Today, standing seam metal roofs are commercially manufactured my tens if not hundreds of big metal roofing manufacturers, and thousands of smaller roofing outfits with their own sheet metal shops and standing seam rolling machines.

Most standing seam metal roofs installed today are 24 gauge steel or .032 aluminum panels with high quality Kynar 500 paint coating, baked on in seven layers (including primer) in the controlled factory environment when the metal coil is manufactured. After the coil is slit to the right size, it is delivered to the “manufacturer” of metal roofs, and is roll-formed into pre-measured length panels, either on site or in the metal shop, and then delivered to the job site, where they are installed on the roof.

Most common profiles of standing seam roofs are 16″ panels – either snap-lock or mechanical lock profiles. Snap lock allows the metal roofing contractors to quickly install the roof my snapping one panel into receiving lock of the previous panel.

Snap lock panels can be installed from left-to-right or vice versa, or even from a center starter panel in either direction.

Standing seam metal roof installation

Standing seam metal roofs should be installed over a properly prepared roof deck. The wooden substrate below should be even, dry, and be at least 1/2 inch thick. Standing seam roofs can also be installed over purlins (horizontally running 1×3 or 1×4 furring strips) or over boars. It is also recommended to install standing seam metal roofing over a roofing underlayment such as roofing felt (tar paper) or synthetic underlayment. It is recommended that synthetic underlayment is breathable, so it does not trap moisture, which can cause roof deck to rot and mold / mildew can form, causing expensive repairs. Ice $ Water shield is also not recommended for use under a metal roof as it is first – not serving it’s main purpose, since metal roofs inherently prevent ice dams, and Ice and Water will also trap moisture.

In Norther New England states (NH, VT and ME), it is a common practice to install standing seam metal roof over asphalt shingles. This is done mainly for economical reason, roof tear of and disposal can be very costly. This practice should also be avoided however. Two reasons for this are:

• Standing seam panels will expand and contract with temperature changes, while the under-pan will be rubbing against the stone-coated surface of asphalt shingles, which will strip off the paint and galvanizing layer of the metal roofing panes and cause rust.
• When snow sits on a metal roof, it compresses the panels against the asphalt shingles, creates horizontal dents on the panels which make your new roof look very unattractive or should I even say – ugly. This is also referred to as “telegraphing effect” when rows of shingles show through the metal roof.

Standing seam metal roof is attached to the roof deck using fasteners (usually 1 inch wide head screws) and either clips or screws / nails installed through a nailing strip which can be formed when the metal panels are produced.

Nailing strip panels are faster and cheaper to install, but should not be used on panel runs over 15 feet, as expansion and contraction will cause buckling and “oil-canning” in the panels. Oil canning is a term used to refer to ugly bubbles that you can sometimes see on a standing seam roof. To prevent oil canning, you can have your standing seam metal roof made with special low profile stiffening ribs that are indented into the pan of each panel, during manufacturing process.

Another way to avoid oil canning is to install the standing seam roof using clips (this reduces the tension on the panel) and to install panels in mild weather, so it’s not to expanded or contracted at the time of installation, on of-course you need a more or less even roof deck surface.

For more hands-on information check out this standing seam metal roof installation guide.

Pros and Cons of standing seam metal roofs

While standing seam roofs are very popular, they are rather difficult to install on complicated roofs, with many dormers, skylights, valleys, etc. They can be very pricey, as compared to other metal roofing materials such as metal shingles, shakes and stone coated metal roofing tiles. The difference in cost is mainly due to the difficulty of installation, high waste factor, and higher material cost for quality metal roofing panels (not the 29 ga cheap steel, acrylic-coated metal roof normally installed by low-ball metal roofing companies).

Because of the design of architectural standing seam metal roof, it is also very difficult to install a roof penetration flashing for sky-lights and chimneys, as there is no one good flashing method, and you rely mainly on caulking, when it comes to water-tightness. All of these factors complicates the installation process of standing seam metal roofing and make the cost go up.

Learn more about metal roofing prices in Massachusetts and the rest of New England. These prices are slightly higher than the most other regions of US, due to higher cost of living, but should not be far off the metal roofing costs in most developed regions and major metropolitan areas.

Standing seam on low slope roofs.

Standing seam metal roof can be installed on a low slope roof of no less than 1 in 12 pitch. It must be a mechanical lock standing seam system, and is usually a structural standing seam, installed on space metal buildings.

The mechanical lock profile used on low-sloped metal roofs ensures that water does not penetrate through the lock between panels, if it sits above the lock. Structural standing seam is often made of cheaper steel with low quality galvanic coating, and can begin to rust within 10-15 years, and will require a roof repair, as well as fastener re-tightening.

Metal roofs should never be installed on dead flat roofs as it is not designed to withstand ponding water and all joints on a metal roof are sealed using some type of caulking. Even the copper panels with soldered seams have proven to leak on dead zero slope roofs. Most interlocking shingles profiles can only be used on roofs with at least 3 pitch. As for standing seam, it can be used on very low slope roofs, but you must use the mechanical lock profile to prevent roof leaks.

Learn more on how to calculate roof pitch for your home, for you to know which standing seam metal roof profile to use.

Next in this series, we will discuss Metal Roofing Shingles, which are a great, inexpensive and versatile alternative to standing seam roofs.

Essentially, metal roofing is a far superior energy efficient and environmentally safe roofing alternative to conventional roofing materials. Naturally, most people who become exposed to many great benefits that metal roofs have to offer, will consider installing metal roofing on their property. Which brings up the next question; how come not everybody has metal roofs on their homes? Aside from a lack of awareness about pros and cons of metal roofing, and perpetuation of the old myths and untruths about metal roofing being noisy in the rain, not that good looking, and easily susceptible to corrosion, it is the fact that metal roofing costs more than asphalt shingle roofs.

Despite the higher initial cost of metal roofing, there are many factors that may influence a buying decision in favor of metal roofing. Sure, being initially pricey, maybe the major hindrance to installing a metal roof, but overcoming this initial obstacle may have many benefits for the homeowners.

Metal roofs notorious for their energy efficiency, which translates into average energy savings of 20% or more on cooling costs. Some homeowners report having energy savings of up to 40 percent.

Metal roofing can last far longer than an asphalt shingle roof. In fact, metal roofs can outlast asphalt shingle roofs by as many as three times.

Metal roofs are fully recyclable at the and all of their service life. This is good for the environment, and is one of the many reasons why metal roofs are gaining in popularity as a green building material.

Metal roofs increase the appraised value of your home, then they retain that while you more so than any other remodeling project you could think of. As one of the arguments to a higher price of metal roofing, the ability of metal roofs to enhance the curb appeal of your property and increase its upraised value is what makes higher price justifiable. Retaining that higher appraised value while yielding monthly energy savings on cooling costs, and providing many decades of reliable and maintenance free protection is what makes metal roofs a smart investment.

Now, that would have covered the basics of metal roofing pricing considerations, we can get down to the actual numbers you may expect to pay for metal roofing. Generally speaking, metal roofing costs approximately double of what you would normally pay for asphalt shingle roofing installation by a professional contractor who has their licenses and insurance in check.

Steel shingle roofs cost around $800 per square for the materials and labor. Steel shingle roofs are protected by a layer of zinc and aluminum to prevent corrosion, which should give you about 50 years of service life under normal conditions.

If you live near coastal area where air contains a higher concentration of salt, you should choose aluminum as a metal roofing material. Installing aluminum shingles metal roofing will cost you about $1000 per square for materials and labor.

On the higher end of metal roofing products for residential homes you may choose to install standing seam metal roofing which will run you about $1100 per square for materials and labor.

Prices provided here are meant as a general guideline only and will vary depending on your location, contractor, and the difficulty of your roof.

Resources:

Metal Roofing Prices

Metal Roofing Materials Prices