By Will Pafford, Staff Writer

A West Lake Hills resident will be able to use energy-efficient roofing material despite its shiny appearance that is in violation of a city ordinance. 

The West Lake Hills City Council narrowly granted a variance to Daniel Mann, who lives on Laurel Valley Road, to use a metal roofing material on his home during its meeting on June 10. 

Galvalume roofing panels are essentially sheets of steel that are coated with a mixture of aluminum and zinc. 

Mann said he chose Galvalume because of its environmental benefits. 

Unlike shingles, which are oil-based, Galvalume is made from recycled materials and can also be recycled at the end of its life, Mann said. 

Galvalume is also energy-efficient and the ideal choice for rainwater collection, he said. 

Although the surface is shiny, Mann said the roof would not be visible to other residents or drivers. 

“This house is particularly secluded,” he said. 

Mann collected letters of support from his neighbors and said he drove to higher points that look down toward his house to ensure the roof’s glare would not interfere with his neighbors. 

The glare of the roof will also diminish as time passes and the sheets become weathered, a process that takes between five months and three years, he said. 

One option to reduce the reflectivity would be to paint the panels. 

Peter Pfeiffer, a founding architect of Barley & Pfeiffer Architects, said painting the panels would ruin the energy-saving benefits of Galvalume, and paint would chip. 

Pfeiffer said he has a client in West Lake Hills who wants to use this type of roofing, and he has already built multiple homes in the area using Galvalume roofs. 

City Councilwoman Cindy Probst said if this home was in a subdivision such as Cortona, she would not approve the variance, but Mann’s home is tucked away. 

Councilman Spencer Stevens said he was worried about a few people on Redbud Trail who could see Mann’s roof, but were not notified of Mann’s plans. 

The variance for the roof passed in a 3-2 vote, with Councilman Andrew Schwartz and Stevens dissenting.