Long Island · Metal shingles buyer's guide
Metal shingles on Long Island: how to choose
Metal shingles are steel or aluminum panels stamped to look like shingles, slate, shake or tile. The base metal is the decision that matters: steel lasts as long as its zinc or aluminum-zinc coating keeps it from rusting, while aluminum cannot rust and weighs about a third as much. Interlock® metal shingles are aluminum, made in North America.
Reviewed by Scott Plumptree, Director of Marketing, The Interlock Group · Updated October 7, 2026
Painted steel
Usually the lowest price
Protected by its metallic coating and paint.
Stone-coated steel
A matte, granular look
Steel underneath, with the same coating dependence.
Aluminum
Cannot rust
About one-third the density of steel (ASM International).
What are the three kinds of metal shingle?
Painted steel, stone-coated steel and aluminum: three products that look alike from the street and behave differently on a roof for decades. The difference is the metal underneath the paint.
| Type | What it is | What protects it | Weight | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Painted steel shingles | Steel sheet with a metallic coating and baked paint, stamped to a shingle, tile or slate look | A zinc (galvanized) or aluminum-zinc (Galvalume) coating under the paint | Heaviest of the bare metals for the same thickness | Rust can start where the coating is cut, scratched or worn through, and at cut edges as the coating is used up |
| Stone-coated steel shingles | Steel shingles with stone granules bonded to the surface for a matte, textured look | The metallic coating, plus the granule layer | Heavier than painted metal | Granules can wear off in valleys and walkways; the steel underneath has the same coating dependence |
| Aluminum shingles | Aluminum sheet with a baked finish, interlocked panel to panel | Aluminum's own oxide film, which blocks further oxidation; there is no steel to rust | About one-third the density of steel | Very large hail or foot traffic can leave a cosmetic mark; usually costs more than steel up front |
Steel coating behavior: ArcelorMittal Dofasco (Galvalume product information) and Gibraltar Building Products. Aluminum properties: ASM International. Full references at the end of the page.
What matters most on a Long Island roof?
Wind from two directions, salt on both shores and a winter that hovers around freezing.
Wind, salt and freeze–thaw
Nor'easters from fall to spring, tropical systems in late summer, salt air near the Sound, the bays and the ocean, and a winter of freezing and thawing. Metal sheds wind-driven rain and absorbs no water; aluminum also has no steel for salt to rust.
Concealed fasteners
Exposed screws through the face of a panel depend on rubber washers that age in sun and cold, and give wind-driven rain a way in. Shingles that interlock with the fasteners hidden under the next course have no exposed screw heads to re-seal.
Ice dams
Ice dams come from heat escaping into the attic and from ventilation, not from the roof covering. No metal shingle stops them on its own; ask any contractor how they will deal with your attic.
Who installs it
Interlocking shingles are less forgiving of poor installation than asphalt. On Long Island the contractor needs a Nassau County or Suffolk County home-improvement license; look it up, and ask whether they are certified by the manufacturer on the system.
What should you ask any metal shingle contractor?
- What is the base metal, steel or aluminum, and what is its thickness?
- Who is the warrantor of the material warranty, the manufacturer or the contractor, and does coverage reduce over time?
- Is the finish warranty separate from the material warranty, and what does it cover (chalking, fading, peeling)?
- Are the fasteners exposed or concealed?
- Will the old roof come off? If you plan to roof over it, what does your inspection check first?
- What is your Nassau County or Suffolk County home-improvement license number, so I can look it up, and will you show me your liability and workers' compensation insurance certificates?
- Is the price in writing, and what happens if you find rot once the old roof is open?
What are Interlock® metal shingles?
Interlock® metal shingles are aluminum, made in North America by Interlock Roofing. Panels interlock on all four sides with the fasteners concealed. Offered on Long Island: Slate, Cedar Shingle, Shake and Mediterranean Tile.
The specification: aluminum alloy per ASTM B209, about 0.41 to 0.59 lb per square foot installed by profile (ICC-ES ESR-1790), an Alunar® 70% PVDF finish with a 30-year Alunar® coating warranty, and the Guardian Lifetime Limited Material Warranty on material and finish. Wind resistance is warranted to 120 mph when installed to manufacturer specification.
Metal Roofing New York supplies the roof; it does not install. The installer is an independent roofing contractor holding the Nassau County or Suffolk County home-improvement license, certified by the manufacturer on the Interlock® system and assigned to your project, who signs the contract with you and pulls the permit with your town or village.
Questions, answered
What are metal shingles?
Metal shingles are roofing panels stamped from painted steel, stone-coated steel or aluminum to look like asphalt shingles, slate, cedar shake or tile. They install in overlapping or interlocking courses, like shingles, rather than as long vertical sheets.
Are metal shingles good for Long Island?
For a house you plan to keep, they suit Long Island well: they shed wind-driven rain and snow and absorb no water for freeze–thaw to work on. The choice that matters most is the base metal. Steel depends on its coating to keep from rusting in salt air; aluminum cannot rust.
Steel or aluminum metal shingles?
Steel usually costs less up front. Aluminum cannot rust, weighs about a third as much for the same thickness, and suits roofs in salt air, under trees that keep it damp, or anywhere you want the longest-lived option. Very large hail can mark any metal roof, steel included.
Do metal shingles cost more than asphalt shingles?
Yes, up front. Over the decades you own the house the comparison usually turns, because an asphalt roof is torn off and replaced. Get a written asphalt price and the installer's written proposal for an Interlock® roof, and compare both over the years you'll stay.
Can metal shingles go over existing asphalt shingles?
Sometimes, only after inspection: a single layer of asphalt can be roofed over where the deck is sound and local code permits. Cedar shakes, concrete tile and natural slate always come off first.
Are metal shingles noisy?
Over a solid roof deck and underlayment, which is how residential metal shingles are installed, they are not the drumming of a bare metal barn roof.
Who installs Interlock® metal shingles on Long Island?
The installer is an independent roofing contractor holding the Nassau County or Suffolk County home-improvement license, certified by the manufacturer on the Interlock® system and assigned to your project, who signs the contract with you and pulls the permit with your town or village. To start, request a quote on this site or call the toll-free line.
Sources
- ArcelorMittal Dofasco: Galvalume™ steel sheet, product information
- Gibraltar Building Products: why are the edges of my painted galvanized roof rusting?
- J.R. Davis, "Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys", Alloying: Understanding the Basics, ASM International (2001)
- ICC-ES Evaluation Report ESR-1790, Interlock Roofing, reissued September 2025 (PDF)
- Guardian Lifetime Limited Material Warranty (full document, PDF)
- National Weather Service: nor'easters (winter weather safety)
- National Hurricane Center: U.S. mainland hurricane strikes by state, 1851–2004
Product specifications are the manufacturer's (Interlock Roofing). Laws, codes and statistics are as published by the source cited. Reviewed by Scott Plumptree, October 7, 2026.
Get Interlock® metal shingles quoted.
Metal Roofing New York supplies the roof and assigns a certified Interlock installer for your part of Long Island, who visits, measures and gives you a written contract under their own Nassau or Suffolk County license. Nassau and Suffolk counties only.
