs are common in West Virginia. Actually, they’re common in a lot of places — they are said to comprise 10% of the “residential re-roofing market.”
Metal roofs can be made from a number of different materials, including copper, lead, tin, and “stone coated steel.” They are very durable and even disperse lightning strikes, but they may corrode, and they require lots of insulation because they heat up nicely.
And there’s a disadvantage not imagined when the buildings in the photos were built — they can interfere with cell phone reception.
The use of metal roofing extends beyond residences. Further west on Route 50, we’ll see examples of metal church steeples.
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Photos by the author.