Roofs are the most essential part of the home, keeping your family and possessions protected from harsh weather conditions, whether it’s heat, wind, rain or snow. Asphalt shingles may be the most common roofing type you see nowadays, but growing in popularity are dependable options like cedar and copper roofs.

While beautiful, not many companies offer these products because they require careful attention during installation or else a homeowner could be left with a leaky interior and an eyesore exterior. At MR Roofing, homeowners feel at ease knowing they have professionals who offer craftsmanship to the highest degree with reliability, communication and quality for their customers. Henry Stoltzfus, owner of MR Roofing for nearly 10 years, makes sure his clients receive the best of the best in order to have a roof that not only stands up to weather conditions for years and years, but delivers curb appeal to the home.

Cedar Roofing
Cedar roofing is available at MR Roofing for homeowners wanting to make a historical home cohesive and luxurious or add home value and aesthetics. The beautiful renovation can give homeowners the look they’re striving for, as long as the roof is angular and a distance away from trees.

“The most important thing for cedar shake shingles is for them to dry within 24 hours of rain. If you live in a wooded area with not much sun, the moss could take over pretty quick,” Stoltzfus says, adding that his company puts felt between each piece of cedar to keep the roof dry and lasting longer.

This labor-intensive product does make cedar a bit more expensive than traditional roof options, but the return on investment comes with the added curb appeal and a higher asking price—if a homeowner is considering putting the home on the market. Stoltzfus says cedar wood shingles and shakes last 10 years longer than asphalt shingles, and are highly resistant to strong winds and severe storms—factors that add to their ROI.

Cedar is a natural product so the colors do not vary much from the gray/tan family, although there are treated cedar options that have a deep brown color and shine. Over time, all cedar will age into a gray-silver tone.

The success of a cedar roof is extremely dependent on its correct installation,” Stoltzfus says. “Cedar expands and contracts, and requires nails that won’t corrode and for them to be spaced out properly. … Not as many companies work with cedar and some roofers think it’s cool to offer it, but we’ve seen roofs fail in five years because the wrong nail was used and the cedar chews through. You have to hire someone who knows cedar.”

Copper Roofing
Full copper roofing is perfect for homes where a portion, or the entire roof, is practically flat. If you want to get rid of the rubber on a flat roof, copper is the perfect solution. Copper is also a great accenting piece to roofs. It can be used to highlight a bay window or cupola to draw the eye and in small areas such as these, most other roofing materials don’t work as well with small applications.

No matter the size, big or small, MR Roofing can complete any copper roofing project from flashing to standing seam to copper sheet roofing. “There’s no maintenance. It’s a natural product that doesn’t decay,” he says, noting that its longevity makes it the primary choice for churches and chapels. “And you can cash it in for copper value even if it’s 70 years old … they’ll pay you for copper value.”

Over the years, copper weathers to a rustic green color, and is the perfect complement to a cedar roof.

“Your roof is there every day of the week, not just when it rains. It’s not something you get out when it starts to rain and then put away again,” Stoltzfus adds. “Curbside appeal is a huge part; it has to look nice; it has to fit in the neighborhood; you have to like it when you pull in [the driveway].”

MR Roofing is a division of Stable Hollow Construction. For additional renovation and construction services, visit StableHollowConstruction.com.

MR Roofing
Manheim, Pa.
(717) 665-1752
MR-Roofing.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 22, Issue 4 (January/February 2022). 
For more info on House & Home magazine, click here. 
To subscribe to House & Home magazine, click here. 
To advertise in House & Home magazine, call 610-272-3120.