[3192]

We will be needing a new roof for our house sometime soon. Does anyone have any information/experience using a metal roof for residential use? I'm sure they are more expensive...but they should last longer.? Pros/Cons???
Any input is appreciated. gb

 

[Free_loader]

Pro ... they last forever

Con ... they usually look awful


with that said the next house i buy will have a metal roof .. i'll take function over beauty anytime

 

[Don Smith]

I have one on my home. The insurance rates are 30 - 40% less for homeowners and they are guaranteed for 30 years. No maintenance and since I live out in the country, it looks great. I would never go back to a conventional type roof. The complaint that they are more noisy is an indication that there is not enough insulation in the attic.

 

[drred4]

I would say the biggest Con is expense.

Pro last a long time and hold up to certain types of damage better than shingles. If done right they could even be more efficient than shingles.

I think a metal roof with the right exterior on a house is very aesthetically pleasing. (old wood farm style house or almost always with stone.)

 

[surfspeck]

Tons of metal roofs up here in the hill country. Id prefer a metal roof over any other type of roof for functionality and looks.

 

[KJON]

Ditto what Floatin Docs says, mine has been through Rita, Gustavo, and Ike, still good!!!!

 

[John Galt]

Pro: May be more energy efficient, lasts forever, more durable, insurance savings.

Con: Expensive, may violate deed restrictions, noisy in a hailstorm, might be ugly (although..some of the standing seam metal roofs I've seen are beautiful...especially in copper.)

 

[Bobby]

I saw several metal roofs on Bolivar that were peeled off and left nothing but the rafters. Houses on both sides had regular shingles and had no damage. If you have a strong wind and it gets under one corner the whole thing will peel off.

 

[chickenboy]

I agree with Bobby, I have been studying roofs since Ike and have seen many peeled back like a bananna.

 

[BS]

you can get a 150 mph rated metal roof. that's what I'm going with on the bay next time I need one.

BS

 

[PasadenaMan]

check out these guys Met-tile.com

Met-Tile's Proven Hurricane Performance​

Met-Tile has an unsurpassed 230+ mph wind rating based on UL wind uplift testing. The long-length, tile-look panels are tightly fastened to seal out wind and weather and prevent the blow-off that often occurs with shingles or tiles under high wind conditions. Met-Tile carries a full range of Certifications & Approvals including Metro Dade County, FL (#MDC-75).

​

 

[ladyfish]

HAD a metal roof-peeled off and dropped by the house. not very happy with that. will probably replace w metal roof. i suspect it was not installed correctly-screws were only about 1 inch long, going into fiberboard (junk) a good breeze would have taken it off. hope insurance helps a little bit. yes, water damage to ceilings, floors, walls-from rain not flood.
location-outside of angleton

ladyfish

 

[Profish00]

Even if you think your conventional roof wasn't damaged during IKE check your gutters, they will have 5 years worth of roof in them.

Roofer show me mine today. My gutters are full of pebbles.

 

[rockhound76]

The house we plan to build on Moses Lake will have a hurricane-rated metal seamed roof. The deed restrictions will require it.

If a metal roof fails, it is usually catastrophic. Proper installation is critical.

 

[KillaHookset]

One thing to keep in mind is that hail damage to a metal roof is considered cosmetic and will not be covered under any standard homeowners insurance to be fixed or replaced unless you have actual holes in the roof from some baskeball size hail.

 

[Swells]

Got a bunch of money? The best roof I can find is Hardy Board laid over real plywood. The Hardy board is glued down in addition to using corrosion-proof deck screws (pre-drilled or self tapping). Then each panel seam is laid with epoxy (with filler for any cracks) and fiberglass tape and lightly covered in a second application, like drywall or building a home kit boat. The entire surface is then primed in epoxy and fixed for any voids, penetrations like roof vents, and holidays - you decide how to finish and what color.

Such construction was tested in major hurricanes in the Bahamas in 2004 and 2005 and it performed better than any other kind of roof, wind speeds over 145 MPH for over 24 hours. The sandwich construction is very strong. No metal, clay tile, slate, or asphalt roofing system even comes close. It's just expensive as heck unless you can score darn near wholesale prices. -sammie

 

[Mr. Breeze]

Metal Roofs

You are correct. At least 5/8 inch thick plywood deck, no fiberboard, screw must penetrate deck at least 1/4 inch, no open soffits, concealed fasteners, no exposed screws on the panels, screw fastener clips no further apart than 2 feet, preferably 24 gauge galvalume if close to the ocean, panel must be wrapped and locked around drip edge. PM if you need a quote.

HAD a metal roof-peeled off and dropped by the house. not very happy with that. will probably replace w metal roof. i suspect it was not installed correctly-screws were only about 1 inch long, going into fiberboard (junk) a good breeze would have taken it off. hope insurance helps a little bit. yes, water damage to ceilings, floors, walls-from rain not flood.
location-outside of angleton

ladyfish

 

[Monarchy]

coastalcontractor.net is a great site for information like this

http://www.coastalcontractor.net/cgi-bin/article.pl?id=210

 

[MLCinNCTX]

One thing to keep in mind is that hail damage to a metal roof is considered cosmetic and will not be covered under any standard homeowners insurance to be fixed or replaced unless you have actual holes in the roof from some baskeball size hail.

This is seems to be true across the board with the companies. My metal roof looks like a cedar shingle roof from about 50 yards. My insutance company will pay, without a deductable, to have a "dent popper" company repair dents once every 5 years on a roof like a standing seem.

Also be very careful selecting you roofer. There are alot ofguys selling metal roofs that are not UL rated for a home and will not qualify for the homeowners insurance discount. The discount amount varies by county, but is generally in the 30% range.

I have had my metal roof for7 years and not one issue. As said above, the nise everyone woories about is not there. Someone also said they saw where metal roofs blew away and nothing but rafters remained. That was how metal roofs were installed in the 1920s. The roof was framed using purlins and then covered with tin sheets. I don't think that would last on the coast, but there are some homes in this area that are nearing 100 years with the original roof. These were very noisey homes when it rained or hailed.