Metal Roofing?????

[iajonesy]

Has anyone used or plan to use any type of metal roofing. I really like the looks of metal roofs but really don't know the pluses or minuses of them.I have no idea what costs are compared to shingles so any help would be appreciated.
This is for a garage with 8/12 pitch.

Mike

 

[kwfloors]

I have metal on my shop roof. Its less expensive than a composition roofing. Metal is noisey when it rains or snow rumbles off of it but I don't mind. They do put 'brakes' on when you want the roof to hold the snow on there.

 

[HotRodMan]

I have built two garages by myself and used metal roofing on both of them. The advantages are that the metal roof can be installed by one person much faster than shingles. I did the entire roof on a 24X38 garage working 8 hours on Saturday and 8 hours on Sunday. Shingles would have taken much longer. Also, the metal roof seams to last much longer and sheds water and snow better. If installed correctly it seams to handle high winds better than shingles. A tornado came within a mile of the garage. My roof was not effected while the all the neighbors had missing shingles. Follow the instructions from the manufacturer. The biggest mistake people make is using the wrong tool to cut the steel. If you use a grinder with a cutting blade, it heats the metal up and burns the paint off near the edge which starts rusting later on. I used an inexpensive nibbler and have had no problems. The only disadvantage I have seen is that it does cost more than the same amount of shingles and it is more noisy when it rains. If possible order your roofing directly from the supplier as he can cut the roofing to the length of your roof which will reduce the number of seams you will have.

 

[Justanoldguy]

90%+ of homes/garages/sheds in NZ have metal roofs.
Love em.
But our building methods are way different to the USA.

Sorry, not helping you one bit but it's another post on my total ... lol

 

[hemiredneck]

Materials cost almost twice the price of shingles, but installation was the same. I think it was $4600 for materials and $3000 labor. This is a 32x40 with a 10-12 pitch, and the only annoyance I have is in the winter the snow all slides off and piles up in front of the door. I had 4' snowbanks until early spring. Making any roof penetrations will be a little more involved, like vent pipes or exhaust stacks lining up between the ribs. Other than that, love it...and it will be harder to fix if it gets damaged...fallen tree, etc.

 

[Justanoldguy]

The biggest mistake people make is using the wrong tool to cut the steel. If you use a grinder with a cutting blade, it heats the metal up and burns the paint off near the edge which starts rusting later on.

Technically that is not true as cutting it with your nibbler also exposes the edge to rusting.
The MAIN problem with using a cutting disc is the spray of filing from the cut gets spread over the roofing sheets and it is these that rust and eat holes in the painted surface.
Really important to thoroughly WASH the roof after installation.

 

[volleyball]

My house, shed and temporary sunroom roofs are all panel metal. They come 1 meter wide and cover 36". You buy them to length so no horizontal seams.
The shed and temp roof were done with leftovers from many jobs of my roofer. So I do have seams and had to cut pieces to length. I used common circular saw, cutting several pieces at once. Worked great. Straight cut with some minor filing.

 

[ADSR]

Use a snap lock type with hidden fasteners. This type of system is far superior to the tough rib with exposed screws with rubber grommets that dry out and leak. Installation is also much faster as you are not laying out the hole pattern and pre drilling.

 

[ADSR]

Materials cost almost twice the price of shingles, but installation was the same. I think it was $4600 for materials and $3000 labor. This is a 32x40 with a 10-12 pitch, and the only annoyance I have is in the winter the snow all slides off and piles up in front of the door. I had 4' snowbanks until early spring. Making any roof penetrations will be a little more involved, like vent pipes or exhaust stacks lining up between the ribs. Other than that, love it...and it will be harder to fix if it gets damaged...fallen tree, etc.

That looks great! It will also be the last roof you will ever need!

 

[Lassen Forge]

We have old-school corrugated metal on our house, shop, and outbuildings... the ones that were new 35 years ago (on the house, and part of the shop) still look like new; the "recycled" ones (that are coming on 100 years) are starting to have rust issues... I was told they will last another 20 years, but I am thinking it's time...

The noise? In the uninsulated shop (more on that in a sec) it's there, but not bad - I know when its raining, and you get used to it - I kinda like it. And the snow melts down once the shop is heated. In the house, there's 2 layers of wood and insulation, so the noise is almost non-existant...

Insulation-wise, however... non-existant. One of the BIG additions to the new roof for the shop (along with the beams and reinforcement for weight) will be some kind of insulation, as in the winter I run 2 heaters and it can still be chilly; in the summer, I have fans and windows and the big peak door (looks like a barn hayloft door) going, as that roof radiates all that heat into the shop.

Saying all that - having had a metal roof, I wouldn't go back to comp... especially comparing replacing in 30 years, and replacing in 100+. My only thought - living in the sticks where there is little industrial pollution to rot it - if I can swing it costwise I'd go Copper over Steel, to eliminate the rustout issue... at least until my great grandkids have to replace it in 150 years (maybe)! (I've seen 200 year old copper roofs in Europe and Russia that, other than regular maintenance, are still solid, and will likely be that way for another couple hundred years!)...

I may have to sell the grandkids to do that, tho! lol

 

[SteveCh]

At my elevation in the Rockies, UV degrades shingles [asphalt or wood] in a decade or so. I had to replace my cedar shingles after nine yr., and they were in bad shape. So, I bit the bullet and went with galvalume steel panels. Standing seam, no fasteners showing. They have withstood a freakish windstorm of 115 mph, hail and a freakish 60" snowfall. No damage. I put snow fence rails around the edges so big slides of snow don't fall off.

It cost me probably three times what it would to replace the old shingles with new shingles. However, I can't see having to re-roof for the rest of my life.

I enjoy the rain sounds tapping on the metal. I find it rather pleasant.

Galvalume is a combined aluminum/galv. steel formulation. It's been on the roof for 17 years and no sign of degradation. It comes in colors, I opted for the plain galvanized look.

 

[38Chevy454]

I have metal roof, but the main reason was to match the house. Slight more cost initially, but it will outlast shingles and pay off in long term.

 

[Badger 13]

When wind damaged our roof a couple of years ago we replaced the shingles with a metal roof. It was a little more expensive but in my opinion well worth it. Plus it made the house look a lot better, and matches our metal building roof. As for the rain, it might be a little louder, but it sure doesn't bother us. As previously mentioned, I agree with the "standing seem style" over the "screw down", and would certainly go that route if I had to do over again.

 

[Falcon67]

I thought about it here, but the cost DIY was about 3 times what I spent for shingles. On cutting metal, I use a circular saw - keep an old blade and put it on backwards. Makes a hell of a noise but works great and there's not a lot of filings thrown everywhere.

 

[rieferman]

DIY cost or hired price are different animals, and type of steel roof also makes a big difference. Some high level info for "hired price" based on my the price book I used when selling construction (that was 2 years ago, but still should be relatively valid).


Most expensive = standing seam metal roof (long lasting, but time consuming install, not always easy to find a company that knows how to do this)

Next most expensive = Premium architectural shingles with proper felt/ice dam protection (typically shorter life than steel options, companies willing to install are readily available)

Least expensive = ribbed steel roof (like pole barn steel, very fast to install, very long lasting, pricing will depend on if you have companies around that are good at it... look for Amish/Menonite or pole barn companies... if you hire a shingle roofer to do steel, the price will be higher because they're not familiar/efficient)

 

[seymer]

Here in southern Michigan and northern Indiana the amish guys do it was cheaper. Was given a ballpark figure of 5000 for re doing my house roof. Metal overlay on shingles.

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

I used metal roofing on my current build and on my previous one and wouldn't consider anything else. I really don't want to have to think about the roof for a long time and don't need the risk of wind damage or moss. For the house, I'm undecided mostly due to aesthetics.

Around here the materials were about 1/3 more than duroid however the labour to install was about 1/3 what regular shingle would have been. My roof was intentionally simple with no valleys etc so I was able to order pieces the correct length to reach peak to facia and not require cutting. The whole job took about 5 hours for 3 guys.

I've watched several other people have metal roofs put on and I think the biggest problem with them is carelessness on the part of the installers. Walking around on a sandy construction site then on the metal roof, dragging metal airline couplers and fall arrest hardware etc all damage the paint which may not show up for 5 or 10 or 20 years but when the rust sets in, that's where it will start. Of course this will eventually be an issue but I've seen a lot of metal roofs that are still watertight after 40+ years, though not usually pretty. I'm pretty sure if you were on top of things and repainted it when it started to show it's age you'd extend the life by a good fraction of the original life.

Regarding the noise, on my previous shop I did the roof myself and just installed it over 2x4 strapping with open rafters. When it rained hard, you couldn't play the radio loud enough to hear it. This shop has 1/2 sheathing over the trusses and 1/2 plywood ceiling inside. Even without insulation, I can barely hear anything form the roof even in very heavy rain, haven't experienced any hail yet but that would likely be a different story.

My build: http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=187939

 

[dirttracker18]

Did my house in metal and I wish I had done the shop when I built it. I did the hidden fastener and love the look.

Not much noise but we kinda like the sound of the rain falling.

We have had hail with no damage. However my metal roof required sheeting so it is sitting right on wood sheets so that likely mitigated the damage.

I installed it myself and it was fast and easy. When it is time to redo the shop roof it will get the same metal roof.

 

[bushmechanic]

1: It looks cool.

2: Rain on a metal roof is wonderful.

3: It is durable as all hell.

4: You're house will fall down before it needs to be replaced.

5: It's far lighter than other solutions.

6: It looks cool.

7: Rain on a metal roof is wonderful.

8: It reflects more heat than it radiates in the summer.

9: Snow will slide off in the winter.

10: Rain is precisely directed to any gutter solution you've got.

11: It's VERY easy to clean.

12: Rain will wash off nearly anything that falls on it.

13: It looks cool.

14: Rain on a metal roof is wonderful.

In the end, you just can't beat a metal roof. People sleep under corrugated steel all over the world, and it's a heck of a lot cooler in the day than shingles when no climate control is present.

Also, driving through places like Eastern NC, you'll see hundreds of old barns being held together solely by metal roofs, some of which were installed nearly a century ago. A number of solutions are present, and not all of them are going to be visibly allowed in every neighborhood, but you can still get something tough.

...And when it rains, there's absolutely nothing in the world like a metal roof. It will put you right to sleep.

You'll need to add a bit of insulation so it doesn't collect and radiate heat from the interior of the building, but that's a minor issue. A little over the ceiling, and a little under the roof (according to whatever code is present) is all you'll need. Just keep the air in your home from directly hitting it.

Some of the roofs will be more expensive than shingles, of course, but not all will.

I don't really think there's a reason to use shingles anymore, now that so many competing metal alternatives are available.

I always thought shingles were a stupid idea to begin with.

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

anyone else find that a little unclear?

 

[nonhog]

12: Rain will wash off nearly anything that falls on it.

I only have to get on my shop roof once or twice a year to remove fir needle dams. On my shingle roof (home) its constant. 6-8 times a year. The heat dries the needles and they mostly blow away.

My shop gutters fill faster because of all my fir trees. but thats life.

House is getting metal too!

 

[mygarageone]

Technically that is not true as cutting it with your nibbler also exposes the edge to rusting.
The MAIN problem with using a cutting disc is the spray of filing from the cut gets spread over the roofing sheets and it is these that rust and eat holes in the painted surface.
Really important to thoroughly WASH the roof after installation.

No he's right . Using a cutting wheel heats up the metal and blisters the paint . If you use a set of snips and paint the edges your all set.

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

If you can order pieces the right length and avoid cutting that is best but if there are valleys and whatnot it's unavoidable. In that case make sure there are no scratches or if there are they are touched up. The exposed ends don't seem to present much of a problem, only the surface scratches. Cleaning all the metal bits helps too, I had to clean all the siding on my build with a hose and soft brush after I put it up, it only took a day to start to show all the orange spots. It really comes down to workmanship, like most things.

 

[Justanoldguy]

anyone else find that a little unclear?

yep, for sure .................

 

[Justanoldguy]

No he's right . Using a cutting wheel heats up the metal and blisters the paint . If you use a set of snips and paint the edges your all set.

Did he say say PAINT the edges?
Must have missed that bit.

Even with snips the edges are exposed, so wouldn't you paint that too?
So where is the difference?
The filings sprayed over the roof as I said before.

Been doing metal roofs for 40+ years so do know a wee bit..

 

[PugetDude]

No he's right . Using a cutting wheel heats up the metal and blisters the paint . If you use a set of snips and paint the edges your all set.

Use a circular saw blade to cut the metal. (not an abrasive cutoff blade!). Snips are fine for short notches, flashings, cutouts, etc but if you try to use hand snips to crosscut a profiled roof sheet it will look like an epileptic beaver gnawed his way through it.

No need to paint the edges. Most metal roofing is galvanized before painting and the galvanized coating will bridge and seal the cut edge.
If you paint the edges, the paint will bleed all over the factory coating and look like two-sided ***. (white underside/ color on topside)

 

[brownbagg]

here a tip, if you are screwing the metal down, stack all the tin on the ground and pre drill the holes, that away all your screws be in a line and the screw won't walk across the tin scratching the paint. stack all the tin and drill through all the tin at same place.

 

[Nader]

We have a standing seam metal roof, and I like it so far. It's gaining popularity here in the Pacific Northwest. The sound of rain on it is like white noise. It sounds the same as being in your car in the rain, with the engine off.

Is hail a potential threat where you live?

 

[coljar]

anyone else find that a little unclear?

I guess I've just got acclimated.

The metal roof on my older garage just got replaced last summer. It was 84 years old and could have been sanded and repainted, but I choose to put new metal on. The new garage has a metal roof, also. The house almost got one, but stayed with shingles.

 

[coljar]

90%+ of homes/garages/sheds in NZ have metal roofs.
Love em.
But our building methods are way different to the USA.

Sorry, not helping you one bit but it's another post on my total ... lol

Could you elaborate some on the methods used there for roof construction? I'm always interested in the way things are built other places and I know you were in the trade a long time.

 

[noslin]

not sure about NZ but i know in Europe they do metal differently then we do here in the states. We are currently installing a Zinc roofing system on a customers house. The metal comes from France, its a VMZinc system. All of their details are different then what we would normally do.

for starters the whole roofing system (panels) float, meaning they are not fastened down except at the ridge. The panel system that is being installed is a mechanically seamed vertical seam system on clips. a few other examples would be at sidewall and rake details where in the states you would normally install a ZEE closure fastened into the panel with tacky tape, their system is such that your sidewall and rake flashings will have a hem on them and attach to a hem on the roofing panel. that cleat is then fastened into the roof or sidewall. its just that nothing is directly fastened through the panels, they are secured with a cleat that has a hem on it and hooks to a hem on the panel. most of the details are similar to that. say, on fascia metal, instead of fastening the one end of the fascia metal, they use a hem on the end and then a cleat that grabs that with the cleat being screwed into the fascia.

this is kind of what im talking about here.

for you guys putting a standing seam or vertical seam metal roof on, put down some cleat and bend the ends back so they hook under the cleat. that way you do not have any exposed fasteners except on the trim if thats the way you choose to attach your trim. do the same detail in the valleys as at the eave.

dean

 

[TractorJeff]

My house had it when we bought. From the second floor, we watched the garage roof decay over a 10 year period. I told the wife that if I do shingles now, I would need to do it again in 20 years. I told her forget it!
Shingles were $59 a 100sqft, where as Steel was $61 a hundred