asphalt or metal roof ?

[Boog]

The old shop is in bad need of a roof. In this part of the country metal roof's are becoming very popular. My house and shop currently have 20 year asphalt shingles.
As with anything else the quality of the metal installation is as important as the thickness and coating of the metal. And cost is most likely close between the two types.
What's the preference on roof types for homes and shops?
Any experience putting on your own metal roof?

[rusty76]

I redid my roof two years ago with asphalt. I heavily considered metal. The only thing that kept me from going with metal was the exposed fasteners. Standing seam would be nice but expensive. I think and don’t quote me on this but the metal had like a 50 year warranty and the screws (fasteners and washer with rubber) had a ten year warranty. I just thought about all the blooming holes that would be exposed. Also with metal once the paint(?) comes off from hail damage I worry about rust. As for asphalt I like an architectural shingle instead of a three tab. My house is about as simple as they come when it comes to the roof. No valleys or chimney. Cost of metal would’ve been cheaper. Do your homework and ask around. There’s right much to consider honestly. They both have their pros and cons. Good luck.

[Indian113]

I recently had my Garage covered with Metal. I had estimates for both and went with Metal because it was cheaper. I needed a complete recovering All New Wood and then Shingles. At my age it will outlast me so I figure let the Next owner take care of it!

[mongocanfly]

I agree...there's pros and cons...I put a standing seam on my shop about 15yrs ago...I also didn't want exposed screws...they sold me with all the warranty blah blah blah. ..it looked great for 4-5 yrs..then it started fading..I called and fussed and was told thats normal and not covered by warranty even though the paint is covered by warranty...well now my formally dark green shop is faded out and it makes me sick...when I did my pole shed I just went with 5v metal...I'm building a house this yr hopefully and I was going to use standing seam but I'm going with architectural shingles...mostly because I'm pissed about my shop roof fading...I've been thinking of painting my shop roof but I don't know if its worth it....

[truckster]

I have a metal roof on my house. It looks like clay tile but it will last longer than I will. I would ask, if you plan to re-roof now, why plan to do it again in the future?

[Kudzupatch]

Originally Posted by rusty76

.... The only thing that kept me from going with metal was the exposed fasteners. ...

If you are talking preformed sheet metal I totally agree. I was a Home Inspector for a several years and metal roofs have become very popular around here. I never found a serious problem with any of them but they were still just a few years old. But there was something I saw on 95% of them that always concerned me.

Growing up in a rural area I spent some time on metal barn roofs. Once thing you always did when putting on metal was drive the fastener through the high point, the top of the V notch. NEVER put a nail in the flat area where the water ran down because it would allow water in.

On all but one or two installations I saw, the fasteners were in the valley where the water ran and depended on a rubber washer under the head to keep it water proof. We know how well rubber holds up under heat and UV.

I expect what is going to happen is the rubber seal breaks down and allows water into the roof. Not a lot but enough that it allows the wood to rot. By the time the damage is bad enough to leak onto the ceiling I expect to see some seriously damaged roofs and some very expensive repairs. Of course I could be totally wrong but I don't think I am.

[72gmguy]

I don't have a metal roof on my house or garage but I rent space in a building with a metal roof so my experience is very limited. The noise that metal roof makes in a storm is LOUD! I don't think I could deal with racket on my home.

[68C15]

I was at Menards the other day and I saw asphalt coated metal shingles. They go on similar to clay tiles or regular shingles.

At work our shop was built in early 90's. It has a heavy aluminum panel roof with standing seams. No leaks at all.

[Boog]

Color fade bothers me some with metal. If you needed to replace a section or add on it wont match.
As for the install some put metal right over shingles and some others lay down a 1by 4 wood grid to screw the metal to. Some lay 1/2” styrofoam in between the lathing strips. Is there really a best method to install metal roofs?
I plan to do this job myself and at my age I’m not excited about toting shingles up and down the ladder. Metal would be easier to pull up there a panel at a time once stood up against the roof.

[mongocanfly]

my dad did metal over shingles....I don't like it...if I was gonna do it I'd strip shingles and then put on the tin straight to the decking....I put the roof on my pole shed by myself...its 25x50 with 6/12 pitch..its a big job for just one man..keeping tin edge running straight...and not falling off the roof...tin gets slick really quick..

[Kudzupatch]

Keep in mind metal is SLICK! The only time I ever go hurt on an inspection was on a very low pitch metal roof. Wasn't worried because of the pitch but I slipped and there was not stopping..... till I was laying on the brick patio.

[dieseldawg142]

i have been roofing for almost 40 yrs () and there is pro's and cons to both shingle and metal.
as noted, the biggest prob you will have with metal is color fade, even the best 3 stage finishes used now-a-days will fade out. Pro-lock style metals (hidden fasteners) are catching on big last 15 yrs, mainly for looks, exposed fastener metal (diamond, dura-clad, double "v", etc) is much cheaper than pro-lock styles and for the last 20 or so yrs the screws have used Neoprene washers, not rubber, they are very durable and have a very long life span. most underlay has switched over from organic felts to synthetics now as well (do not put a metal roof down without it, it will "rain" inside).metal roofs only require a strapped deck, it does not need to be fully sheeted, if going over an old roof, you MUST strap your deck, as noted, lay a grid of 2bys over your roof on your trusses, you do not want to see what kind of damage wind can do to improperly installed metal roofs......from a couple yrs ago.....

big prob with metal is installing it. yeah, people will go it's simple, i can do it myself, but i can count off limitless metal jobs that fail due to improper installation. Straitness is one factor, be off even an 1/8 and your whole roof will be off and IT WILL look weird, and in 40 yrs i'm still waiting to hit a "square" building.....but the biggest problem is details, anyone can lay waterproof metal on a straight go with no stacks, vents, valleys, hips, etc , in the way, but hit one roof detail and all of a sudden........a good 95% of all roof probs are usually DETAILS!
metal will algae up in the shade and get slippery, i have a special pair of boots that you can walk right up a algae'ed up 10-12 pitch metal roof, there not cheap, paid close to $300 with ship and exchange for them. if
your in the bizness, you need them, invented by a roofer for roofers...called Cougar Paws.

https://www.cougarpaws.com/t-how-they-work.aspx

unless you are very meticulous (remember this has to perform without fail for yrs), have some good friends to help, and your roof is fairly straight and not all cut up, this may be a job best left to a roofing co. if your not fully confident in doing it yourself, i would seriously look at shingles...

there is some very impressive and well designed shingles on the market, you can get them from 20 yr, 25 yr, 35 yr, 40 yr, 50 yr, all the way to lifetime, to suit whatever your budget is. they are much more forgiving to apply than metal, and is easily done by yourself. try to buy shingles with algae block in them, this will help keep "greenery" from catching a hold on your roof for awhile.
whatever way you go, if you do it yourself, check out your local building codes, shop around on your material, and read all you can on it. i always tell people spend as much as you can afford on your roof, it's your first line of defence.
your roof is only about 10% of the cost of your house, but it covers 100% of your investment....

[harpo231]

- Metal roofs cost more upfront than asphalt shingles, but can last for up to 50 years. Metal roofs reflect the sun and can lead to significant energy savings.

[mongocanfly]

I'm seeing more and more of people who use metal roof going with the lighter gray colors because of the fading..

[Indian113]

Since my House and Garage are Gray I used White Metal for roof. It was a lot cheaper to use metal than tear ALL my wood off and Replace it then Felt and Shingles. But it is a personal choice and I did what suited my Needs.

[richard2717]

Following along on this since i am getting ready to get a few quotes for my house. Shingles in my area mold pretty quick. The lady next door just had a new roof not even 2 years old. It is supposed to be blue arc. shingles but the north side is almost black. I put metal on my 40 x 60 garage back in 97' and it is still holding up well. As noted above I installed all my screws on the ridges instead of the valleys. I have always been told wood strips are needed between the old roof and the metal to let air circulate.

[special-K]

Asphalt shingles are a joke compared to metal roofing. There are 250 year old metal roofs out there. If you only need a temporary roof, shingles are ok. But a surface mount metl roof can be removed and installed onto the next temporary structure. The AG style roofing is actually cheap (what steel buildings have). If your roof is just two straight shots down two sides, it will take twice as long (or more) to strip the shingles than to lay the steel down. I know some don't get up o roofs, but anyone can do it. It an't no puzzle, couldn't be more simple. Get friends together and run the roof one day before the cookout.

You can screw it direct to sheathing. No strips required. But on a new building, you can skip the sheathing and run strips on a layout. My buildings are common frame (rafters) and I do 16" with 1x3 O.C. On truss roofs at 24" O.C. I might consider 2x when it's a flatter roof, especially if it might get walked on at times

Prefab standing seam is nice, but it triples the coast. These days I see the AG type on custom homes. They use screws these days, which eliminate the problem of fasteners backing out. I don't care what anyone says, I install the fasteners on the ridges with skill so as to not create the problem some feel can occur from sloppy installation. It is still the best way, leaving the holes at the narrow high spots rather than where all the water flows

[dieseldawg142]

Originally Posted by special-K

I know some don't get up o roofs, but anyone can do it. It an't no puzzle, couldn't be more simple. Get friends together and run the roof one day before the cookout.

You can screw it direct to sheathing. No strips required.
Prefab standing seam is nice, but it triples the coast.

and this is why i have been in bizness for 40 yrs fixing and repairing roofs.....
every red flag here.....as well as mis-information
been roofing in North America's only "rain forest" my whole life, what is being suggested might work if you had ONLY sun every single day and it never rained

[too much stuff]

Both have pros and cons. Watch for metal prices to go up very shortly. You can put a metal roof down over sheathing with an underlayment between. Just need to use the proper screws. DO NOT put a metal roof over shingles. The shingles will need to be stripped off or you will have to put wood strips down to attach to. I put the screws where the manufacturer specifies. If they want it in the low spot, so be it.

Most shingles now are 25 year and 30 year is very common. If the shingles last their intended life, you are usually ready for a color change or a for sale sign anyhow.

My personal preference is shingles, but have installed many of both.

And on a side note, around here, the lumber yards have boom trucks or shingle ladders to get the shingles on the roof.

[dieseldawg142]

the biggest prob with screwing to sheathings is you have no holding power in the wind. plywood and osb will NOT keep your metal roof down in a wind storm. screw will rip right out of it like nothing.
i don't think you will find a roof metal manufactor anywhere that will tell you to do this. metal roofs are waaaaay more suspectable to wind and wind uplift/shear than any other kind of roof. this is why you strap onto your trusses, these boards are now what you will screw into.....they also give your roof a "breathing" room. metal will out-condensate ANY other kind of roof, this is why underlay is also MANDATORY on tin roofs, unless it's your UN-HEATED outhouse...(and on a hot summer day it still will...)
and despite what may be posted, the BIGGEST and by a far margin, the most common thing for any roof failure (especially metal) is lack of knowledge/workmanship. i do 2-300 hundred roofs every yr, times 38 1/2 yrs, from half a square public toilets to thousands of squares malls, to 800 ft hi-rises, to foundations hundreds of feet underground, to jobs where you are hanging by your 1/2" lifeline all day hundreds of feet up. i can honestly tell you i have seen it all in this trade.....4th gen roofer in my family. i have 2 TQ tickets in my trade, Master Sheet Metal accredited,RCABC certified as well as many tickets and certifications from Manufactors, such as the Soprema Platinum warranty, they are confident enough in my ability to install their product, they give the building owner the Platinum Warranty--25 yrs.
i'm not going to go all religious here, all i'm saying is if you don't feel comfortable doing it, dont do it. if you want to, i stand by what i earlier suggested-CHECK your local building codes, shop around and read as much info as you can. start with the manufactors specs first, they KNOW better than anyone or anyone's opinion on how they want their product installed.......

[Stocker]

A wealth of information here, very much appreciated. I shouldn't need a new roof for many years but I'm gonna keep this thread in mind for future reference.

[67swb72klb]

I have a 20x24 garage I need to do a roof on and keep going back and forth between metal and asphalt. Its an older building and has planks on the roof instead of sheeting The metal seems to be twice the cost but is faster to do

[rusty76]

I will say and it was mentioned earlier that metal prices are going up. Our sheet metal has already went up 10%. How you can raise prices so fast is beyond me but it’s already happening. So I fill you’ll need to figure in for the increase as well.

[Boog]

There is some real helpful information here.
The fact that metal roofs are more susceptible to wind damage than shingles is surprising to me as I thought being longer interlocking panels screwed down metal would withstand wind better than shingles where so often strong winds lift smaller sections of shingles. Of course under extreme winds both can be destroyed.
I wondered if insurance companies might give a rate reduction for using a metal roof.
I appreciate you professional roofers input. You mention some things we might not be aware of. Your experience helps us diyers make better informed decisions.

[dieseldawg142]

Originally Posted by Boog

There is some real helpful information here.
The fact that metal roofs are more susceptible to wind damage than shingles is surprising to me as I thought being longer interlocking panels screwed down metal would withstand wind better than shingles where so often strong winds lift smaller sections of shingles. Of course under extreme winds both can be destroyed.
I wondered if insurance companies might give a rate reduction for using a metal roof.
I appreciate you professional roofers input. You mention some things we might not be aware of. Your experience helps us diyers make better informed decisions.

"I thought being longer interlocking panels screwed down metal would withstand wind better than shingles where so often strong winds lift smaller sections of shingles. Of course under extreme winds both can be destroyed."

your right, when shingles come off, they are small, localized damage, once the wind gets under the smallest corner of a metal roof, it's like #1, a parachute catching air, and #2, much bigger than a shingle meaning more damage, most metal roofs are in the 22-24 gauge area, not exactly HD....and wind will take off ANY kind of roof. i have seen tar and gravel roofs at 850lbs per square rolled up and hanging off the sides of buildings...

i always suggest check your local building codes out, they are different in different parts of the country, just as i'm sure an insurance rebate would be. personally i have never heard of a discount for a metal roof, but if i was in the insurance game, a slate or clay tile would be worthy of a rate reduction (good fire/wind/longetivity property's)
just a small sample of some tin slashing i've banged on..