Metal Roofs

[Brad Hammond]

hey all,

i'm about to start work on my new shop and i'm planning on a metal roof.
i've had quotes for 26g metal and 29g metal. this is for labor mind you, but i seem to be getting better prices for the 26g.
is there a big difference in having a 26g roof as opposed to a 29g?
thanx ya'll
brad

[Arvin Brown]

26 ga is thicker is all I would know.

[Dean Baumgartner]

Brad,
Is the price from the same contractor? I would ask questions like what type of paint is on each, what is the snow or wind rating, how many screws are used to attache each panel, depth of ribs. May be many things affecting why the lighter gauge would be more expensive.


Dean

[Greg Heppeard]

The only difference I know is the tone of the metal when the rain hits it...hehe

[Robert Ducharme]

How large of a roof?

What is the span between the purlins?

What is the dead load?

Insulation included between roof and purlins? What R factor?

Are the purlins steel or wood?

Are gutters included?

How are they sealing between different panels?

Is the roof a single panel from top to bottom on one side?

Do you have skylights?

Do the individual screws attaching the roof have a seal around the top so they will not leak when screwed in?



I have 26 guage on my roof and would never recommend anything lighter than that. Any hail or whatever would seriously dent a lighter roof and make it look like bad. I am lucky because at my altitude I do not get heavy hail. Otherwise I would never have gone with a metal roof.

[Wes Bischel]

Brad,
Can't help with the metal roof specs. But for some reason this cartoon by Bill Mauldin always comes to mind when metal roofs are discussed. :)

Wes

[Dennis Peacock]

Brad,

You may already know but I have a 30 by 60 foot metal building for my shop. It was built by the previous owner and I have leaks around the lower perimeter of the building that I have not been able to stop. I talked to a friend at work at she said that her husband helped them build the building and that they were a bit on the drunk side when doing the roof.....Needless to say that I will need to have the roof reworked one day. I do have 4 skylights in the roof and those are nice in the spring, fall and winter....but in the summer....WHEW.....they really crank out the heat into the shop.!!!!! In the summer, I cover the skylights with heavy aluminum foil and duct tape and that has eliminated about 10 degrees of heat load in the building during the summer. Make sure it is good quality steel, excellent warranty, insulated and conduit pre-installed for electrical and plumbing. You should have a standard door opening and a garage door for those days when you need to backup to the door or move a large piece of equipment or furniture out of the shop. Oh, and have them frame up for a window air conditioner in case you ever decide to put one in....it will save you a LOT of work later on.!

Overall, I really like the metal building and I do heat it in the winter with natural gas heat...no duct work though and I cool it in the summer while in the shop with a 10K BTU unit and a 8K BTU unit. Does well for Arkansas and will do you fine for Alabama.

If you just want to talk it over with someone that already has a metal building, PM me with your phone number and I will call you.

[Tyler Howell]

I talked to a friend at work at she said that her husband helped them build the building and that they were a bit on the drunk side when doing the roof.....:p

Dennis,

Now that's the way to do a progect. I know they are all the rage in the high country where they get a lot of snow and they are gaining momentum here in MN where we have the extremes of temp, Ice and snow.

[Dr. Zack Jennings]

29 Guage is too lite. You will likely have problems walking on the roof without denting it. Condensation can be a real problem with metal which may be Dennis's problem. Proper insulation and installation may solve that. Leaks around the fasteners is also a problem. I highly recommend the screws with rubber washers and placing the screws in the ridges, not the vallies. These are standard issues.

I would certainly research the condensation issue before doing this. My friend that is a lifelong roofer has stated: "All metal roofs leak.." My shop has a galvanized corrugated roof. We chased down some leaks and it's OK but still has an occasional problem.

My cousin has a 3000 square foot deer camp that's really nice. The condesation thing is driving him crazy....

Zack

[Dave Bartley]

I have had a metal roof on my home for 21 years. I have never had a problem with leaking in any way.

To prevent the condensation problem, it is imperative that you insulate the roof. You can buy rolls of insulation that are designed to go over the purlins prior to laying down the metal. If you are in a high wind area, you should consider the interlocking type metal roofing. If that stretches your budget another option would be to use a tape that is designed to go under the over lap of your joints. this will help seal the joints and keep them tight as well.

Hope this helps.

[Ken Garlock]

Brad, you may want to reconsider the use of a metal roof for your shop. While I have not priced the long panel metal roofs, I did look into the metal roof that looks like shake shingles from the ground. Those were very expensive, 3 times the cost of top quality fiberglass, and you had to be very careful when walking on them, they bent easily. I finally settled on a product from the pacific northwest, by a company called Malarky(no laughing). The shingles are a butyl rubber and fiberglass combination. They are 50 yr warranty, 110 MPH wind rated and class one fire rated. The best I could find and only 1/3 the cost of the fancy metal roof.

Yes, I know that you are not after the same type metal roof that I was considering when we built our home. But do consider that the metal will conduct nearly all the sun heat into the interior of the building. Do use a solar guard roof sheathing, the inside has aluminum foil coating.

You didn't say if you were going to have an attic or just one big enclosed area. What ever you do, you need insulation, insulation, and more insulation. If you put up a ceiling, put at least R40 fiberglass above it, and use ridge vents and soffit vents to cool the attic space. Don't use those stupid turbine vents, they are just a notch above nothing. Power vents are good, but they cost you electricity, and the motors tend to burn out(according to my electrician.)

In summary, I wouldn't use a metal roof on a building with HVAC installed unless I put in a ceiling with a VERY well insulated and vented attic.