Need home roof shingle/steel advice -- help!

[jimgerken]

I need to re-roof an existing garage this month. Later, a year or so away, I will be building a new home beside this garage. I have been roofing shopping. Have seen the Metro steel shingles with aggregate glues onto steel shingle-like panels, and that looks interesting. Have considered standing seam steel roofing, but it looks too much like a restaurant when applied to a house, to suit me anyway. Have even considered exposed fastener pole building type steel roofing panels. We really want to do it for low maintenance for the long haul. Been hearing horror stories about current asphalt shingles and too much cheap filler and not enough asphalt, and less fiberglass cause that's expensive, and warranties are markettgin gimmicks, and stuff like that. Of course we all know that a shingle that has a "30 year warrantee" is about shot in 20-odd years. So, I guess I am looking for alternatives, recommendations, ideas I havent considered etc. Thanks a bunch guys, for anything you can offer. Gotta run...

 

[Pipestone Kid]

One thing to consider if you are leaning to any type of metal roof, is "what is below the eaves?" I have seen decks demolished, doorways blocked, shrubs ruined, etc. from snow sliding off metal roofs. Also, does the slope of the garage roof come down toward the driveway? Los of shoveling if it does. Just my two cents.

 

[jonyyuma]

One thing to consider if you are leaning to any type of metal roof, is "what is below the eaves?" I have seen decks demolished, doorways blocked, shrubs ruined, etc. from snow sliding off metal roofs. Also, does the slope of the garage roof come down toward the driveway? Los of shoveling if it does. Just my two cents.

Correct on both counts. Metal roofing is not cheap. Hail does wear out shingles...The content of shingles is vaguely described, life is not likely to be 30 years, nor 50 years, despite the title" 50 year shingles"....Does the paint stay on steel roofing????Like to paint?

 

[JDGreenGrass]

I you ask me being from snow country in Maine...Steel roof.

I wouldn't have it any other way. Raised Seam if you can afford it. If not, be sure the installer puts the screws in the valley's. Pulling snow off a metal roof is easy work compared to climbing onto the roof and shoveling.

What is the pitch of the roof you are considering.??

 

[jones6780]

Anyone have trouble with cell phone reception under a steel roof?

 

[2manyrocks]

I priced steel and shingles recently and found them neck and neck. So I went with steel.

 

[Uncle Wayne]

Severe hail damage to my asphalt shingles a few years ago made me shop around also. I went with a metal roof that laps over the screws. There is not a screw showing on my roof except for where the ridge cap laps over the ridge. The metal roof cost me about $2000 more than the shingles at that time.

 

[Skyco]

Anyone have trouble with cell phone reception under a steel roof?

That is certainly a consideration. If your signal is now marginal it may be non-existant when a metal roof is installed.

 

[Uncle Wayne]

Anyone have trouble with cell phone reception under a steel roof?

No, we have two cell contracts, one with AT&T and the other with Verizon. Both work for us under our metal roof and we live several miles from any major thoroughfare.

 

[fowllife]

I would HIGHLY recommend NOT going with a exposed fastner screw down metal roof. Having thousands of holes in your roof that are covered by a little rubber washer just isn't a good thing. Screws work out, washers weather and crack, scratches from the installers screw gun sliding off start to rust, leaks are hard to trace.....they are fine for a pole barn, what's going to really get hurt if they leak?

Concealed fastner standing seam roofs are nice though. Yes the paint does stick as long as you get a sheet with a good finish system. But as with any metal product, any cut edge will still rust.....