If you want to change the roof of your old house or build a new home, you might wonder what type of roof cover to choose. Metal roofing is the most popular option in Australian homes as it increases structural strength, protects your home from the elements, and adds value to the property. Here are ten reasons most homeowners choose a metal roof over other roof types. 

 

Long-Lasting and durable 

Everyone wants a strong roof that protects their family from windstorm debris and unfriendly weather. Some roofing materials cannot withstand violent wind and temperature changes. However, metal roofs are strong enough, making them perfect for coastal homes and places with wind traveling at a speed of 140 mph. Moreover, metal roofs can last for about 25 to 50 years when properly installed and maintained. One made of copper or zinc can last even over 100 years. 

 

Little Maintenance Needed 

Metal roofing requires minor to no maintenance. Other than ensuring that debris, branches, and leaves are prevented from amassing in the gutters, there is no other thing that should worry you. If you choose a more substantial metal roof, it will not rust or crack. It does not require regular sealing and can often last for decades without needing to be replaced. This means much less hassle, less frequent repairs, and unnecessary costs. Your roof will likewise have decent impact resistance against wind-blown and hail objects. 

 

Fire-Resistant 

Although metal is a good conductor of heat, it does not spark or catch fire. It is a non-combustible material making it perfect for people living in wildfire-prone areas. Ideally, metal roofing is considered to have a Class A Rating, meaning the underlying and covering roofing materials offer additional fire protection. What’s more, if you live in places prone to lightning storms, metal roofs should be considered as they add security and safety to your home while protecting your family. 

 

Light Weight 

If you compare metal roofing and other roofing materials, such as concrete tiles, you will find that metal roofing is much lighter. For instance, metal roofs are 5 times lighter when compared to tiles. When compared to concrete tiles, which weigh 53 kg/sqm, or terracotta tiles, which weigh 57 kg/sqm, metal roofing is much lighter, with a weight ranging from 5 to 10 kg/sqm. Therefore, your house will have less weight supported by your house roof structure, meaning that your home can do with less structural work and less engineering, enabling you to save much on construction costs. 

 

Speed and Easy Installation 

If you prefer a faster roof installation or have a deadline to work, then metal roofing is the right choice. Their size, proportion, width, length, and the fact that they are lightweight make them very easy to handle. Every single section has 12 inches 36 inches wide panels, which can be easily installed and handled. In many cases, metal roofing can be installed directly over an existing roof, eliminating the need for tear-off and disposal of the old rooftop. This can save time and labor costs. Overall, metal roofing can be installed easily and quickly, saving effort and time compared to other types of roofing. 

 

Moss and Fungus Proof 

Metal roofs are moss and fungus-resistant because it is impervious to mildew and rot. Additionally, metal roofs are typically coated with a protective layer that helps to prevent the growth of fungus and moss. This coating also helps to reflect sunlight, which can hinder moss and fungus growth. Asphalt shingles and wood roofs have short lifespans because they can accumulate rot and moisture, making them ideal for some insects, including termites. These insects can destroy wood roofs, making them weak. Moreover, metal roofing will protect your home from pests, rodents, and wild animals. 

 

Energy Efficiency 

Metal roofs have high thermal emissivity and solar reflectance, meaning they can reflect solar heat to the atmosphere. This makes them ideal for proprietors who want to optimize their property’s energy use. Studies have shown that metal roofs offer a 15% reduction in energy costs during winter and a 40% reduction in energy costs during summer when constructed in a reflective, light color such as light green, white or green. When your roof reflects sun rays, it will minimize the heat transferred into the attic, and you will pay low electricity bills. 

 

Environment Friendly 

If you are among those who care about the environment and want to help Mother Nature, then a metal roof is the right choice for you. First, metal roofs are 100% recyclable, and manufacturers use recycled materials to produce a new metal sheets. They are also energy efficient as modern paint and coating systems allow the roof to reflect the sun’s heat, providing your house with a comfortable environment and cool rooms. Once the metal roofs reach their lifespan, they are still wholly recyclable, meaning that they are environmentally friendly and generate virtually zero waste when used. 

 

Suitable for All Seasons and Climates 

Metal roofs can be able to withstand any season and climate. They can be used in areas that experience winter storms as it allows the ice and snow to slide off more easily. You can also use them for hot, humid climates as they reflect heat and resist moisture. Another advantage of having metal roofing is they are waterproof and rust-resistant. Rain quickly drains off, reducing the risk of moisture and leak damage. 

 

Aesthetically-Pleasing 

Metal roofing is one of the most aesthetically-pleasing roofing materials available. It is customizable to the color and profile you choose. In addition, Metal roofing is also available in various finishes and textures, allowing you to choose a roof with the desired appearance and level of reflectivity. Additionally, metal roofing is known for its modern and sleek look, which can enhance the overall appearance of your property. 

 

Conclusion 

Metal roofing is a durable, Eco-friendly, and weather-resistant option that can increase the value of your home. It requires little maintenance, can last for decades with proper care, and comes in various colors and styles. For these reasons, metal roofing is a smart choice for protecting your home. 

Many people come to the internet looking for the secret to a stress free life. Retirement does seem like a good place to find peace, but many people’s retirements are in doubt these days. So, how can someone find peace in such a stressful time as this?

The problem with people’s searches for peace is that they often go looking for a cheat code: do this one simple trick and you will receive peace and happiness! In reality, things are a little bit more complicated.

Still, the bare principle for peace is simple.

Think about your life. What in it causes you stress? Paying bills? Finding time for daily errands? Paying a mortgage? Finding peace is a simple matter of taking those little stressors and finding ways to deal with them every day. Here, procrastination is the biggest obstacle between us and inner peace.

Retirement: A Place to Search for Peace

Retirement- that long summer at the end of many people’s lives- a place to find out who they are and what they truly love to do. Many people think of retirement as a long process of going to sleep- waiting for death. In reality, it can be a great awakening and a jubilant process of coming to life at the end of life.

But, how can you achieve retirement? What amount of money could possibly carry you all the way through to the end of your life, and how can you possibly save it up?

As it turns out, the path to retirement and greater freedom to pursue peace may be contained within the little ways we can pursue peace every day. These small actions, when combined, possess great transformative powers for both our lives and, by extension, our inner selves.

So, what are these powerful little activities? How can we incorporate them into our daily lives? And, most importantly, are they easy?

To that, we can enthusiastically answer- yes, they are easy. However, you won’t like what they are. They’re not cheat codes, and they aren’t secret spells. In fact, you stare at them and think of them every day. The secret to peace and retirement is to organize your life now, and your mind later.

Putting Off What Needs Done

Our minds are strangely optimized to one end: to destroy our happiness. Often, we are short-sighted, and think only of the freedom we can obtain now. We take three hours spent watching television while our responsibilities hang over our shoulders as a way to achieve a little bit of freedom. But, is this true freedom?

In reality, all this represents is a moment of distraction while our stressors and our responsibilities drive our lives wherever they please. To truly win freedom, we must take this short-sighted view out of the equation. An hour spent distracting ourselves now, while four hours of work lie ahead, is the same as an hour spent in true freedom after the work is done.

Distractions are designed to chase away worries. Freedom is freedom from those worries, and this can only be won if worries are confronted and dealt with to the best of your abilities. Simply running errands and doing tasks cannot win true happiness, but it can get you on the path.

How to Start

If you find yourself confused and lost, you might be wondering: where do I start with all of these responsibilities? The urge people often have is to find some basepoint- some place from which all their worries originate. From there, they suppose they can simply work forward.

This place does not exist.

To get started on the process of confronting and eradicating your fears, you must simply choose a place, and start. My favorite thing to do is to write my biggest fears down on sticky notes- paying taxes, putting a schedule together, cleaning house, working out a mortgage, and so on- and place them on a dart board.

From here, I close my eyes, and whatever I hit is whatever I will start with. Once you start getting things done, you will fall into a groove, and getting the rest of your responsibilities out of the way will become positively automatic.

This morning, I hit my mortgage, and decided that today, I would spend a few hours working out ways to pay it off. I discovered that, after just a few hours, I could have everything in line, and have the rest of my day to live with one less worry.

Financial Obligations- Paying a Mortgage

Financial obligations often plague people’s minds and take them away from true peace and freedom. The essence of freedom and peace is not a comfortable descent into peace, but an uncomfortable battle for it, after which peace comes unexpectedly.

This battle may entail uncomfortable duties. For me, it was paying my mortgage, and finding ways to make sure I have enough money for the payments every month. Paying it was easy- I had enough to make my payment, and my bank offered a simple online payment mechanism. But, after the monthly due was paid, the worries were still there.

I quickly went through everything that might be causing me mortgage-related pain. I found, for example, that I often stressed about how long it would take to pay off my mortgage, and how little money I felt I had. I also discovered that, deep down, I truly feared for whether or not I’d be able to pay my mortgage payment next month.

To help alleviate these fears- which were truly eating me away- I developed a plan. I decided that, each week, I would only spend a certain amount of money. The path towards peace will inevitably teach us that there is not much need for material things in our lives. So, I thought, why spend so much on non-necessities? Indulgence could come later.

By working out this savings plan and following it, I found that I could live comfortably on much less than I had been spending. By disciplining my spending and sticking to the spending plan I had developed, I broke free of the cycle of just barely being able to pay off my mortgage and have money for groceries.

Once I took the time to finally confront this fear and work out ways to fight it, I was able to not only pay my payments, but give a little extra over to my bank. This solved my worries about how long it would take to pay off the loan, since I was putting myself a step ahead. Gradually, I came to feel that, perhaps, my mortgage wasn’t so big a deal as I had made it out to be.

This meant that, once the work of each day was done, I had no more time to spend doing what I wanted, but the hours I did have were spent in greater peace and security. Instead of sitting around with a weight on my shoulders, I was spending time doing what I want with one less thing to worry about.

The gist of the peaceful path is not to let your life be ruled by fear. If you have a mortgage and you fear how you might pay it- don’t delay! Take your time to develop a plan to strike at the roots of this fear, paying your mortgage and developing a sensible spending plan so you no longer have to worry about whether or not you will make your payments.

Steps to Retirement

From here, it is easy to see how you might apply this strategy to your life. In reality, it’s not a strategy. It’s just a matter of realizing that your life isn’t truly a life at all if you let fears fester and let your time be overlorded by fears.

Facing up to your obligations is the only way to achieve any semblance of peace in your current life, and it can help you set aside time to pursue peace in your later life. Retirement is about money, and smart money choices in the now. It’s about focusing on the now and what you can do to reserve resources for the future.

By doing things like, for example, getting your mortgage payments in life, you exert a measure of control over the necessary chaos of life. You will never be completely in control, and it is important to realize that. Plans may even fail you.

However, when a working plan comes together, and you’re able to fall into a habit of smart choices, saving up for retirement, making good investments, and preparing a place for your future self will become as natural as taking a shower or brushing your teeth.

You give your cat medicine when it is sick- you would never dream of depriving it. So why deprive yourself of the necessary steps to peace and happiness. Once fears are faces, and a person decides to create mechanisms for control, the future becomes brighter and retirement becomes an option.

We Moved to Australia – Our New Home in Sydney

Starting A New Life

My family – wife, and son completed our move to Frenchs Forest Sydney, Australia, but it was not without its drama. Of course, moving into a new home comes with many headaches, but it felt so long since we’ve moved, we needed a break. The Frenchs, as my wife prefers to call it, has a nostalgic charm. Quiet meandering streets and lush bush land highlight the neighborhood for family living. It also offers access to different shopping malls and an incredible line of beaches that my family didn’t take long to call Frenchs Forest our home.

But before we did, we had a rat problem. Rats and mice are some of Australia’s most disgusting pests. I will put them after roaches though. The bottom line, you don’t want to find those creatures in your house. Now, don’t get me wrong, I definitely don’t have a thing against rats. However, since they travel through sewers and polluted streets, bearing bacteria and ticks, they can potentially cause health hazards for my entire family. Apart from the filth, the first few nights in our new house were full of disturbance.

The rats had a habit of nibbling and chewing through any object they could find. One mouse chewed through the electrical wires, so we needed to call a repairman. Before unpacking completely, we needed to solve our rodent infestation problem. We owe a great deal of this solution to our new neighbors and the internet. Thankfully, we were able to look up a safe pest control company in Frenchs Forest. But that was not without its problems also.

From previous experience, I’ve known to look for a pest control company that offers efficient and sustainable treatment with proven experience. If anything, the solution must be safe around my family and property.

 

At first, I thought to look through reviews online to find the best out of the bunch. However, I first had to ask our new neighbors for recommendations. The first few I spoke to appeared to be fine, but one gave a red flag when he asked for payment before the job. That was a big no for me. Moving on, I spoke to another that would not offer an agreement or contract to cover the removal. That was another big red flag I was not willing to put up with. One particular pest removal company was willing to offer a contract and receive only half the money as down payment, which appeared fine. However, I couldn’t find a recent review to prove they really did what they claimed they would do. In the end, I was able to find a local pest control company that fit what I really wanted. The technician from Pro Pest Control Sydney offered effective and long lasting pest treatment, exactly what I needed. I highly recommend Adam Love and his team from Pro Pest Control Sydney, give them a call if you have a pest problem. So, I got my rat problem solved, and my wife could finally make the home into what we have always wanted. 

Now to the good stuff.

French’s Forest had a lot to offer me and my family. First, I had to settle down and start my own business. As a freelance writer, I knew moving would not conflict with my job since I can work from anywhere. Thankfully, there were also lots of freelance opportunities online that I could explore. In time, I took up small contract jobs in writing for local businesses a freelance writer.

When I am not writing, I make sure to explore Frenchs Forest with my wife and son. For example, my wife and I sometimes spend our evenings walking the Flora and Fauna with Bush Turkeys and Kookaburras trotting across the roads. If not for the snakes, I am sure my wife will make me come out more. For a family fun time, we had beaches, great cafes, and lagoons my son loves so much.

 

Big changes to Frenchs Forest played a significant part in the reason why my family has decided to move there. So far, we have not regretted our decision. Everyone is settling in quickly and easily – so much that I think we will call this place home for a very long time to come. Now, as I write, I relax, enjoy, and spend quality time with my wife and son, who are also doing excellently well.

Until next time.