One of the biggest appeals that metal roofing has to offer to the homeowners today, is that more often than not, it can be a very long lasting roof that requires virtually no maintenance or repairs, and can last three times longer than a regular roof. Being made out of metal makes, this roof is extremely lightweight, durable and sturdy, flexible, energy efficient, and good for the environment.

Metal roofs perform extremely well in all types of climates. In the hotter climates, metal roofs reflect solar radiant heat, which helps keeping the interior of the building cool, and saves money on air conditioning costs. Energy star rated metal roofs can save as much as 40 percents on cooling costs.

In northern climates, metal roofs coated with a special coating help shed snow and ice away from the roof, which prevents the accumulation of snow and eliminates the possibility of ice dam formation on your roof.

Many metal roofing systems available on the market today, contain a minimum of 30% of post consumer metal content, which qualifies them for LEED certification by the U.S. green building council. Asphalt shingle roofs, on the other hand, contain petroleum that goes into the production of asphalt shingles, and end up in our landfills after their relatively short and energy inefficient service.

Standing Seam Metal Roof

Metal roofs are available in many styles, the most popular standing-seam metal roof provides modern architectural look and looks aesthetically pleasing. Metal shingles roof offers a more traditional look of the asphalt shingle, which is a good alternative for somebody who wants a reliable and energy efficient roof that resembles the looks of conventional roofs. Metal shingles can also work well for historic buildings, but so does standing-seam, which was installed on Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. This roof was installed over a century ago, and has recently been renovated with a new standing-seam metal roof.

Homeowners who consider installing a metal roof for their home, need to be aware of metal roofing costs that are usually three times higher than the cost of an asphalt shingle roof. The reason for the price difference is that metal roofing requires special skills in order for it to be installed correctly. The installation of standing-seam metal roof is quite involved and takes time to develop the skills of installing it correctly. Asphalt shingle roofing, on the other hand, can be installed by regular laborers in a fraction of a time that it takes to install standing-seam roof, or metal shingle roof.

Thus, in spite of steep residential metal roofing prices, being initially on the pricey side, metal roofing can still be a great exterior remodeling decision for somebody who does not want to re roof their house again. Another advantage of installing a metal roof is that it provides a beautiful curb appeal to your home, and energy savings that add up over the years.

Asphalt shingle roofing continues to be the most widely used residential roofing material, but it does have many disadvantages and drawbacks. To name a few, asphalt shingle roofs average less than 20 years of service life. When the asphalt shingle roof ages, the shingles begin to chip and crack, which causes it to lose its water resistant properties, and this ultimately causes the roof leaks.

When it comes to replacing the asphalt shingle roof, the old roof has to be stripped and disposed off. Although, asphalt shingles roofing is relatively cheap, it is not the most environmentally friendly type of roofing material. Unfortunately, the asphalt shingles are not recyclable. The end result of disposing of the old composition roof is that this petroleum based product ends up in our landfills to decompose. Clearly, this is detrimental to our environment. With its short lifespan, asphalt shingles are becoming obsolete, and it is highly likely that asphalt shingles will be phased out from production in just a few decades.

Cedar shakes are made of cedar wood, a natural building material. Cedar shakes can last anywhere from 15 to 30 years on the roof. The cost of installing cedar shakes is roughly double of what you would normally pay for asphalt shingles. The disadvantage of cedar shakes is that their lifespan is rather short for the price.

Metal roofing is available in metal shingles and standing-seam profiles. Both of these systems are highly energy efficient and long lasting. Metal roofs are considered green because they reduce the temperature of the building by reflecting solar radiant heat away from the roof, which helps keep interior spaces cool, as well as lessen the urban heat island affect.

Metal is a fully recyclable material, which makes it a green alternative to asphalt composition shingle roofs. Another advantage of standing-seam metal roof is that they can be easily integrated with solar roofing panels. From financial stand point, roofs made with metal cost roughly double the cost of asphalt roof, but their higher initial cost is well justified considering that metal-built roofs can last three times longer than asphalt. Factor in the energy savings, and appraised building value, and it becomes clear that it is a superior choice for sloped roofs.

Thus, asphalt shingle roofing is not the most lucrative option in terms of its poor performance, environmental unfriendliness, and being susceptible to thermal shocks, which is especially relevant in hotter climates.  On the flip side, relatively low asphalt shingles roofing prices make it a viable alternative for somebody who needs a quick fix for a leaky roof and couldn’t care less about long-term consequences or environmental considerations.

The roofing materials covered above pertain to sloped roofs. There are many houses and buildings that have flat roofs. The most widely used flat roofing membrane is EPDM rubber. EPDM roof replacement cost is moderate ranging anywhere from $300 to $500 per square installed. The biggest problem associated with EPDM roofing, is that EPDM roofs are prone to fail at their seams. This happens when the glue dries up, and the water gets in between the seams. Refreezing of the water further expands the gaps between the seams. Although,
EPDM roofs are fairly easy to repair, the repairs may be costly and impermanent.

PVC cool flat roof membrane is a good alternative to EPDM roofs. PVC membranes are hot air welded to connect the seams. The advantage of using hot air welding process over glue is that the roof seams formed by hot air welding, create a permanent bond between the roof seams. Such seams, when properly welded together, will not come apart due to the water freezing and refreezing cycles.

Modern advances of coating steel  sheets with a layer of zinc and aluminum, make corrugated metal roofs a viable economical alternative to conventional roofs, and premium metal roofs. Corrugated metal roofing systems available today offer high degree of corrosion resistance, energy efficiency, and economical sustainability.  Many corrugated steel roofing sheets contain over 30% of recycled steel post consumer content, which qualifies it for LEED credit awarded by green building council.

There are also high quality paint finishes available for corrugated metal roofs.  High quality Kynar paint finishes applied over corrugated metal roofs will make this type of metal roofing system ultra cool.  Energy savings of over 30% can be attained with the use of ultra cool metal roofing systems.

Corrugated metal roofs are usually made out of  G-24, or G-26, galvanized steel sheet roofing panels with exposed fasteners.  Corrugated steel roofs are energy efficient, environmentally friendly, green and most importantly affordable.  Made out of a relatively thin sheet metal, corrugated metal roofs costs less than metal shingles, and standing-seam metal roofs.  They can be a practical alternative solution for commercial, agricultural, industrial, and sometimes residential buildings.

Corrugated metal roofs are comprised out of corrugated sheet roofing panels that are 32 to 36 inches wide.  The panels are connected in a side by side overlapping fashion.  To attain water-tightness, the caulk has to be used at the points of overlap in between the metal panels.  Corrugated steel panels are secured in place by exposed fasteners.  The disadvantage if using exposed fasteners, is that the water may leak through, if the fasteners become loose.  To keep corrugated metal roofing watertight, the exposed fasteners have to be re-tightened every 10 years.  Therefore, this is not a maintenance free roof.

The main advantage of corrugated metal roofing system is that it is relatively cheap compared to the price of metal shingles and standing-seam roofs.  You can cover a large roof area with corrugating metal roofing.

As with most metal roofs, there are premium material choices available for corrugated roofs.  For instance, you can get aluminum corrugated sheet roofing panels, which will last longer than steel. There are also, stainless steel corrugated panels available to you. Of course, this will cost slightly more, but the higher price may be justified by the fact that you will have a longer lasting roof.

Although, corrugated sheet roofing systems are primarily used for agricultural, industrial, and commercial uses, they can also be used for some residential homes.  If you are planning to save money on the installation of a new metal roof, then consider installing a corrugated metal roofing system made out of galvalume steel, or aluminum.  Be sure to select a system coated with a premium cool roof rated color finish to ensure a long lasting and reliable service of your new roof.

As a last word of advice, I would like to remind you that corrugated metal roofing systems are very competitively priced, and the cost of labor to install it, will be your biggest expense.  Therefore, it makes a lot of financial sense for you to pick a longer lasting corrugated metal roofing system system for your home, garage, or shed. Be sure to choose galvalume steel or aluminum in favor of a less expensive galvanized steel.  Also be sure to select a system that has a premium paint finish.

Metal shingles roofing systems are a very popular choice for a residential metal roof, and although they are not as common as standing seam metal roofs, they nevertheless represent a significant chunk of total number of metal roofs installed each year.

Metal roofing shingles come in many styles, color and metal options and profiles. Two most common types of metal shingle roofs are interlocking shingles and overlapping tiles. Metal roofing shingles are true architectural metal roofs, and can provide you with a long lasting roofing solution and looks of natural slate, clay tiles or cedar shingles at a fraction of the cost and a much longer roof life.

Metal shingles vs. other metal roofing materials

Most interlocking metal shingle roof systems are also VERY flexible when it comes to installation and can be adjusted for the most difficult and cut-up roof designs. You can easily roof a round or hexagon tower with metal shingles, while same would be nearly impossible to do with standing seam metal roofing panels.

Flashing a roof penetration such as a pipe flashing or even sky-light or a chimney is a breeze compared to same operation using standing seam or stone coated steel tiles roof. Because of low panel profile (average interlocking shingles metal roof sticks about 1/4″ to 3/8″ from the roof deck) metal shingles flashing is easy to fabricate and install in field.

Chimney flashing installation video on a metal shingles roof

As you can see in the video above, the chimney flashing (as well as skylight flashing) on a metal shingles roof is rather simple, compared to that of standing seam metal roof, which you can see in the photo below.

The chimney flashing photo below shows a standing seam metal roof with a chimney located on the ridge line, which makes the flashing detail much simpler and eliminates the back pan flashing, which is a weakest point of this flashing detail.

Chimney flashing on standing seam metal roof:

The elimination of ribs (vertical snap-lock on standing seam metal roofs) makes the flashing detail using metal shingles for both chimney and skylight, a breeze.

How metal shingles are manufactured

Metal shingles are made in factory settings using stamping manufacturing process on industrial size press. A special die stamps the metal shingle profile, while two additional dies bend the locks on all four sides of the shingle.

Metal shingles are stamped from a steel, aluminum or copper coil, of certain thickness. Steel and aluminum coils are usually painted with 7-layer bake-on Kynar 500 metal roofing paint, which provides the longest lasting discoloration and peel/chip resistance and eliminates the need to paint your metal roof every 5 or so years.

All accessories for a metal shingles roof system are made using either a rolling or bending process on a computerized brake. These are your drip edge, side-wall / head-wall flashing, valley pan, etc. The ridge / hip caps are usually also stamped out of the same coil used to stamp shingles. A 10 foot field-fabricated ridge-cap section can also be used, with exposed of concealed fasteners.

Metal Shingles Roof Installation:

Metal shingles should be installed over a solid sheeting deck such as CDX plywood or OSB board and proper underlayment such as GAF DeckArmor breathable synthetic roof underlayment. Try to stay away from non-breathable underlayments and Ice & Water shield with metal shingles roof as they trap moisture and may cause roof deck rotting.

If your deck is 1×6 boards or similar, you may run into problems with installing and nailing metal shingles. If the row of shingles lands on the crack between boards, your nails will not have a solid substrate to be nailed into. Solution in this situation may be using longer clips, that extend past the crack between the boards, or installing a layer of 3/8″ plywood or OSB over the boards. Using long clips will however result in weaker fastening and lesser pullout / wind uplift rating for the metal roof. Installing a layer of 3/8″ sheeting is a preferred method.

Metal shingles are fastened to the roof deck with nails and either clips or built-in nailing strip on the metal shingle. There are various types of metal shingles and each has its own fastening method, though they are rather similar to each other.

Metal shingles should be nailed to the roof deck, using nails made out of the same metal as the shingle. Thus a steel metal shingle is nailed with regular galvanized roofing nails, and aluminum metal shingles are nailed with aluminum ring-shank nails.

Metal shingles are installed from bottom, going up. Direction of shingles placement is dependent on the shingle design, but most metal shingles systems are installed from left to right. Each metal shingle is locked into the locks of 6 neighboring shingles, making the whole system very durable and resistant to high-speed winds.

As shown in the video above, an aluminum metal shingles roof is installed over a properly prepared roof deck, and nailed down with aluminum ring-shank nails, through special “ears” or nailing strip built into the metal shingle. Other systems will have different nailing detail such as clips, or a nailing strip going across the top of the shingle.

Metal Shingles Roofing Materials and Prices:

Metal shingles roofing is usually made from steel or aluminum, and on a rare occasion you will see a copper or zinc metal shingles roof. The reasons for using steel and aluminum are the facts that both metals are very durable and long lasting (assuming the steel is properly galvanized using G-90 or Galvalume coatings). Steel is somewhat cheaper than aluminum, but difference is not very significant, and much of roof installation cost comes form professional installation as well as a rather high cost of metal roof materials.

Copper and zinc metal roofs are generally very expensive and therefore not as popular as steel or aluminum roofs. Installation costs for either type of metal roof will vary from one region to another, but in general, metal roofing prices are much higher than roof prices for asphalt shingles roofs.

As compared to the cost of standing seam metal roofs, metal shingles shingles are considerably less expensive, as they are made from thinner gauge metal, and are easier to install.

Additional resources:

Steel Metal Shingles – discover the benefits of using steel roofing shingles.

Metal roofing materials – Learn and compare different metal roofing systems, and discover the benefits of using each particular profile.

Prevent Ice Dams with Metal Roofing – Learn how a metal roof helps prevent and eliminate roof leaks cause by Ice Dams.

Standing seam is the most popular style of metal roofing – both in residential and commercial segments. It’s also been the longest installed type of metal roofs, dating back to when all metal roofing was hand-made from sheet metal – usually copper of tin.

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.

Installing a beautiful metal roof for your home can drastically change the looks of your home and provide reliable protection. Metal roofs standout from its counterparts – asphalt shingle and cedar shake roofs. They provide aesthetically pleasing lines, colors, and wide variety of styles. Metal roofs offer durability and longevity that far exceeds the durability and longevity of an asphalt shingle roof. Not to mention, metal roofing is a fully recyclable building product, while asphalt shingle roof, a petroleum based product pollutes the environment in all three phases of its existence; during its production, its service life and during its demise, which usually means decomposing in our landfills.

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, may be the major hindrance to installing a metal roof, but overcoming this initial obstacle may have many benefits for the homeowners.

Metal roofs are notorious for their energy efficiency, which translates into average energy savings of 20% or more on cooling costs. Some homeowners report having the 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, and they retain that value more so than any other remodeling project you could think of. As one of the arguments in defense of the 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 in your home.

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 the air contains a higher concentration of salt, you should choose aluminum as a metal roofing material, rather than steel. 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.

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

Metal shingles, which is a basic type of a metal roof, cost about $250 per square for galvanized steel shingles, $350 per square for aluminum shingles, and $1100 per square for copper shingles.  Standing seam sheet roofing panels cost about $600 per square for the materials, plus trim. Prices provided here include all the necessary trim and metal flashing.  If you are planning to take on the installation of a new metal roof by yourself, then be sure you understand the fundamental principles of installing the particular system that you choose.

Resources:

Metal Roofing Prices

Metal Roofing Materials Prices