Interlocking metal roof vs stone coated steel at a glance
Both are metal panels shaped to look like a traditional roof. The split is the surface: baked paint on the interlocking systems, crushed stone bonded to steel on the other.
| Factor | Interlocking | Stone-coated steel |
|---|---|---|
| Surface | Smooth finish: Metlok Galvalume steel; Interlock PVDF-coated aluminum | Color-coated stone granules set in an acrylic base coat |
| Weight per 100 sq ft | About 108 lbs (Metlok); about 41 lbs (Interlock) | 140–160 lbs (DECRA) |
| How it attaches | Four-way interlock, fasteners hidden in the locks | DECRA: battens for Tile and Shake; direct to deck for Villa Tile, Shingle XD, Shake XD |
| Profiles | Metlok: Shingle, Slate now; Shake, Barrel coming soon. Interlock: Slate, Cedar Shingle, Shake, Tile | Tile, shake and shingle (DECRA); barrel tile from other brands |
| Main wear point | Paint scratches; aluminum can dent (per Interlock) | Granule loss (per Interlock) |
| Installed per 100 sq ft | $500–$1,300 painted steel; $700–$1,700 aluminum (Interlock's survey table) | $700–$1,300 (HomeGuide, Nov 2025) |
| Installers on our Orlando list | Metlok, with its own crews | 8 of 18 roofers |
Interlocking here means four-way interlocking shingle systems: Metlok, Galvalume steel and one of our sponsors, and Interlock, aluminum. The stone-coated makers' pages we read don't describe a four-way lock.
Smooth finish vs stone granules
Metlok presses 26-gauge Galvalume steel into Shingle and Slate profiles, with Shake and Barrel listed as coming soon. Interlock forms aluminum with a PVDF finish it calls Alunar. Other painted makers are in our metal shingles guide.
Stone-coated steel gets its color from the stone. DECRA buys its granules from 3M: natural stone, crushed and color-coated, then embedded in an acrylic base coat on the steel.
Interlock describes the result as a matte, granular texture rather than a painted one. Our take: up close, stone-coated reads more like real tile or shake, and painted metal reads crisper and more even. From the curb on a one-story house, both pass for a traditional roof.
Weight per square
Both are light next to tile, but the interlocking systems are lighter still. Metlok puts its steel at about 108 pounds per 100 square feet. Interlock lists its aluminum shingles at about 41 pounds.
DECRA lists its stone-coated panels at 1.4 to 1.6 pounds per square foot, or 140 to 160 pounds per 100 square feet. On a 20-square roof, that is roughly 2,800 to 3,200 pounds, against about 2,160 for Metlok and 820 for Interlock.
Weight matters most for a roof-over, where local code allows one. Interlock says stone-coated steel at 140 pounds or more may need a structural check first, while aluminum shingles are the easiest case.
How the panels attach
Metlok says each panel "locks mechanically to the next on all four sides." Interlock says its shingles engage the shingles above, below and on both sides, with the fasteners hidden inside those locks.
DECRA installs its Tile and Shake on a grid of wood battens, which leaves a continuous 1½-inch air space. Its Villa Tile, Shingle XD and Shake XD go straight onto the deck.
DECRA says battens are usually preferred for roof-overs and direct-to-deck suits complex roofs. EDCO, which sells painted steel, lists "exposed fastening" for stone-coated in its comparison. The stone-coated pages we read don't show nail placement, so ask your installer to show you.
Granule loss and finish wear
Granule loss is the main wear point on stone-coated steel, and Interlock calls it the wear mode. DECRA says brittle stones such as limestone, dolomite or slate can break down and shed early. It sources its granules from 3M.
EDCO argues stone coating wears off and collects in gutters, while its own painted finish doesn't. Treat that as one maker's pitch against another's product.
Painted metal has its own wear. Interlock says painted steel can scratch through to bare metal, where rust starts, and aluminum can dent under large hail. It adds that both are cosmetic exclusions in most warranties.
Wind and Florida code
For metal shingles, Florida's residential code requires the product approval to state the allowable uplift resistance. The roof's design uplift pressure must not exceed it.
Interlock's approval FL7263-R7 lists -187.5 psf for shingle and slate and -110.5 psf for shake. Those are allowable values, tested to UL 580, UL 1897 and TAS 125. Metlok says its four-way interlock was engineered for Florida wind, but the pages we read don't list its approval number.
For stone-coated steel, ask for the Florida product approval number on the exact profile you're quoted. Then look it up in the Florida Building Commission's product approval search, for any of these roofs.
Heat, hail and rain noise
The EPA counts both as cool-roof options: metal shingles or tiles with reflective paint, or with reflective granules. DECRA says its granule pigments block infrared heat. Ask either maker for the solar reflectance of your color, which the EPA calls the most important property.
On hail, DECRA says its roofs carry the highest hail impact rating, and its Lifetime Limited Warranty covers penetration by hailstones up to 2.5 inches. Interlock's aluminum carries a UL 2218 Class 4 rating. Interlock notes that test is about staying watertight, not dent-free.
On noise, stone-coated has the maker's argument on its side: DECRA says the textured granule surface cushions rain. McElroy Metal adds that attic insulation has the most effect on rain noise indoors.
Lifespan and warranties
Interlock expects 40 years or more from painted steel shingles and 50 or more from aluminum. Metlok's warranty page describes a 50-year limited lifetime warranty on labor and materials, transferable subject to its requirements.
Interlock's Guardian Limited Lifetime warranty covers the original owner and transfers once for $300; your installer backs the labor. Gravity Roofing offers Unified Steel stone-coated roofing with a 50-year limited transferable manufacturer warranty.
Interlock's comparison table calls 50-year limited warranties common for stone-coated steel. On any stone-coated roof, the installer's workmanship warranty is a separate document, so ask for its length.
Cost in Orlando
JA Edwards, an Orlando roofer, prices metal shingle and stone-coated roofs in one range: $12,000 to $22,000. HomeGuide's national guide, dated November 21, 2025, puts stone-coated steel at $700 to $1,300 per 100 square feet installed.
Interlock's table splits the painted side: about $500 to $1,300 per 100 square feet for painted steel and $700 to $1,700 for aluminum. So interlocking metal roof vs stone coated steel is close on price, with aluminum at the top.
Metlok quotes in your home and doesn't publish prices. Its November offer takes $3,500 off a roof signed by November 30, 2026. See metal roof cost in Orlando for more local figures.
Repairs
Interlock says a trained installer can release one damaged interlocking shingle and swap it without disturbing the shingles around it. With Metlok, the company that made and installed the roof also takes the repair call.
For stone-coated steel, ask how the installer replaces a single panel and how the new one will match after years of sun. HomeGuide lists color matching as a drawback of metal roof repairs in general.
Who installs each around Orlando
Metlok, one of our sponsors, is the only interlocking maker on our list. It makes panels in its own Florida factory, installs with its own crews and says it never subcontracts.
Sponsored
Metlok
Best for: A metal roof that looks like shingle, slate, shake or tile
- Metal system
- 26-ga Galvalume steel shingles
- Profiles
- Shingle, Slate; Shake and Barrel coming
- Warranty
- 50-yr limited lifetime, labor + materials
Metlok makes its own steel shingles in its own factory, and its own crews install them, so one company answers for both. Each panel locks to its neighbors on all four sides, so no screws show on the finished roof. Its Shingle and Slate panels carry Florida Product Approval FL47482.
Shingle and Slate profiles are available now, with Shake and Barrel listed as coming soon, in colors such as Carbon Gray, Coastal Drift and Tuscan Clay. November offer: $3,500 off a new Metlok roof signed by Nov 30.
Watch for: Only 6 Google reviews so far, and it's one product line. For standing seam, see the next pick.
Source: metlokroofing.com (products, warranty), Metlok's Google profile and November offer terms, checked Nov 8, 2026
Interlock's aluminum goes through certified independent installers, reached through Interlock Roofing of America's Metal Roofing Florida site. Stone-coated steel has more choice: 8 of the 18 roofers on our list install it, including these four.
- Universal Roof & Contracting (sponsor): stone-coated steel with a tile or shake look.
- Gravity Roofing: Unified Steel in five profiles, including Barrel-Vault Tile and Cottage Shingle.
- Fiddler's Roofing: QueenTile in Verona barrel tile, Shake and Slate.
- GMR Metal Roofs Florida: shows a DECRA stone-coated roof among its work.
Makers, profiles and batten details are in our stone-coated steel guide.
Which fits an Orlando house
Pick interlocking if you want the lightest roof, a smooth finish and no granules in your gutters. Metlok suits owners who want one company answering for product and labor; Interlock suits buyers set on aluminum. Our interlocking metal roofing guide covers both.
Pick stone-coated steel for a matte stone texture or a barrel tile shape today, since Metlok's Barrel is still listed as coming soon. More installers also means more bids to compare.
On interlocking metal roof vs stone coated steel, see both in person before you choose, because photos flatten the texture. Then compare installers on our list of Orlando metal roofers.
Sources: Metlok, Products and FAQ; Metlok, 50-Year Limited Lifetime Warranty; Metlok, Orlando November offer; Interlock, Metal Shingles; Interlock, Interlocking Aluminum Shingles Explained; Interlock, Florida Product Approval FL7263; Interlock, Florida installers; DECRA, Direct-to-Deck vs Batten Installation; DECRA, Metal Roofing Myths; DECRA, Roofing Granules; EDCO, Metal Roofing vs Stone Coated Metal Roofing; Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), Chapter 9; Florida Building Commission, Product Approval search; EPA, Using Cool Roofs to Reduce Heat Islands; McElroy Metal, Are Metal Roofs Noisy When It Rains? (Mar 24, 2026); HomeGuide, How Much Does a Metal Roof Cost? (Nov 21, 2025); JA Edwards of America, Metal Roofing Orlando; Gravity Roofing, Stone-Coated Steel; Fiddler's Roofing, Residential Metal Roofing; GMR Metal Roofs Florida; Universal Roof & Contracting, Metal Roof Installation in Orlando; each listed roofer's metal roofing page (for the count of stone-coated installers). Checked Nov 8, 2026.
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