Planning a total re-roofing in Sept. -Replacing 30-yr. low-slope asphalt shingles on a roof where they don’t even last 7 years! 3/12 pitch, excess attic-ventilation exists, extreme solar (south) exposure w/ no wind-exposure (wooded all around except south).
Looking at metal roofing -shakes or tiles, shingles or panels. -Expensive now, but likely worth it….
Any experiences, recommendations?
Thanks!
Barb
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Replies
I spent most of last winter doing my roof alone using metal shingles. I don't regret it. I chose Reinke aluminum shakes for a couple reasons. Most of the metal shingle manufacturers only sell to their factory trained installers. Reinke sells direct to anyone that wants them. The other contender for me was from Salt Lake City, (name was something like Tab Lock). I liked the way all of the seams locked together with that brand, but I didn't like the look. They try to very poorly imitate wood shingles. The Reinke shakes don't try to immitate anything. They are just tightly corrigated aluminum rectangles. To me this looks much better. Also the Tab Lock? felt like they would dent when walking on them. The Reinkes are extremely rigid. Their ad shows a truck parked on one. Sure enough while I was working one blew out into the road. Later I found it with tire marks all over it. It was still almost useable. One corner got rolled back on it and ther were a few gravel dents. The corrigations were still good though.
The downside with these is the price and the amount of time to install them. They are $220 a square I think and the other brand was about $200 a square. The Reinkes take forever to install due to each one needing 3 hand driven nails. Since the nails are not concealed they must be done neatly and if you miss, the shingle may end up with a hammer dent. There is no nail gun option. The other brand would be faster as there is only one nail to be driven per shingle and it is concealed.
The Reinke staff were very nice on the phone. They sent free color samples, and then sent free full size samples of the colors that I had narrowed my choice down to. The other brand wanted a check in the mail first for samples.
The upside is the cooler attic, long life, potential of collecting the runoff water without contaminating it, and it looks really nice. I have had many people stop and ask all about it and give compliments. Houses are cheap in my area, so most roofing jobs around here look real cheap too. Not mine.
If I didn't use what I did, I think that I would go with standing seam metal. I don't remember what slope the Reinkes are good to but your roof may be close to the min slope. Standing seam might be a better choice for you.
I have worked with the standing seam 18" engleheart panels. I found them quite effective and are still holding strong, although its only been 2 years. The customer was very satisfied. The panels come in a variety of colors and are less expensive than the shingles.
Real nice work on a real nice dwelling.
I have objections to the oversized hip/ridge coverings tho'.
We do tons of copper in a half a year, and really, I am sold on it.
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Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" If ya plan to face tomorrow, do it soon"
That's freaking HOT!
On those dormers, am I seeing ribs running perpendicular to the main roof plane?
No..they are 12x12 squares laid on the bias. Nailed/screwed up on the underlap and popriveted to the lower courses. Want more pics?
BTW it was last July, and yup, it was HOT..150º and higher..see the stains? That is bodily fluids.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" If ya plan to face tomorrow, do it soon"
I got a few more..where ya been last year? It was a helluva thread.
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Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" If ya plan to face tomorrow, do it soon"
You guys ought to visit Quebec City, a couple hours drive downriver from Montreal.
Just about every roof there is a steeply pitched copper affair, with their eaves way, way up there.
And most all of them a beautifully-aged green patina.
We have enuff just keeping the horse farms under roof.
I only have a few yrs left in this work, so I want it to be memorable...and this ( pictured) job was one that wil stay with me for a LONG time. I love it.
I have only 2 yrs exp. with this sort of stuff..Grant acquired me for his woodwork..then he cut me loose on this new found trade..glad he did.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" If ya plan to face tomorrow, do it soon"
Man, that looks dangerous. You guys need parachutes. Seriously, everyone harnessed up or is that too much of a nerdy PITA?
Nah..never a rope. See them vise grips holdin the chicken ladder? Thats us on that..Dale is 230lbs w/out tools, I am 175 in the same state.
I respect gravity.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" If ya plan to face tomorrow, do it soon"
Vice Grips will hold you and a ladder up there?
Balls that clang dude thats all I have to say. I'm only half as dumb as I look.
That is just stunning work - I hate I missed the original thread.
Wow again - gotta get the DW downstairs to see.
Forrest
try dis.
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=60932.1
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" If ya plan to face tomorrow, do it soon"
Yer pizzing me off again showing me stuff like that.You should take those most excellent pics and post them on a real construction forum, try Bob Vila's place or somewhere like that.This place ain't worthy...and neither am I, so I'm going to close my eyes and try to blot out the mental image of your fine shiny roofs.I love your work, brother.Mongo
WOW!
pleasure to meet you!-Fortitude-
Same to you, I saw the help wanted thread, and believe me, if I had not moved away from there, I'd be yer man.
Ky has been kind to me, I can't imagine living anywhre else.
Stay in touch, we have a lot in common.
BTW..copper is all there is! (G)
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
" If ya plan to face tomorrow, do it soon"
I don't know where you are but if you are in snow country then metal is a very bad choice. It is very passe in the Tahoe area due to too many bad experiences.
What bad experiences are you talking about? When I drive in the Cascades NE of Seattle I see mostly metal roofing. Well over 75%. I assumed a steep metal roof was needed in heavy snow country.
New homes are engineered to hold the snow. It is good insulation after all. Unloading snow will kill your dog or grandma too. It makes a mess that you have to clean up every time it sheds. Screws back off and you have to go up there and tighten them every year. If not then they shear of with the ice sheet the next winter and shred the metal. They are super hot and they cook the paper underneath and plywood. If the house is not designed with metal in mind then chimneys can shear off if they are down on the eave. Decks can collapse from the impact.
No one does metal anymore unless they are replacing old roof or it is a remodel and you have to match. Only the very naieve use metal around here anymore. Thats the way it is around here now. Ask anyone that has been building here as long as I have.Mike Callahan, Lake Tahoe, Ca.
Screws backing off and shearing? Howzis happen with standing seam?
He's describing exposed fasteners--he also referred to the need to tighten them yearly.
That's ridiculous. Wherever heavy snows are found, metal roofs will be there too.
care to elaborate as to what these "too many bad experiences" are...
there sure are a bunch of metal roofs here (Colorado mountains)and more being installed all the time...
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Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
I used to live in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Very similar to the Tahoe Area. I don't remember seeing anything but metal roofs there. With the quantity of snowfall there it is essential for the roofs to shed the snow. Metal does that better than any other roofing material. I worked for the ski area there and ran huge snow blowers to get the snow off of the flat parts of the lodge roofs. The old lodge would shift enough under the weight of the snow that upstairs bathroom doors would not close. It would suprise me to see that roofs have changed much there as the average snowfall hasn't changed significantly.
Metal roofs are common in Quebec too. There's no shortage of snow there.
I have heard that the life of a steel roof can be shortened if leaves and especially the needles from coniferous trees collect on the roof. Anybody know anything about this?
Ron
Lots of metal roofs in NH too. I was told to avoid using it if you have valleys as it will tear. I don't have any valleys so I didn't worry about it. It certainly does shed snow well.Tom
Douglasville, GA
Those of us reading Mike Callahan's post on metal roofing "just not working" for homes in his locale might not be realizing the "failure mode."
Mike is in or near Lake Tahoe, CA, where winter snow accumulation is measured in the hundreds of inches.
The roofs might be just fine, but the slide-offs might be killing people.
I remember seeing something about roof design done for Swiss homes built up in the Tyrol, where similar snow accumulations can occur.
Roofs are done in low slope, maybe 3/12 or even shallower, and some sort of snow guards are used to hold the snow. They want to keep it, not shed it. I've been to Switzerland and seen these houses, and often the snow guards are rocks placed up on the roofs, out near the eaves.