The environmental benefits of steel / metal roofing:
More and more people are realizing the importance of going green. Steel and metal roofs are quickly becoming a leading choice for homeowners looking for energy-efficient roofing options. Durable, long-lasting and lightweight, steel roofs also provide environmental benefits.
Not only are steel roofs 100 percent recyclable, they are often made from recycled materials, unlike traditional roofing. Because metal roofs are so lightweight compared to other roofing materials, when a new steel roof is installed, it can be placed over the existing roof. This can provide the double advantage of insulation and eliminates the need to remove the old roof, minimizing waste taking up limited space in our landfills.
Metal roofs are included on the U.S. EPA’s Energy Star Roof Products Program because of their environmental benefits.
Metal roofing can reflect up to 70 percent of solar rays. High reflectivity allows the roof as well as the rest of the building to stay cooler. Cooler roofs translate directly to savings for homeowners. A study performed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory found that reflective roofs save up to 40 percent in heating and cooling energy costs.
Reducing energy consumption means less fossil fuel is required to power the heating and cooling needs of homeowners, and that fewer greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere.
According to Oak Ridge National Laboratory research, “Metal roofing retains solar reflectance over time better than other roofing products because it resists the growth of organic matter and sheds dirt more readily than other roofing materials”.
It was also found that metal roofs “maintain their energy efficiency better over time than any of the other roofing systems studied.” Metal and steel roofs are some of the most durable material available, making it also one of the longest lasting. Over its life, a steel roof continues to save energy – and money – paying for itself in as little as nine years.
Steel roofing is the sustainable option. A traditional built-up roof often must be replaced every nine to seventeen years, whereas a steel roof can last 30 years or longer. The waste from other roofing materials, such as asphalt shingles or concrete, has nowhere else to go but the dump. There are millions of tons of roofing waste generated every year that ends up in the landfills, and this waste can be drastically reduced, if homeowners begin installing longer lasting cool metal roofs.
Note: Aluminum roofs can last over 100 years, as they are not subjected to rusting, which can dramatically shorten the lifespan of a steel roof. However, modern steel metal roofing uses high-grade galvanized steel (G-90 steel or Galvalume), which is much more resistant to corrosion and rust. Also the high quality Kynar 500 metal roofing paint provides additional protection for steel metal roofing panels. G-90 and Galvalume coated metal roofs can last as long as 50 years or more. Only the low grade / gauge steel roofing (26 ga) with acrylic paint are expected to last 20-30 years before they begin to rust. These panels are usually used in less expensive exposed fastener corrugated steel roofing.
Popular metal roofing styles:
Standing Seam Metal Roofing – vertical panels with concealed fasteners, made using steel, aluminum, zinc, copper and other metals. Architectural standing seam roofs offer an aesthetically pleasing look combined with lifetime roof performance, resistance to ice dams and reduced heating costs.
Metal Roofing Shingles provide lifetime roof performance combined with many styles – these can look like natural slate, cedar shakes and shingles, concrete tiles, etc. Metal shingles come in smaller form factor, and therefore can be made from thinner metal, while maintaining structural strength and rigidity of bigger standing seam panels. Thinner material allows metal shingles to be less expensive than standing seam roofing, and they are also easier to install, reducing the overall installation cost of metal roofing.
About the Author:
Cassie Webster is a blogger who contributes regularly for a variety of businesses/websites, including Capital Steel & Wire. Some additional information / comments were added to the article by LAMetalRoof.com editors.
This installation guide is based on FABRAL nailing-strip standing seam metal roof, with 1″ ribs. Before you take steps to order materials and install the roof, we recommend that you thoroughly read this article and also check out other guides linked within, such as the roof deck preparation guide and roofing panels measuring guide.
When installing a standing seam metal roof, it is recommended that all asphalt shingles be removed from the roof to prevent / avoid the “telegraphing effect” where horizontally installed shingles punch through vertical metal roofing panels, creating ugly dents which cannot be fixed / removed. Also, since most standing seam metal roofs installed are steel, the granular surface of asphalt shingles will rub against underside of metal roofing panels and will scratch through the paint and galvanizing layer, which will cause metal panels to rust. Read the roof preparation guide to learn about roof tear-off, wood repair and installing roofing underlayment.
Another important thing to keep in mind is the metal roof itself. When ordering metal roofing materials, it is important to correctly measure the length of your panels, so that you don’t end up with panels that are too short and are unusable.
In a nutshell, measure the vertical run from the eave of the roof, all the way up to the ridge line, and order your panel at least 2 inches LONGER than the length of your gable / roof run. These two extra inches will be used for drip-edge hem. Not that typical standing seam metal roofing drip edge extends 1 inch beyond the eave, and then you need to make a reverse hem to lock the panel into the eave starter. There, go your two inches. You can use this standing seam metal roof panels calculator to estimate the number of panels you will need for your roof and the length of each panel. Note, that this calculator currently works of gable roofs ONLY. If you have a hip roof, DO NOT use the numbers from that calculator to order metal roof panels for HIP roofs.
Steel or aluminum?
In my opinion, aluminum is a much better choice of metal than steel, when it comes to standing seam metal roofs. Aluminum will not rust, and is the safest option to install in coastal areas. While most architectural steel standing seam roofs are made with high quality galvanized metal (usually Galvalume or G-90 steel), there is still that chance that you may place a few deep scratches onto the panels and it will eventually rust. While aluminum is more expensive than steel, I think the price difference is well worth it. Learn more about metal roofing prices for steel and aluminum standing seam roofs, as well as other types of metal roofing materials.
Metal Roof Installation Video:
Before you begin installing a standing seam metal roof, watch the video above a few times so that you have a very clear picture of what is involved in the metal roof installation process, and if you are able to tackle this big project.
Note to homeowners and first-time installers of standing seam metal roofing
For do-it-yourself homeowners, we recommend installing standing seam metal roofs ONLY on simple gable roofs, with minimum roof penetrations. If you have chimneys, skylights, dormers and/or valleys on your roof, we recommend you leave this task to professional metal roofing contractors, as the chance to improperly install roof flashing and other details is too high, and the cost of roof repair / installation of new roof will far outweigh the savings you will get by installing a metal roof yourself.
The typical processes of estimating a metal roof can be very complicated and time consuming, especially for standing seam metal roofs. You need to consider all the flashing accessories, such as sidewall / head-wall flashing, valley pans, ridge caps, eave starter, gable trim, metal coil (also known as flat-stock), flashing for skylights / chimneys, snow guards, underlayment, etc. When pricing a standing seam metal roof, it is also very important to measure the exact length or roof panels, to avoid having short and unusable panels, which can only go to waste, as well as the number of standing seam roofing panels.
Don’t loose the sale – give a homeowner the roof price on the spot, and you will have the highest chance to sell the roof!
Until recently, we were using the old-school notepad and pencil method to estimate and price a metal roof. However, it is very important for a successful roofing contractor to sell more roofing jobs. Spending time calculating a roof in the truck, or even worse – going back to the office to do the math, can often cost you a sale, as you have a much higher chance of signing a contract with a homeowner right there and then, before they change their mind, or talk with their cousin who knows as guy, who knows a roofer …
Of course we could use an online roofing materials calculator which would give us some information, but first – it’s slow and inconvenient to do on a mobile phone, and also you still need to figure out many roof details on paper, and this may actually be more confusing than helpful, when you have limited time.
Roofing Calculator mobile app:
Now we started using a mobile Roofing Calculator for iPhone app (which is also available for Android phones). It helps us estimate roofs fast, saves time and increases our sales!
This roof calculator app allows us to enter roof roof ground dimensions, roof pitch, number of floors, number of chimneys / skylights, ridge-vent length, roof difficulty, and choose a previously saved roofing material (such as metal roofing shingles, standing seam, corrugated steel roof or asphalt shingles) and we just click the calculate button and get multitude of information.
Besides just getting the roof price, we also get a separate cost of roofing materials, labor cost, breakdown of all materials used for the job, including lengths / amounts, number of roofing squares, and breakdown prices. See the video below:
There is also a general settings tab, which allows us to specify additional cost, as well as other things specific to how we install our roofs and what we charge for it. One of the most important ones is the roof waste factor. While roofing materials waste when installing metal roofing shingles can be rather small – around 3-5%, and cut pieces can often be used on the other side of the roof, waste on a standing seam can easily be 15% or more on a very cut up roof, so we have the ability to specify this in general settings.
Additionally we can add additional cost for 2 and 3-story homes / buildings, add more for medium difficulty and really cut up roofs, specify the underlayment coverage, use of ice and water shield, roof tear-off prices for each layer, and plywood / sheeting replacement prices both for labor and materials. All these settings apply on per roofing square basis, meaning that you set one price and it is automatically multiplied by a number of squares for each particular roof, and is added to the total roof price at the end. Very sophisticated mechanism to prevent / avoid errors when calculating roofing prices.
Roofing Calculator mobile app screenshots
Roofing Materials
As mentioned above, when we enter roof information into the roof calculator, we choose a previously saved roofing material from a drop down menu. Roofing Calculator has separate tabs which contain all your roofing materials, which you can add, delete and edit as you need, or as things change.
Roofing materials profiles contain multiple fields for you to enter information pertaining to each type of roof. You can specify labor / installation price per square, roofing cost per square, prices for underlayment, ice and water shield, drip edge, gable trim, ridge vent, ridge / hip cap, etc. Also you can adjust prices for miscellaneous items such as roofing nails / screws, flashing, caulk, pipe boot flashing, static vents, and starter shingle for asphalt shingles, slate and cedar shingles roofs.
Roofing Calculator app overview
Overall, the roofing calculator provides plenty of options and settings even for the most complicated roofs, and there will soon be an added option for multiple roof sections, as you can get different roof slope, or a roof can be of a non-rectangular shape. Most roofing contractors will find it very useful!
Roofing contractors can use it to calculate almost any roof, and it is very flexible as far as the types of roofing materials you are using. As mentioned in the beginning, with standing seam metal roof, you will still have to do much work by hand when it comes to the actual roofing panels, but you can still calculate the roofing price and most other materials / accessories, right then and there. Give your customer a roof quote and try to close the sale on the spot – this is how roof sales on the go should be – no trips to the office or calling suppliers because you forgot your roofing materials prices – everything is saved on your phone – in the roofing calculator app!
When you see that sparkling new metal roof up on your house, or a home you drive by, do you ever think about how this metal roof was made and what goes into the manufacturing of metal roofing materials?
A standing seam metal roof is the most popular of metal roofing materials, in part because it can be manufactured by the roofing contractors on the job site, or in a sheet metal shop, to the exact specs provided by the contractor. You don’t need to “deal” with big manufacturers when getting a standing seam metal roof. But lets take a step back and actually explore the manufacturing process of a metal roof, from the iron ore mine to your roof.
Roll-forming Standing Seam Metal Roof
All standing seam metal roofs go through a roll-former – a machine that turns a metal roofing coil into actual metal roofing panels. The roll former machines can be outfitted with different panel profiles, mechanized or manual shears, computer controller unit, portable or stationary platform / trailer, uncoilers, built in 10000 watts generator, and other upgrades, depending on the purposes of it’s use and how much you want to spend.
The basic process of making a standing seam panel involves feeding the metal roofing coil into the roll-former, which then goes through a series of rolls, which make bends and curves. Each next roll makes more of a bend than a previous one. These rolls are made of hardened stainless steel for increased life span and durability. Some can bend a metal as thick as 22 gauge steel.
The rolls make up different standing seam profiles, such as Snap-Lock standing seam, Snap-Lock with a nailing strip (no clips required, when fastening the metal panels to the roof), Mechanical Lock Profile, R-Panel, V-5 Crimp panels, and many more exotic profiles of corrugated and standing seam metal roofing.
A panel width can be manually set on each roll-forming machine, but typical widths are 12, 16 and 20″ wide panels. Panel width is actually dictated by a metal coil that you use to make your metal roof. For a 12″ wide panels you need a 16″ coil. The “extra” 4 inches are not shaved off inside a machine – they actually go into making the locks on each side of the panel.
The computer control unit takes care of the machine operation / speed, panel length, etc. A smart control unit with automatic shear, can pretty much automate your manufacturing process, by running the panel at specified speed and cutting them at specified length. For example you program it to produce 10 panels at 28′ 3″ and 25 panels at 24′ 6″ and it will do just that – at required length, the machine stops, the automatic shear cuts off the panel, you pull it out and the next panel starts rolling out of the machine.
Sheet Metal Shop
Besides the actual metal roofing panels, there is also a lot to manufacturing a metal roof that escapes the eye – namely, making all the accessories for the metal roof: the drip edge, rake / gable trim, valley pans, ridge cap, z-bar flashing, sidewall and head-wall flashing for roof to wall connection, chimney and skylight curb flashing, etc. All of these items require precision manufacturing and are absolutely necessary for any type of vertical panel metal roof.
All these metal roof flashing is made in a sheet metal shop, on highly sophisticated, computerized sheet metal brakes, which can also be programmed to increase the speed of making the most popular profiles of metal roof flashing.
The way that a computerized brake is different from a manual or a hand brake is that when using a manual brake you have to manually measure, mark and set up the depth for each bend to happen, and you have to do it on each side of the metal strip to be bent. While this is a viable option, it is very slow, labor intensive and not very precise.
The computerized or automatic sheet metal brake, which is a necessary attribute of any good sheet metal shop, has special “fingers” or stops that will let you insert a strip of metal only so deep inside the brake, and the hydraulic bender, will make the bent. These computerized brakes are very heavy duty and can easily bend metal that is 22 gauge or thicker. Even a 3/16″ thick metal (aluminum and steel) can be bent in a heavy duty industrial brake, but for metal roofing it is an overkill, as typical thickness rarely exceeds 24 gauge metal in residential application and 22 ga. in commercial metal roofing.
Besides a sheet metal brake, a metal shop needs an automated hydraulic shear to cut strips of metal to the required width, so that the brake operator could quickly produce required components and not worry about having the pieces of metal cut.
Beside the shear, the break, and other smaller specialty tools, each sheet metal shop has heavy duty racks, where the metal coils, sheets of metal and already produced flashing accessories are stored, and a fork-lift to load and unload all the coils and other heavy stuff. Shop workers cannot lift a typical 2000-3000 lb. metal coil on their own.
The bottom line is that running a metal roofing panels manufacturing facility is quite costly, and all work must be coordinated between the guys that make the panels and the sheet metal shop. Most of the time, to simplify things, the roll-forming machine is located in the shop, on the transportable trailer, and is only taken to a job-site when the job is far from the shop, and panels are too long to be transported by conventional means.
Often, metal roofing contractors who own a roll-forming machine, and manufacture their own standing seam metal roofs, employ an independent sheet metal shop to produce their flashing and accessories, as running the fully equipped shop can be afforded only by bigger, commercial size roofing contractors.
Manufacturing Metal Roofing Coil
We will actually skip the process of converting iron ore into iron / steel, processing and purifying it, etc. We will start with manufacturers of metal roofing coils, and what they do.
First of all, metal roofs can be made not only from steel – aluminum, zinc, copper and even stainless steel are all used in metal roofing industry. However, galvanized steel and aluminum are the most popular metals, and we will concentrate on these two.
There are about four or five large suppliers of metal roofing coil in steel, and two or three in aluminum, with smaller players picking up the slack.
All of these guys basically take a thick metal coil, and run it through rolling machines, to reduce the thickness to a required grade – usually 29, 26, 24 and 22 gauge in galvanized steel, and .032″ / .040″ in aluminum. The steel coil also undergoes the hot-dip galvanization process, where the coil runs through a pool of boiling galvanic mix of molten zing (G-90 galvanization) or a mixture of zinc and aluminum (Galvalume). Once the coil is dipped in the hot galvanic metal, a thin galvanization layer is formed all around the otherwise highly corrosive steel.
Then the coil is run through an annealing machine, which is basically a hot furnace with cooling tubes and ammonia gas inside the chambers. Annealing softens the metal, which can then be easily rolled down to the required thickness. Aluminum coils do not require galvanization and just go through an annealer machines and then get rolled down.
Applying Metal Roofing Paint (Kynar 500) is done once the metal coil has been galvanized and cleaned. The coil is then fed into a special “painting machine”, which is a series of separate units, each responsible for it’s own operation. First, the coil is thoroughly cleaned and dried. Then it goes through a primer application chamber, where primer is applied to both sides of the coil. Then it goes through a baking chamber where the coil is dried at a high temperature, and primer is baked on. Then another primer and bake-on drying process happens for better, more even primer application.
Once the coil has been primed, and primer has cured in the “baking” chamber, it goes through the painting cycle, which is essentially the same as priming, only the main color is added to the coil in two layers on top. Usually a white coat is added to the underside of the coil, which once again goes through the baking / drying cycle.
Metal Roof Manufacturers
Once the coil is painted, it is shipped to metal roofing manufacturers, such as Englert, MBCI, ATAS, etc. These guys slit the coils to their standard widths and cut them into smaller coils – usually 1000-3000 lbs. instead of huge 10000 lb. coils, which come from coil manufacturers.
These smaller coils are then either formed into different types of metal roofing panels and sold off to smaller sheet metal shops / contractors with roll-forming machines, who either install them, or resell them to metal roofing contractors.
The bottom line here is that most standing seam metal roofs and other metal roof materials are virtually the same product, as most of them use standard Snap-Lock or Mechanical Lock profiles (under different names of course), and the coil usually comes from the same p3 or 4 places. The difference is in price, warranty and Manufacturer-specific custom panel profiles.
Other than that, as long as the coil comes from a household-name supplier, it does not matter who produced your metal roof. What really matters is the quality of installation.
And yet, I myself have seen aluminum metal shingles with chipping and peeling paint. On one roof made by a company out of Canada, each shingle had paint peeling off at exactly the same spot as others, which leads me to believe that the coil was not painted properly on one side. Another example is of another, smaller metal roofing shingles “manufacturer” out of Canada, whose aluminum metal shingles would also lose paint, and paint would easily come off when scratched with a finger nail. This manufacturer would not warranty the product, and stopped responding to the complaints of the homeowner.
These two examples indicate that warranty is still important and you want to have your metal roof come from a respectable company that will honor their warranty obligations. Just to give you peace of mind, these cases with paint defects are EXTREMELY rare, and most steel metal roofs (especially cheap 29 ga. steel with acrylic paint) will rust before the paint comes off. So it’s more important to buy a premium product, if you want a premium service out of your metal roof.
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 percent 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 being a standing-seam metal roof, which provides modern architectural and aesthetically pleasing look. 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 to install 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 a standing-seam roof, or a metal shingle roof.
Thus, in spite of steep residential metal roofing prices, 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 beautiful curb appeal to your home, and energy savings that add up over the years.
Learn about Metal Roofing costs and compare prices for different metal roofing materials
Installing a beautiful metal roof for your home can drastically change the looks of your home and provide reliable protection. A Metal roof stand outs from its counterparts – asphalt shingle and cedar shake roofs. Metal roofs provide aesthetically pleasing lines, colors, and a wide variety of style options. They 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 the many great benefits that metal roofs have to offer, will consider installing metal roofing on their property. This brings up the 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, the initial high cost may be the major hindrance to installing a metal roof, but overcoming this initial obstacle may have many long term 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 much as three times.
Metal roofs are fully recyclable at the end 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 a 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 makes metal roofs a smart investment in your home.
Now that we 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.
