Metal Vs Shingles

[Stephen Beckham]

Okay - now with two storms in a row, I'm tired of repairing the roof one, two, ten shingles at a time. The adjuster has stated that I can claim it and replace it with a new roof. As a matter of fact, they stated that since the last roof was placed over the existing roof (2 layers of shingles) they would 'require' it to be replaced versus being repaired.

So - not knowing much about roofs other than they are over my head (okay poor pun)....

I'm being told to go metal versus the shingles. The cost is worth it. I'm not worried about the noise from rain so I don't consider that a disadvantage. What else do I need to know about Metal since I'm leaning that way?

Thanks for your input!

[Greg Heppeard]

There's a product called Fanfold (I think). It's a thin layer of blue styrofoam. Put it under the metal and make sure the seams are sealed with good tape. It will dampen the noise from rain and also add a layer of water protection just in case you develope a small hole in the metal. My dad put it on his garage and pole barn over 25 years ago. No Fanfold on the pole barn, now he has a few pinhole leaks (not sure why), no leaks in the garage. He lives in Ohio, so maybe the weather has something to do with it.

[Tom Godley]

Is this wind damage or maybe hail -- and is this on a house or an outbuilding/barn. Do you just have "three tab" on the roof now.


You can install an asphalt roof that will hold up to wind/and hail.

I have had metal roofs -- they can be regular standing seam - normally done in copper $$$. They also have painted metal roof systems that are very nice -- but they work best on simple roofs when used in a house setting -- they require special treatments at the eves and ridge. If you look around you see them all over storefronts.

You also have to be careful with hail on a metal roof.

I just priced a standing roof on a small addition I am building.

[Lee Koepke]

metal roofs are quite a bit more than shingles. of course they carry better warranties and last longer than shingles (if installed by properly certified contractors).

There is a relatively new product thats a metal roof that is textured and configured to look like barrell tile, shingles, or slate roofs...I dont have the product data at home, but if you are interested, I can get you the manufacturer and product line ....

[Ed Falis]

metal roofs are quite a bit more than shingles. of course they carry better warranties and last longer than shingles (if installed by properly certified contractors).

There is a relatively new product thats a metal roof that is textured and configured to look like barrell tile, shingles, or slate roofs...I dont have the product data at home, but if you are interested, I can get you the manufacturer and product line ....

Sounds like the Interlock I got put on my roof. Expensive, with a lifetime warranty for the original owner, 50 years prorated for subsequent owners. Nice stuff and looks great. PM me if you want to discuss oversight of the contractor, which you do.

[Jim Becker]

We did metal over our new porch on the addition. Originally we were going to do it over the entire house, but the cost difference was something like $8 a foot compared to $2 a foot for 50 year architectural asphalt which is what we ended up using for most of the project. That said, the metal is wonderful stuff. But you do need an installer than knows what they are doing and also be aware that there are different grades/weights and both steel and aluminum. You'll also need snow guards if there is any chance of snow where you live as metal is quite slippery.

Highly recommended if you can budget it and it's one of the longest lasting roofs you can have put on.

[Stephen Beckham]

Wow - lots of data and questions...

It's on the house - it is the three tab (both layers). The first one was damaged by a huge hail storm back six or seven years ago - most everyone had to replace their roofs after that one. It's a simple ranch style with one big gable in the center and smaller ones on both ends. No tricky corners or angles.

Currently - the damage as I understand it is that some of the nails are backing out causing looseness and then the wind does the rest. It was explained to me that it's most likely because of the two layers on top of each other.

We get quite a bit of both hail and wind around here - not to mention the F1 that went through town last night. We do also get snow on occasion.

The adjuster comes tomorrow - I'll see what the insurance company offers for repair costs - if budget warrants it, I'll look into the metal - as a recent retiree though - no big $$$ projects at this point, but thanks for offering info on the new $tuff.

Heck - I know this roof is under some kind of warranty since it's only six-seven years old, but it was done two owners ago and I haven't the clue who did it - it was one of the fly-by-night-storm chasers according to the neighbors. Probably why it's only lasted this long... I'm going to work with local contractors that I can trust...

Another question - another suggestion was to have it installed right over the shingles as is - that doesn't make sense to me either. Shouldn't they start from scratch?

[David G Baker]

I don't think you are allowed to install over two roof layers. If you can afford it, striping the roof and starting over is the best way to go IMHO.
I had a new roof installed on my home in Mid Michigan, prior to hiring the work done I got a bid on metal roofing and another on asphalt roofing. The metal roofing was going to cost around $20,000, the asphalt $9,000. I went with the asphalt.

[Randy Denby]

What I've heard from an adjuster....if the metal roof is dented from hail, but not leaking , which is most probable, then dont expect replacement. They might give you some money for aesthetics, but not probable. So you end up living with a dented roof

[Alex Shanku]

Stephen,

You are right, you really dont want to put the metal roof over two layers of shingles.

One, the weight of multi-layers of roofing materials is an issue.

Two, since you have had shingle damage, you want to strip them off and make sure your plywood/osb/roof boards are sound and havent been exposed to water. You can then fix the problem before you seal it back up.

[Tom Godley]

You could have a few things going on.

When you install a second three tab over an original three tab you must make sure that you use nails long enough to go through to the original decking. Also if your roof deck is random boards vs plywood/osb -- the roofers often shoot the nails between the boards - so only the tar tabs hold that shingle down.

Another thing is that the second roof normally does not sit as flat because of the uneven first level-- making it lift in areas when the wind gets going.

You will need to strip the roof of the layers and start new. Even standard three tabs stand up to a great amount of wind when new. They just must be installed using the right nail and enough of them in the correct place. Often roofers just want to get the job done - and they are not installed right.

Today three tabs are a false economy - for a little more money you can install a roof with almost twice the life and much better looking.

I think you will find that a metal roof will be more that you may want to spend - and those "gable" ends are what I am talking about -- all the panels must be cut at those points. Hail is a problem with steel roofs even with proper installation.

[Chris Padilla]

Well, I just had my roof replaced.

I originally had cedar shakes on skip sheathing (1x6s space 6" apart) and while I liked the look, I didn't like the maintenance, the moss growth, the splitting, the slipperyness, etc.

We went with a "second-level" architectural composite (asphalt) shingle and we are quite happy with the results. Metal roofs are quite pricey. Most are coated to help with noise. I think we had the "Presidential Series" from CertainTeed brand. It wasn't the most textured one ("third-level") but it wasn't the plain one either ("first-level"). For 24 squares of material with new gutters and gutter guards, we paid about 14k to get our roof done here in California. I upgraded from OSB to CDX plywood for my sheathing. They simply stripped the roof to the 1x6 skip sheathing and installed the plywood right over that, 30# tar paper, shingles.

I had several cathedral/vaulted ceilings in my house an I went ahead and upgraded the insulation in the rafter bays once the tear-off was done.

I changed out my eletrical attic fans to solar fans and even moved some vents to faciliate a potential future install of solar PV panels.

We also added 3 skylights to brighten up our rather dark living room (in a vaulted ceiling) and man, they bring in the light and look really nice in the ceiling! I have a couple of threads in regards to all this if you care to search in here.

Good luck!

[Joe Pelonio]

The metal panel roofs look nice with cabin style homes, and are a lot easier and not too expensive to put up. I have done them on a barn and a deck cover. They are a bit noisy ij heavy rain but last forever and it would take a big hailstone to dent them.

I have also looked at the coated steel roofing when we got ours replaced, and passed on it because it was double the cost of shakes, probably 4-5 times the cost of fiberglass/asphalt shingles. Nice though, they are made to look like shakes or tiles from the ground.

This is the brand we looked at, lifetime warranty and even a hail warranty. There are others that make similar products.

http://www.gerardusa.com/

[Jim Becker]

Here's a shot of the metal over our new front porch...I really love it! (Snow guards were installed after this picture taken)

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[Tom Manley]

Stephen - we are in the process of getting our roof replaced after taking repeated damage in high winds over the past 3 months.. We've decided to go w/metal & found a good contractor thru our local metal supplier. We're going to leave our 1 layer of shingles on the house & put down lath strips & screw the metal to the lath. It's going to cost right @ the cost of 3 tab w/old shingle removal so we're happy. Hope to get it started w/in the month.

[jamison tilne]

Your metal roof looks quite nice against your siding. I can imagine that this type of roof is more eco friendly than the old tar/asphalt one. Far lower maintanence than wood shakes and shingles too. Are you able to coat the roof to protect it from hail damage?

[Chris Padilla]

Here's a shot of the metal over our new front porch...I really love it! (Snow guards were installed after this picture taken)

I think it is a nice touch having different roofing materials and it works well on your house, Jim!

[Ted Jay]

Okay - now with two storms in a row, I'm tired of repairing the roof one, two, ten shingles at a time. The adjuster has stated that I can claim it and replace it with a new roof. As a matter of fact, they stated that since the last roof was placed over the existing roof (2 layers of shingles) they would 'require' it to be replaced versus being repaired.

So - not knowing much about roofs other than they are over my head (okay poor pun)....

I'm being told to go metal versus the shingles. The cost is worth it. I'm not worried about the noise from rain so I don't consider that a disadvantage. What else do I need to know about Metal since I'm leaning that way?

Thanks for your input!

Stephen,
Ask your insurance agent which type of metal roofing would get you a better rate on your insurance bill, if you decide to go metal. We have All$tate and our agent told my wife which brand would get the best discount. It could be area specific, so you might want to check with your agent.
Ted

[Stephen Beckham]

Ted - that's a great idea - I'm expecting a call today from them to figure out what I'm authorized... I'll ask them while I'm on the phone...

Thanks

[Ken Garlock]

When we built in 2002, I searched the web for the very best roofing I could find. My concerns were warranty, wind rating, fire rating, and impact resistance(hail.)

I ended up selecting a company in Oregon, Malarkey Roofing. (don't laugh) In particular I selected their Legacy shingle (http://www.malarkey-rfg.com/PDFFiles/MRP%20WebFliers/LegacyFlierWeb.pdf).

Because the the wind and fire rating being the best, I was able to get a 30% discount on the home owners insurance (not small change.)

BTW, if you need new roof sheeting, get the kind with the aluminum foil on the attic side.

[Chris Padilla]

BTW, if you need new roof sheeting, get the kind with the aluminum foil on the attic side.

Ken,

I actually tried to do that but my roofer claimed that CDX plywood with foil wasn't available. I could, however, get OSB with foil. I decided that plywood was better than OSB and so had to forego any foil backing. I did, however, improve the insulation in my cathedral ceiling so I'm good.