Help me decide - Metal roof thickness

[Paul Thornton]

How old will you be in 40 years? Does it really make a difference?

 

[bcp]

The difference in metal thickness is 0.0015". Bout the thickness of a human hare.

Looks thicker than 0.0015" to me.




Bruce

 

[prichard]

How old will you be in 40 years? Does it really make a difference?

That was my thought as well. I'll be to old to care if I'm still around when the 30 year runs out.

 

[RLWATSO1]

Thanks everyone for the responses! I appreciate all the info!

 

[Gary Fowler]

27 gauge=11/640 or 0.0171875

28 gauge=1/64 or 0.015625
So approximately .002" thicker that is 2 thousandths of an inch which is like the thickness of a human hair, not hare (rabbit hair?) but maybe not much difference.

I would save my $500 and maybe check on the cost of 26 gauge from another contractor which as stated most companies put 26 gauge minimum on steel buildings.

 

[RLWATSO1]

How old will you be in 40 years? Does it really make a difference?

70... good point lol

 

[brown40]

Probably would save the money for that difference. There's 24 gauge galvanized too, and that's tough stuff. I opted for that for the extra weight and hopefully durability. I have some scraps that have been targets for everything in the gun safe, and except where the metals scratched its perfect fourteen years later. For ultimate longevity here in the salt zone I see people using aluminum now. It is a much lighter product. Don't know what years of wind flexing does for it, but it sounds good for corrosion.

 

[teejk]

Those are some odd thicknesses IMO. I've found most metal building to use 26 gauge where pole barns use the lighter 29 gauge. I used 24 gauge 7.2 panel on boat docks to decrease the number of uprights necessary. Can't say I've ever seen 27 or 28 gauge. Around here the roofing contractors I know use 26 gauge only.

I'd go with the heavier material. I'd also measure it to make sure you get what you pay for.

Around here 26ga is standard (28ga considered "liner" material). While the difference seems to be tiny, the steel also serves to add rigidity to the structure so I'd say the thicker the better. Kinda related is handling...again it doesn't seem like much but the guy that put up my shop (he did it for a living for 30 years) preferred the thicker sheets for moving around. He even used the thicker stuff on the interior of my shop because of that.

 

[PhysAssist]

27 gauge=11/640 or 0.0171875

28 gauge=1/64 or 0.015625
So approximately .002" thicker that is 2 thousandths of an inch which is like the thickness of a human hair, not hare (rabbit hair?) but maybe not much difference.

I would save my $500 and maybe check on the cost of 26 gauge from another contractor which as stated most companies put 26 gauge minimum on steel buildings.

Hi RL,

As a fan of Toolman Tim and the 'Go Big or Go Home' school of engineering, I'm inclined to say: get the heavier metal.

That said, metal thickness quickly became the least of our worries, but our choices were 24- or 26-gauge, and I didn't like the profiles of the 24-gauge steel.

But having just gone through this in 2012 with a similar size barn. I have to say that if you've priced the job around [gotten 3 or more estimates where it's apples vs apples] and found a contractor you [mostly] trust, then ask him and decide how much you value their expertise, and if you don't value it, think again about whether you have the right contractor.

Finally, if you haven't thought about it, I recommend at least a nominal layer of insulation installed under the metal with a vapor barrier between the insulation and the inside of the barn, preferably with a radiant foil layer too- to avoid the roof dripping when it has a snow load on a warmer than average day- otherwise you'll get awfully wet inside.

 

[RLWATSO1]

Hi RL,

As a fan of Toolman Tim and the 'Go Big or Go Home' school of engineering, I'm inclined to say: get the heavier metal.

That said, metal thickness quickly became the least of our worries, but our choices were 24- or 26-gauge, and I didn't like the profiles of the 24-gauge steel.

But having just gone through this in 2012 with a similar size barn. I have to say that if you've priced the job around [gotten 3 or more estimates where it's apples vs apples] and found a contractor you [mostly] trust, then ask him and decide how much you value their expertise, and if you don't value it, think again about whether you have the right contractor.

Finally, if you haven't thought about it, I recommend at least a nominal layer of insulation installed under the metal with a vapor barrier between the insulation and the inside of the barn, preferably with a radiant foil layer too- to avoid the roof dripping when it has a snow load on a warmer than average day- otherwise you'll get awfully wet inside.

Good advice. I do trust the builder and he does recommend the heavier metal really for the warranty but said they are very close. I definitely see that in 40 years the odds of getting a warranty claim are slim and at that time I will just pay cash for a new roof. I just wanted to get opinions to make sure I was thinking correctly. I'm leaning towards the cheaper option and using the money either towards more insulation above ceiling or in walls or even upgrading lighting, etc. Plus the wife is not a fan of spending more for the slightly thicker metal lol.

The builder is putting down a vapor barrier under the metal but I definitely need to ask about some type of insulation. Are you talking about just a thin sheet of foam of some sort?

Thanks again everyone for all the helpful input. As we get into this project I'm quickly realizing that there are so so many things to take into account haha.