Underlayment for Metal Roof

Ed of all trades · Dec 18, 2015

I am going to order the metal for the roof on my shop that will be heated and ac'd next week. the company I deal with uses a 1/4" layer of insulation under the metal for the drips. It looks like the shiny silver sun blocks you put in your car's windshield to block the sun, that has little bubble all over it.

AGRIMAN · Dec 18, 2015

Ed of all trades said:
I am going to order the metal for the roof on my shop that will be heated and ac'd next week. the company I deal with uses a 1/4" layer of insulation under the metal for the drips. It looks like the shiny silver sun blocks you put in your car's windshield to block the sun, that has little bubble all over it.

I wish you luck. I put the same stuff in my old shop when we built it around 15 years ago and it has not held up. It seemed to work good when it was new, but after a few years it started to come apart. Most of the bubbles have busted or gone flat. The worst is the white backing material (around the bubbles) is constantly poping off. You can sweep it all up today and it will be covered again tomorrow.

The only reason I haven't cut it all out yet is because we built a bigger shop and have only been using it for equipment storage. I'm planning on converting it into a calf barn and will replace it all with spray foam.

ultrarunner · Dec 19, 2015

Copper metal roofs are the rich man's roof in Austria and for public buildings... they seem to take hail, snow and ice in stride and several of the neighbors have them... suppose to be 100+ years.

I couldn't afford to go copper for the roof... I was convinced to go copper for flashing, gutters and downspouts and that was in 1983 and totally satisfied...

Ed of all trades · Dec 19, 2015

AGRIMAN said:
I wish you luck. I put the same stuff in my old shop when we built it around 15 years ago and it has not held up. It seemed to work good when it was new, but after a few years it started to come apart. Most of the bubbles have busted or gone flat. The worst is the white backing material (around the bubbles) is constantly poping off. You can sweep it all up today and it will be covered again tomorrow.

The only reason I haven't cut it all out yet is because we built a bigger shop and have only been using it for equipment storage. I'm planning on converting it into a calf barn and will replace it all with spray foam.

Thanks for the reply. will talk to my supplier. Ed

Kyle_in_Tex · Dec 19, 2015

How well insulated is your attic? You can run a lattice work ànd fill in between the wood stringers with sheets of insulation. You can use regular felt under the insulation. This can help with summer heating bills.

Farmer495 · Dec 20, 2015

ultrarunner said:
Copper metal roofs are the rich man's roof in Austria and for public buildings... they seem to take hail, snow and ice in stride and several of the neighbors have them... suppose to be 100+ years.

I couldn't afford to go copper for the roof... I was convinced to go copper for flashing, gutters and downspouts and that was in 1983 and totally satisfied...

No copper thieves over there? Here you'd come home and your roof would be gone.

txdon · Dec 20, 2015

I have the standing seam with the ice/water underlay. The only way to go in central TX. Home insurance will give you a break also.

ultrarunner · Dec 21, 2015

Farmer495 said:
No copper thieves over there? Here you'd come home and your roof would be gone.

Same here in the SF Bay Area... all kinds of havoc... even steeling manhole covers.

Austria seems to not have that problem... actually it really was the kind of place people did not lock their doors which has changed due to the immigrant influx.

That said copper is just about everywhere and Austria does/did have copper mines.

I like dealing with true craftsman that have apprenticed and carry on the family trade... also with things build to last measured in centuries...

My little home is concrete block basement and sawn log upstairs... more expensive than block but less moisture problems when vacant and not heated for extended periods of time...

I did see a new home with comp shingles and was taken back... just not expecting anything other than metal or tile...

Coyote machine · Dec 21, 2015

I've got metal roofing on some of my roofs here in VT. Not cheap to buy or install, but it's excellent durability wise.
It sheds snow and ice in huge rumbling sheets at random times and that can be really noisy. Otherwise no complaints.