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Metal Roofing Types, Product Sources, Installation, Defects, RepairsThis article describes each of the various types of metal roofing products and includes links to more details about each of those, including metal roof choices or types, installation methods, inspection, troubleshooting & metal roof repair procedures..
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Residential installations of metal roofing have more thandoubled in the past several years, and they are now estimatedto account for over 10% of residential roofs.
Originallyassociated with agricultural and commercial buildings,new metal roofing products aimed at the residentialmarket are designed with simplified installation systemsand offer more choices in materials, finishes, and design.
This introduction to metal roofing includes brief excerpts adapted with permission from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, chapter onBEST ROOFING PRACTICES.
One frequently cited disadvantageof metal roofing is that it generates a noticeable noisewhen struck by rain, hail, or even dropping acorns.
If installed directly to purlins with no roof sheathing, the noise might be heard in the building interior. However, when installed over a solid substrate, with normal levels of insulation, the noise should not be noticeably different than with other roofing types.
Details about roof noise transmission are
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As summarized in Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, chapter onBEST ROOFING PRACTICES, all coated steel materials,however, are vulnerable to corrosion at field-cut edges
— although Galvalume® is the least affectedTable 2-10 [image below] below lists the advantages, drawbacks, compatibility, and life expectancy of galvanized steel roofing, aluminized steel roofing, galvalume, aluminum, copper, and zinc metal roofing products.
[Click any table or image to see an enlarged version.]
Following this table is our complete list of metal roofing products.

Properly installed zinc roofs have a life expectancy of as much as 100 years. Factors that affect the wear and life of a zinc metal roof include: Installation zinc roofing over solid roof decking (not spaced nailers)
Avoid exposure of zinc roof coverings to acids found in some plywood roof decks
(reviewROOFING UNDERLAYMENT BEST PRACTICES) or use zinc roofing products with a protective coating on the underside of the material Use a ventilating mat between the zinc roof covering and the roof deck
- see our discussion of Enkamat underlayment ventilating plastic roof underlayment
atROOF NOISE TRANSMISSION
Also seeMETALS USED IN ROOFING.
According to theUS NPS,
Metal roofs have a long history of use, although improvements have occurred in shop fabrication methods and new sealant materials.
Metal roofs are available in a wide variety of rib configurations, colors, and slope configurations. Architectural systems use an underlying deck to provide structural support, while structural standing seam metal roofs provides an integral supporting frame.
Structural systems can be used to retrofit an existing flat roof deck to provide improved drainage. Sealant is required at valleys, gutters, and drains, to ensure water tightness.
Most metal roofing systems can beinstalled on slopes of 3:12 and greater and standing-seamsystems from 2:12 and greater.
Special standing-seam systems designed for slopes as shallow as 1/2 :12 require field crimping machinery and have sealant in all seams. The height of the ribs at seams and whether they are protected with a sealant affect how weather tight a roof will be under extreme weather. More on roof slopes is
atROOF SLOPE DEFINITIONS.
Below we provide photos of both curved and straight traditional metal barn roofing. Also see corrugated roofing and standing seam roofing below.

Barn Roofing?
Our friend, builder, and home inspector Steve Vermilye pointed out that "barn roofing" works fine on barns where ventilation is important and a few drops of water falling on a cow are harmless.
But when we find this low-profile corrugated roofing with simple nailed seams installed over a home where occupants expect to stay dry, we are not so sure this is the best option, even if it is one of low cost.
Watch out: as we illustrate in the photo below, metal roofing that is not adequately-secured at the roof edges will eventually be ripped from the roof by storm-winds.
This post and beam barn, built in Poughkeepsie, New York before 1900, demonstrates that a building can stand for a very long time provided it is protected from the weather by a good roof.
But once that roof protection is lost the building has not much remaining life. The original wood shingle roof, when worn and leaky, was covered by a light-weight standing seam metal roof.
More-recently storms have torn off a substantial part of the barn's metal roofing.
Below: post and beam details found in the same building (below) give an indication of the probable age of this New York barn when photographed in December 2021 and again in the spring of 2022 (above).
Openings through the roof admitting the weather will speed the fall of this magnificent building if the roof is not replaced.
SeeMETAL ROOF EXPOSED FASTENER SYSTEM for details about barn roofing material, installation, fasteners, and for barn roof flashing
seeMETAL ROOF EXPOSED FASTENER FLASHING.
AtCORRUGATED ROOFING we discuss all types of corrugated roofing products: metal and others.
The standing seam copper roof shown below protects Ely Hall, originally the Alumnae Gymnasium, William M. Tubby, architect, 1889, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie NY.
Examples of fastening details for the installation of copper roofs to the building roof deck or structure are discussed under metal and standing seam roofing below.
SeeCOPPER ROOFING for details about antique and modern copper roofing products.
Also seeCOPPER SHINGLE METAL ROOFING - soldered metal or copper shingle roofing on flat or low-slope roofs.
The patched corrugated metal roofing shown below (left) covers a pre-1900 home currently used as a parsonage in Dover Plains, NY. The modern corrugated roofing shown at right tops a gambrel-roofed barn in New England. More on roof shapes and architecture is
atARCHITECTURE & BUILDING COMPONENT ID.

AtCORRUGATED ROOFING we discuss all types of corrugated roofing products: metal and others.
The metal roof shingles at below-right found on a New York home are steel, coated with a granular material that from the ground can be mistaken for asphalt.
Carson Dunlop Associates' metal roof shingle sketch (below left) provides additional details about this roofing option.

Details about metal shingle roofs of this type are
atMODULAR METAL ROOF SHINGLE SYSTEM.
The antique embossed metal shingles (below) are found on the Justin Morrill Smith historic homestead, Vermont.
...Below we see an example of a metal roof in good condition.
In contrast, below we show metal roofs in more questionable shape, beginning with a metal shingled roof on a 1910 home in Rockland County, New York, courtesy of home inspector Dovber Kahn.
Above: these shingles are separating at some of their crimp joints, risking leaks, particularly in conditions of wind-driven rain or perhaps when water backs up the roof as accumulated snow begins to melt. We also see that the roof is rusting. But before cleaning and re-painting this roof we'd suggest that an experienced metal shingle roof contractor inspect its condition to be sure that the roof is salvageable.
Mr. Kahn is a licensed home inspector in New York and New Jersey, and can be reached at Website:Kahnbhomeinspectors, Tel: 845-445-8234, Email:kdovber@googlemail.com
Watch out: it can be a serious mistake to hire a roofing contractor to inspect a roof type with which she is not very familiar. Too often the contractor is tempted to err on the safe (for them) side: condemning the roof and advising that the owner install a new and different roof covering of the sort that the contractor uses. Before doing that let's be sure that the existing roof really deserves to be condemned.
The rusted metal shingles on the church roof (Clintondale, NY) shown in our photo below demonstrate more about the history of how metal roofing was used in the U.S.
We see that the original wood shingle roof was re-roofed using metal shingles.
Quoting Grapevine Design Guidelines:
Metal roofing in America is principally a19th-century phenomenon. Before then theonly metals commonly used were lead andcopper.
Tin-plate iron, commonly called "tin roofing," was used extensively in Canada in the 18th century, but was not commonly used in the United States until rolling mills were established in this country. The low cost, light weight, low maintenance and ease of shipping of tin plate made it a common roofing material.
Embossed tin shingles, whoseGrapevine Design Guidelines – Roof Design Guidelines
4.9 - 2surfaces created interesting patterns, werepopular throughout the country in the late 19thcentury. Tin roofs were often kept well-paintedin red or green to imitate the green patina ofcopper. Unfortunately, few of these roofsremain intact today.
Similar snap-together metal roof shingles made of copper are discussed just below and also at patents described
in this article:COPPER SHINGLE METAL ROOFING - soldered metal or copper shingle roofing on flat or low-slope roofs.
Also seeMODULAR METAL ROOF SHINGLE SYSTEM.
Flat metal shingles with interlocking edges were produced in both steel and copper, then soldered when in place.
Usually we find these installed on flat or low-slope roofs such as at dormer insets on homes constructed in the U.S. before 1900, often in the mid to later 1800s, but on occasion even on new or newly restored homes as well.
Carson Dunlop Associates' standing seam metal roof sketch (below) includes a sketch of soldering used to connect flat metal roofing panels.
Watch out: large expanses of metal roofing with soldered connections may flex and break open the soldered joints due to thermal movement.
Details about soldered copper roofs and some suggested inspection points are
atCOPPER SHINGLE METAL ROOFING - soldered metal or copper shingle roofing on flat or low-slope roofs.
Standing seam metal roofs were widely used throughout North America and in modern forms remain in use today as a very durable roof covering, especially if the metal coating or paint is maintained.
Carson Dunlop Associates' standing seam metal roof sketch (left) shows how sheet metal roofing is secured to the roof deck using cleats. Sections of metal roofing may be joined by
See STANDING SEAM METAL ROOF Installation for details about standing seam roof installation, flashing, maintenance, repair.
Our rusted standing seam barn roof photo (below) demonstrates a common roofing sequence history: metal roofs were installed over worn-out wood shingle roofs as a more economical way to re-roof the building.
A second rusted standing seam barn roof is at below right, and our third standing-seam photo below shows a modern coated standing seam roof on North Henderson, the computing facility at Bard College, Annandale, NY.
Reader question: First, thank you for your excellent site. A great example of what makes up for the crappy stuff that draws so much criticism at other websites.
This question is for Vermont, where our 40 by 50 Seventies ranch house needs a new roof.
We were thinking of going from asphalt to standing seam, though it's not a highly pitched roof and the studs are 20 inches on center. Is there a recommended distance between the seams for a house like that, in a northern climate that sometimes sees heavy snowfall sometimes made heavier by subsequent rain?

The spec for metal roofing seam distances is not about the horizontal distance between seams - that's pretty standard and up to the manufacturer.
But the seam height above the roof surface is of interest on lower slope roofs if we want to be sure the roof won't leak. You'll see Eric's hand and mine in the photo at below left, and a standing seam metal roof clip installed to the decking at below right.
You want to discuss the slope of the roof with the roofing supplier.
For the metal roof we installed atop my office/lab a few years ago, as the slope was rather low (less than 4/12) we were assured that a standing seam roof would work perfectly well (New York) provided we installed one that had taller seams. I.e. taller, not closer together, on lower slopes.
The metal roof is secured not to the rafters but to the roof decking which itself is secured to the rafters. As you may have seen, the connection of roof to deck is by clips that mount over a seam and are screwed to the deck. Then the clip is covered by the next overlapping seam cap of the next section.
That's why rafter spacing shouldn't be an issue.
Also as a metal roof is typically lighter than most other options (asphalt for example) the rafter spacing should be less of an issue than before - with respect to the weight of the roof.
SeeSTANDING SEAM METAL ROOF INSTALLATION for details about standing seam roof installation, flashing, maintenance, repair.
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Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction listed producers and sources of metal roofing, metal roof fastening systems, and related metal roofing products to which we add additional resources.
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Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.
Our metal roof has no underlayment, no air spacer.it isn't insulated.
It drips condensation inside. We are colder in winter and now we bake in the summer.and it's a simple 65 ft trailerhome.no plywood. .was this a bad install.job?On 2018-11-14 by Paco -
Answer by (mod) -
Paco
It sounds like an incomplete roof job; for most climates you want at the very least ceiling or under-roof insulation and a vapor barrier on the warm side of the insulation.
Hi can you help please? I need advise on what roofing product to buy for a car port and pergola? I am having the car port roof build in the same structure and the same galvanised wood as the pergola.
The pergola runs along the back of the garage and car port. I notice there are zinc, plastic coated steel and poly carbonate sheets.
Where we live is covered in trees and so everything goes green and I thought it may be best to have a green coloured roof product on both the car port and the pergola. Do you have any advice please? Kindest Regards JillOn 2016-08-11 by Jill -
Explanation by (mod) -
Jill
Galvanised - is a process used to reduce the rate of rust and corrosion on metal components, not wood materials. See GALVANIZED STEEL ROOFS https://inspectapedia.com/roof/Galvanized_Metal_Roofing.php for an example.
You might mean pressure treated wood - seeif that's what your pergola and car port are using as a wood structure.
You wont' find "galvanized wood" - that's a mix-up of terms.
If indeed you're planning to use a metal roof you will probably enjoy a dark-colored coated steel roof, black, or dark green, as the stains will show up less.Black will show stains the least but may be hotter than you want.
Indeed my read of the metal roof care instructions for the products I've used shows that the manufacturer warns that if you don't keep cleaning off the roof surface, leaves and organic debris will indeed discolor the roof and worse, accumulated debris left on the roof may lead to early corrosion and a shorter roof life.
My OPINION about the stain issue is that the level of risk depends on- the proximity of trees or other sources of debris that may blow onto the roof
- the roof slope - steeper roofs drain faster and debris washes off more reasily
- the use of snow guards - that will catch debris and hold it on the roof
- ease of access to the roof for periodic cleaning
- and of course the manufacturer's instructions for metal roof maintenance for their specific product.
Watch out: some metal roofing systems that are to be installed atop treated wood or preservative treated wood may be corroded by interaction between the wood preservative and the metal roof product.Be sure to review this with your roofing manufacturer as they may require some additional installation details to assure a long roof life.
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