Painted steel roofing. What should I know?

Finally got an insurance adjuster to the house to look at the damage from Hurricane Jeanne and it looks like they're going to pay for an entirely new roof. I've driven over several counties since the storms began looking at damage and have come to the decision that I want to go with painted steel as it seems to resist hurricane winds better than anything else I've seen (unless a tree falls on it!).

What should I be looking for and asking about when I start contacting roofing contractors? Other than whether they are licensed and bonded in the state of Florida that is.

.....Alan.

[uncle Will in In.]

The good stuff made for houses are called standing seam roofing. The screws that hold it down are hidden under the overlapping seam of the next sheet applied. They hook together. Its expensive but I know of house roofs that used it over 50 years ago, and it's still there. Pole barn roofs use the same metal that goes on the walls. Some of it is galvenized under the paint. That's good. Most places have a garentee of some sort of the life expectation. Here the best quality is supposed to last more than 25 years. 29 gauge is common for pole barn metal. It can be bought precut to whatever length you need at no additional cost.

[countrygrrrl]

I have a steel roof (although I call it a tin roof), and it's wonderful! In these parts, they have 50 year guarantees --- but we don't have the horrible cold they have in Uncle Will land.

Because you all are more humid there and have hurricanes (while we only have mere tornadoes), your guarantee might be a bit less. Still, it's the only way to go, IMO.

Be sure to get several estimates --- around here, the price for a steel roof has suddenly gone through the roof. I paid a bit more than $2000 for mine a year and a half ago, but just heard of someone who's been getting bids as high as $14,000 -- her place is twice the size of mine, but still. That's a huge jump in price in less than two years.

Good luck --- you will be so much happier with a steel roof!

[Hoop]

One thing you should know about steel roofing is this: make sure they remove the shingles before the steel is laid down.

Why? If the shingles are NOT removed, one has no way of knowing the condition of the sheathing (OSB or plywood) that resides underneath the shingles. It could be seriously rotted, and we all know screws don't hold very well when they are inserted into rotted wood.

Applying a metal roof isn't rocket science. In fact, its downright easy.....especially if the building to be covered doesn't have any valleys. Consider taking a cash settlement from the insurance company and having a friend/neighbor/relative/someone help you install the metal.

[Alex]

When handling large sharp sheets of metal roofing, be really careful! Fingers and arms are nice to have.

And it seems a bit more (longer) life is good, in case we haven't yet figured out why we are here.

Good luck.

Alex

[Don Armstrong]

Originally Posted by Alex

When handling large sharp sheets of metal roofing, be really careful! Fingers and arms are nice to have.

True. Use leather gloves, and don't have people standing underneath - if it starts to slide, the best thing to do is just to let it go. ALSO don't handle it in wind - it can act like a sail, and if you get a sudden gust it can swing up or start to fly or just about anything.

Lots of parts of tropical and sub-tropical Australia face annual cyclones (Southern hemisphere hurricanes) and successfully use what we call corrugated iron. Normally galvanised - just paint on bare metals would be very vulnerable to rust. Best seems to be trademarked "Zincalume" - the steel is covered in a galvanising coating which is actually an alloy of zinc and aluminium. This is a silver colour, and to my mind quite attractive - particularly since it doesn't need any further work for at least 25 years. Best if you put some insulation in the roof before you put the metal on though.

[diane]

Go with the heaviest gauge steel available. The 29 gauge, which some will try to tell is just fine, will show every little ping from hail etc. We were shocked at how much the price had increased just since we first looked at it.(we installed ours this summer) I agree, the reliable installers will insist on removing everything down to the decking so that it can be inspected and repaired as needed.

[minnikin1]

We just had a contractor install a metal roof for us, ( the pitch of our roof is VERY steep, so we didn't want to attempt it ourselves.) and we're having a problem getting our guarantee.
In order to warranty the product, the manufacturer asked us to provide a copy of the contractor's invoice.
Guess what. Suddenly the contractor won't return my calls when we ask him to provide that copy....

Make sure you have everything you need for that guarantee before you turn over the final check....

BTW, you may have trouble finding a licensed Florida roofer, they are so busy right now. Many counties have temporarily suspended the licensing requirements, so out of state roofers can help out. Your insurance company will still have to give their okie dokie, though.

[jkillen]

If you are going to do it yourself get an electric cutter. Cutting that
stuff by hand is a pain...in the hand.

Having topped several chicken houses with galvanized steel I have come to the conclusion that I have no business trying to roof my house myself. This is one job that I'll gladly leave to a licensed contractor and get a guarantee on it.

The search goes on.

.....Alan.

[Ed Tucker]

A.T.
I was in Chiefland today and picked up the local newspaper. There are several ads dealing with metal roofs.
1. Metal roofing installed, free estimates 1-800-823-9298 This place is in Trenton. Tri-County Metals
2. Metal roofing direct from the manufacturer, 1-888-393-0335. This place is in Horseshoe Beach

Hope this helps.

Ed

So far it's looking like standing seam 24 gauge Galvalume with the Kynar finish in 12" widths and concealed fasteners is the way to go. It has a very good wind resistance (to 120 mph) when properly installed. The heavier gauge should resist denting better than the twenty nine gauge stuff. The price may be a heart stopper though!

I'm going to spend another day or so looking for info then start calling contractors. Probably won't be able to get one to actually start work before Christmas from what I'm hearing from some of my coworkers.

.....Alan.