Well, these aren’t for every building or every building owner, but they
are one of the most high quality roof systems you can install. Also,
they are becoming more popular partly because of the rising cost of
petroleum causing fiberglass asphalt shingle roof prices to climb over
the last several years. A standing seam metal roof can seriously
enhance the structural integrity and look of your home or business.
It comes in steel, aluminum, copper, and stainless steel, to name a
few.
All of these are at least a 50 year roof and are to be considered
a lifetime roof system. Why? Because they are made of metal, for one
thing. Metal of course is rigid and strong so it does not damage
easily and can give you a very high wind rating. In most cases it is
screwed down with hidden fasteners so the elements never get to these
screws and cause corrosion. You can use as many screws as you want to
make it very wind worthy.
The technicians are metal roof mechanics and sheet metal mechanics who are highly specialized so they know how to custom fabricate and install every roof as per the particular building design. They are among the most technical workers in all of construction, and aren’t scared of heights either.
Coil metal or flat sheets are run through a roof panel machine for different lengths, widths, and profiles custom to the shape and measurements of the building. Then they are installed. Some standing seam metal roofs [copper mostly] are hand crafted without a machine for historic buildings. These roofs don’t leak if put on right. Not just anyone can do it either, so please be sure you pick a roofing contractor who has the men, equipment in their sheet metal shop, and knowledge for the job. Most roofers don’t even do standing seam metal roofs. It is too complicated. See the roofs they have done and see their equipment too.
Although standing seam metal roofs are put on many commercial and residential buildings, as the main roof system they are also used to accent other types of roofs like shingles, tile, shakes, and slate roofs. Many times, bay windows, return roofs and bird walk roofs have metal on them. Some shopping centers have them on the front canopy to draw the eye of tenants and customers. Beach houses and cottages use them for wind resistance and high end aesthetics. High rise buildings and church steeples have them because their owners never want to replace their roofs after original construction. They are too high! There are many 16 ounce copper roofs way up in the air that are rarely seen or touched in Hampton Roads. Downtown Portsmouth and Norfolk, Suffolk, and Williamsburg are full of them. The old tin roofs we remove are usually 100 plus years of age and today’s metal is better.
The main thing is that if you put a metal roof on your home or business, it will perform very well and will be the last one you ever install, no matter how old you are.
Robert Andrews ll robert@andrewsroofing.com
