Maritimes · Metal shingles buyer's guide
Metal shingles in the Maritimes: 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, most of all near salt water: steel lasts as long as its zinc or aluminum-zinc coating keeps it from rusting, while aluminum can't rust and weighs about a third as much. Interlock® metal shingles are aluminum, made in Canada.
Reviewed by Scott Plumptree, Director of Marketing, The Interlock Group · Updated October 8, 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
Can't rust
About one-third the density of steel (ASM International).
The three kinds of metal shingle
"Metal shingles" covers three different products that look alike from the street and behave differently on a roof for decades. The difference is the metal underneath the paint, and near salt water that difference matters more than anywhere else.
| 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; salt air is a hard environment for the coating |
| 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 | Aluminum can dent under foot traffic or large hail; usually costs more than steel up front |
Steel coating behaviour: ArcelorMittal Dofasco (Galvalume product information) and Gibraltar Building Products. Aluminum properties: ASM International. Full references at the end of the page.
Interlock® metal shingles on Maritime homes
Recent Maritimes jobs in the slate, cedar shingle and shake profiles, installed by our own company. Tap a roof to see all of its photos.
Deep Charcoal Cedar Shingle · Timberlea, NS
Deep Charcoal Slate · Upper LaHave, NS · 9 photos
Deep Charcoal Slate · Lunenburg, NS · 4 photos
Black Slate · Lunenburg, NS
Deep Charcoal Slate · Dartmouth, NS
Deep Charcoal Slate · East LaHave, NS · 3 photos
Tudor Brown Cedar Shingle · New Glasgow, NS
Black Slate · Lower Rose Bay, NS
What matters most on a Maritimes roof
Salt air and fog
Fog covers Nova Scotia's coasts 15 to 25 per cent of the year, according to the Nova Scotia Museum, and salt spray carries well inland in a storm. Ask what the base metal is. Steel relies on its coating to keep salt away; aluminum has no steel to rust.
Wind and storms
Post-tropical storms and winter coastal storms test the edges and fastening of a roof. Ask what the wind warranty says, and on what installation it depends. Interlock's is 193 km/h (120 mph) installed to manufacturer specification.
Concealed fasteners
Exposed screws through the face of a panel depend on rubber washers that age in sun, salt and cold. Shingles that interlock with the fasteners hidden under the next course have no exposed screw heads to re-seal.
Freeze-thaw and wet snow
A roof here goes through melt and refreeze all winter, under heavy, wet snow. Metal sheds snow and absorbs no water. Plan snow guards over entries, decks and walkways before the first slide, not after.
Questions to 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?
- Does the warranty say anything about salt air or coastal exposure?
- Is the finish warranty separate from the material warranty, and what does it cover (chalking, fading, peeling)?
- Are the fasteners exposed or concealed?
- Will my old roof come off? If you plan to roof over it, what does your inspection check first?
- Will you show me a clearance letter from WCB Nova Scotia, WorkSafeNB or WCB PEI, and your liability insurance certificate?
- If you're selling at my home, are you a licensed direct seller in my province? Is the price in writing, and what happens if you find rot once the old roof is open?
Interlock® metal shingles
We install one metal shingle system: the Interlock® aluminum roof, made in Canada by Interlock Roofing. Panels interlock on all four sides with the fasteners concealed, in Slate, Cedar Shingle, Shake and Mediterranean Tile, in nine colours.
The manufacturer's specification: aluminum alloy per ASTM B209 at 0.019 in (0.483 mm) nominal base thickness, a five-layer Alunar® fluorocarbon finish with a 30 Year Alunar® Coating Warranty, and the Guardian Lifetime Limited Material Warranty on material and finish. Wind resistance is warranted to 193 km/h (120 mph) installed to manufacturer specification.
Interlock's Slate, Cedar Shingle, Shake and Mediterranean Tile aluminum panels carry a UL 2218 Class 4 impact rating, listed by Intertek under Delta Building Products.
Our Maritimes job book holds 5,581 Interlock® roofs, the first in 1995. Maritime Metal Roofing Ltd., founded in 2007, installs every roof it sells itself.
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 the Maritimes?
For a house you plan to keep, they suit the Maritimes well: they shed snow, absorb no water for freeze-thaw to work on, and outlast asphalt. The choice that matters most near the coast is the base metal. Steel depends on its coating to keep from rusting; aluminum can't rust.
Do steel shingles rust near the ocean?
Steel itself rusts; a steel shingle is protected by its zinc or aluminum-zinc coating and paint. ArcelorMittal Dofasco, which makes Galvalume steel, describes coastal regions as among the more corrosive environments in North America. Where the coating is cut, scratched or used up, rust can start.
Steel or aluminum metal shingles?
Steel usually costs less up front. Aluminum can't rust, weighs about a third as much for the same thickness, and suits a house near salt water you want to keep for the long run. Aluminum can dent under foot traffic; so can thin steel.
Do metal shingles cost more than asphalt shingles?
Yes, up front. Over the years you'll own the home the comparison usually turns, because an asphalt roof is torn off and replaced. Our metal roof cost page shows real ranges from our own recent Maritimes contracts.
Will metal shingles lower my home insurance?
Ask your insurer. Some insurers take the roof into account and some don't, and terms differ from policy to policy. We don't promise a discount.
Who installs metal shingles in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI?
Maritime Metal Roofing Ltd. installs Interlock® aluminum metal shingles across the Maritimes from its office in Dartmouth, NS, which serves all three provinces. Call (782) 825-6416 or book a free consultation on Zoom or at home.
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)
- Interlock Roofing: aluminum shingles, technical specifications
- Nova Scotia Museum: Natural History of Nova Scotia, Vol. I, T5.1 The dynamics of Nova Scotia's climate
- Guardian Lifetime Limited Material Warranty (full terms)
Product specifications are the manufacturer's (Interlock Roofing). Install counts are from our own job book. Reviewed by Scott Plumptree, October 8, 2026.
Related guides
- Aluminum roofing in the Maritimes
- Aluminum shingles
- Steel vs aluminum roofing near salt water
- Metal roof vs asphalt shingles
- Metal roof cost in the Maritimes (2026)
- Metal roof warranties explained
Where we install in the Maritimes
Our one office, in Dartmouth, serves all three provinces. Town pages live on our province sites, one each for Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island: see where we work.
- Dartmouth
- Halifax
- Fredericton
- Saint John
- Moncton
- Charlottetown
- Truro
- Bridgewater
- Kentville
- Lower Sackville
- Lunenburg
- Sydney
- Miramichi
- New Glasgow
- Yarmouth
- Amherst
- Bedford
- Quispamsis
- Mahone Bay
- Fall River
- Pictou
- Chester
- Bathurst
- Beaver Bank
Get Interlock® metal shingles priced.
A fixed price in writing after one visit, at your home or on Zoom. Maritime Metal Roofing Ltd. · 101 Thornhill Dr #105, Dartmouth, NS B3B 1S2
