When choosing the best roofing material for your Illinois home, it's important to consider the state's unique weather.
Illinois experiences all four seasons in full force—hot, humid summers, frigid winters, and everything in between. Plus, with its location in Tornado Alley, strong winds and storms are common, which means you need a roof that stands up to the elements year-round.
But what roofing material offers the best protection for your home? Learn why Illinois homeowners are turning to stone-coated metal roofing for lasting peace of mind, no matter the weather.
Hail
The entire state of Illinois, including the metro Chicago area, sees quite a bit of hail, with 2024 being a particularly heavy year for hail reports. Golf ball-sized hail is not unusual, sometimes as large as 1.75 inches in diameter. In fact, State Farm reported in 2023 that Illinois ranked fourth in the nation for hail damage claims among their national customers.
How much does it cost to repair hail damage to a roof? It depends on several factors, but can range from $200 to $32,500, with an average cost of $4,250. While insurance often covers these repairs, homeowners still ace out-of-pocket costs. You’ll need to pay your deductible (typically around $1,000), and your premiums may increase following a hail damage claim.
Therefore, it makes sense to use the best defense against hail: stone-coated metal roofing. A stone-coated metal roofing material, like DECRA not only meets, but exceeds the toughest hail impact standards set by Underwriters Laboratories. With the highest Class 4 Impact Resistant rating, DECRA is warrantied for hail penetration up to 2.5” in diameter.
Traditional roofing materials like wood shakes, clay tiles, and asphalt shingles can’t offer the same level of protection in hailstorms. Clay tiles, for example, are fragile throughout their lifespan, making it risky for property owners to even walk on them.
Asphalt shingles can offer some hail resistance, particularly when treated with polymers for added strength. However, there are trade-offs. Impact-resistant asphalt shingles can cost 50-100% more than standard untreated shingles. Over time, untreated asphalt shingles become more vulnerable to damage, especially after repeated exposure to severe weather.
When hail strikes traditional roofing materials, the damage can be severe. Shakes, shingles, and tiles may crack or split, leading to necessary repairs. Even small fractures, if left untreated, can allow water to seep into the lower layers of the roof or the home’s interior, causing further problems.
In a state like Illinois, where hail storms are common, it’s easy to see why DECRA is a popular roofing choice.
Wind
The wide open plains of southern Illinois and the northern part of the state’s location on Lake Michigan contribute to some of its well-deserved windy reputation. Recent evidence also suggests Tornado Alley is shifting east, placing Illinois in the path of some of the nation’s strongest winds, making it crucial to protect your home from wind uplift. This happens when the pressure above the roof is lower than the area below. It creates a shearing force that can lift the roof off its underpinnings and damage the exposed decking.
When uplift occurs, traditional roofing materials don’t tend to fare as well as metal roofing. Again, the premature aging with asphalt and wood can cause them to split, warp, and come loose.
DECRA prevents wind uplift by using a unique interlocking system, which keeps panels in place with corrosion-resistant screws. It’s this feature that has helped DECRA earn one of the best wind uplift ratings available. DECRA’s products have also been put through rigorous testing to meet the high-velocity hurricane zone standards of Miami-Dade, Florida, which is home to some of the most severe winds in the country. Homeowners who choose DECRA Metal Roofing also benefit from a warranty that covers winds up to 120 miles per hour.
Additional Benefits of Metal Roofing for Illinois Homeowners
There are other reasons homeowners in Illinois choose DECRA Metal Roofing.
Long Lifespan
Metal roofs are known to have a lifespan that’s two to three times longer than asphalt, clay, or wood roofing alternatives. This extended durability means homeowners won’t need to worry about replacing their roof for several decades.
Energy Efficiency
In southern Illinois, summer heat can be brutal, but a metal roof can reduce cooling costs by as much as 25%. Unlike asphalt shingles, which absorb sunlight, metal roofing reflects the sun’s rays, keeping homes cooler and more comfortable.
Asphalt roofs tend to trap heat, warming the air inside the home and staying hot well into the night, even after temperatures drop. This becomes especially problematic during extended heat waves, forcing homeowners to run air conditioners or coolers longer, driving up energy use and utility costs.
Strength and Style Combined
When it comes to stone-coated metal roofing, you don’t have to sacrifice strength for style. DECRA’s panels are coated with a layer of stone granules, which gives them a textured surface similar to traditional roofing materials. This coating mimics the look of clay tiles, wood shakes, and asphalt shingles, but with added durability. This allows homeowners to maintain the architectural style of their home while benefiting from the advanced features of metal roofing.
Insurance Benefits
With insurance companies looking for reasons to drop customers with aging roofs, roofing material and integrity is more important than ever. However, it’s well documented that insurance companies favor metal roofs over traditional materials.
And a metal roof might even help you qualify for an insurance discount. Be sure to check with your agent for more details.
Return on Investment
Did you know that a metal roof can boost a home’s value by up to six percent? And homeowners can recoup approximately 60-70% of the initial cost of a metal roof installation. That’s great news if you’re looking to refinance or thinking about selling your property in the future.
See What DECRA Would Look Like on Your Home
Now that you understand the benefits of stone-coated metal roofing for Illinois homeowners, we encourage you to request a complimentary sample. A DECRA Metal Roofing Advisor will work with you to confirm your contact information, walk you though the different profiles and colors, and help you visualize DECRA on your home.
