Cost Of Steel Roof?

Rain, snow, sleet, rain, freezing rain, snow, snow, snow. ....

It will have some content of ice in it regardless of how much insulation you have.

A layer of snow blankets the ground, then we get some rain that soaks in and freezes, then some sleet, than back to snow. You get a solid layer of ice there, really before the heavy snow has even fallen.

One of more layers of ice underneath the snow, or layered in the snow is not an indication that heat is escaping.

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Just occurred to me. I haven't read through all the replies so pardon me if I am repeating something but...In the mean time heat tape can be your friend, though not really a long term solution really. It will stop the waterfall.

What ET1 SS says actually underscores the benefits of a metal roof system unless the pitch is so low that snow and ice will not slide off. Living in a high wind, high snow area, I have become a fan of metal roofing.

Rick
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The bolded is your best and least expensive option although I would remove the existing planks and insulate the cavities with sprayfoam. Keeping the snow raked back a few feet from the eves will help big time until you get the fix done.

I put on a steel roof with some help from some friends and my Dad. It came up to a grand total of 850 dollars with screws, trim, and replacing all the wooden planking on the roof. I live in central Wisconsin too and steel was the cheapest and quickest option. I put it up about two years ago. When the sun comes out the snow slides off right away. The roof is not heated nor is it insulated. I am very happy with it

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If ice dam is the problem, you can either get yourself a snow removal tool and remove about a foot of snow at the edge of the roof whenever the snow gets thick or you can buy heat cables to go on the edge of the roof and turn them on whenever there is a storm.

Some things to remember or think about.

Steel roofs come in basically 2 types. The traditional barn style that have exposed nails/screws, and a standing seam roof. The standing seam roof tend to be used more in residential construction, but cost more. ($145/sqr vs. $85/sqr) If you see a roof with narrow tall ribs, its probably the standing seam type. Less problems with washer failure, since the nails/screws are covered by the metal. If you have an ice dam, either type of roof will leak, just like shingles. Metal roofs are designed to allow the water to flow down and away. Pooled water will seep inside. I won't get into metal shingles, since they will not fix your problem.

Be very careful of multiple vapor barriers if you insulate the outside. Moisture barriers go on the hot side of the wall/roof. Inside in the north, outside in the south. The worst case is two vapor barriers, and one of them is compromised. The interior of the wall gets wet, and the moisture never goes away. Quickly rotting structures, mold/mildew and other nastiness ensues.

For the short term fix, I was going to suggest the heat tape as well. It will keep the ice dams drained, so they will be manageable, and hopefully no standing water on the roof.

If you have a "hot roof" and eves, you are going to get ice dams. With great insulation in the roof, it may be only a little, but they will be there. You can insulate more to reduce the ice dams, heat the eves, or cool the roof.

Cooling the roof would be easiest with the metal roof. Vertical 2x4's from the eaves to the ridge provide ventilation. These are covered horizontally with the 2x4 nailers that the metal gets attached to.

I'm a big fan of sprayed closed cell foam insulation in cathedral ceilings. They are an almost perfect moisture barrier, provide high R-value for the allowable thickness, and are easy to install. (since you get someone else to do it) The main down side is the cost. At $1/board foot, its not cheap.

Michael

Houses are built everywhere with usually only the thought of making it look good for as cheaply as possible. They know who their buyers are and even the custom built homes are done this way as people care more about the color of the walls then the insulation.

Do a lot of research or you might be throwing good money after bad attempting to fix one problem and creating others.

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I sprayed our spray-on foam myself. It was very easy to do.

Two components each in a bottle the size of a 20lb propane bottle. Hooked up to hoses and a disposable nozzle. The stuff shoots out real hot, it expands and within 15 seconds it is hard.

Our walls and roof are all steel sheeting. I sprayed 1 1/2 inches of foam on our walls and across the ceiling.

It sticks to everything. It hardens and becomes structural. It deadens sound. It stops drafts.

Then I hung 9 inches of fiberglass batting on that followed by wood grain paneling and trim.

I am totally in favor of spray-on foam

It is very easy to use.

The snow/ice does not slide off our roof quickly but that is due to us not having a steep roof. Our roof rises 1 foot for every 10 foot of run.

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