Looking into Metal Roofing, Cost, Type, Install... Need input!

[Mary D.]

Hey!

Im going to be replacing a roof on a house here in NH. Looking into metal roofing. Im doing a farm house style remodel to fit the area. And like the look of the metal roof.

  Ive gotten a few prices for asphalt but would like to see the cost difference. its 50x30, and 3 different roof lines.

Just now starting to do my research. I see there's different materials, gauges, installation methods. Along with added ice shields, gutters...

Also those of you in the NE area if you know good, knowledgeable, reliable contractor that installs metal roofing please pass along their info.

Any input, experience would be great!

Thanks!

Mary

[Jesse L. Weaver]

Mary, 

Sounds like a fun remodel! Metal certainly is a great choice for a new roof. I've owned a roofing company for 6 years. While we mainly do asphalt shingles, metal is the 2nd most common roof we install. In my opinion, the most important thing to consider in metal roofing systems is exposed fastener vs. hidden.

exposed fastener- Metal is actually screwed down to the roof deck through the face of the metal. The screws have rubber washers to seal to the metal and keep water out. The manufacturers keep improving these washers. This is a cheaper system than hidden fasteners, however the screws are usually the first point of failure. It is easy to replace them though and I have replaced many fasteners in 30+ year old metal roofs. New metal roofs that I have installed within the past 10 years have not had any problems with the exposed screws.

Hidden fastener- a better looking (in my opinion) and better quality metal roof. Which obviously comes with a higher price. Metal panels are clipped down to the roof and no fasteners are exposed to the elements. It is often called a standing seam metal roof as well. It's a little more complicated system but I'm sure a quick Youtube search could give a basic understanding. This should be a relatively low maintenance roof for 100+ years. The manufacturer I use warranties just the paint coating for 40 years. 

I have installed many of both systems and with an install crew that knows what they're doing, you can't go wrong either way. 

Ice Shield is a type of water barrier that would be installed underneath the metal in some areas. Ice dams can sometimes push water back underneath the roofing material. Ice shield is made to protect your roof deck and inside of your home from ice dam problems. It certainly should be installed on new roofs in the New England area. Please let me know if this is helpful, or if you have anymore questions!