Metal roofing
Metal is the roof that makes sense in the hills: it sheds snow, it does not burn, it reflects the valley sun, and it outlasts two shingle roofs. Boe Roofing installs standing seam and screw-down panels on homes, cabins and outbuildings across the North State, and repairs the ones already up.
Two kinds of metal roof
Standing seam is the better roof: panels run in one piece from eave to ridge, the seams stand up off the surface, and the fasteners are hidden under them, so there is nothing to back out and nothing exposed to the weather. It costs more and it is the one we recommend on a house.
Screw-down, or exposed fastener, panels overlap and are screwed through the face with a gasketed screw. It costs less and goes on faster, and it is a fine roof on a shop, a barn or a cabin. Its one weakness is the screws: in the sun and the freeze-thaw of the Ridge the washers age and the screws back out, and after fifteen years or so the roof needs re-screwing. That is a job we do a lot of.
Metal over an existing roof
Metal can often go over a single layer of composition shingle, with a layer of underlayment or purlins between. It saves the tear-off, keeps the old roof as a second barrier, and keeps the debris out of your driveway. It is not allowed over two layers, over a wet or rotten roof, or over tile, and the deck still has to be sound. We check from the attic and tell you which you have.
Why metal up the hill
Paradise designs roofs for a 30 pound per square foot snow load, and Magalia, Stirling City, Butte Meadows and Lake Almanor see more. Snow slides off metal instead of sitting on it, which is also why snow guards go above doors and walkways. Metal panels are a Class A roof covering, which is what the fire code asks for anywhere on the Ridge. And a painted metal roof in a light colour meets the cool roof rule in the valley without a second thought.
What a metal roof includes
- Panel
- Standing seam (hidden fastener) or screw-down, in 26 or 24 gauge painted steel
- Finish
- Kynar-type painted finish in the colour you pick from the manufacturer chart
- Underlayment
- High-temperature synthetic underlayment, ice and water in valleys and at eaves in snow country
- Trim
- Eave, rake, ridge, valley and sidewall trim in matching metal; pipe flashings in silicone boots
- Snow country
- Snow guards above entries and walkways; heavier gauge where the load calls for it
- Permit
- Pulled with the city or county; recover or new deck noted on the application
Fire rating, reflectance and warranty are listed by product in the bid.
Common questions
Over solid decking with underlayment and an insulated attic, no louder than shingles. The tin-roof sound comes from panels screwed to open purlins over a shop with nothing under them.
Forty to sixty years for standing seam, with the paint finish typically warranted for thirty or more. Screw-down panels last as long, but plan on re-screwing them around year fifteen.
Over one layer, on a dry, sound deck, usually yes, and we will check the attic before saying so. Over two layers or tile the old roof comes off first.
Metal is a Class A covering, which is the rating insurers and the fire code look for. Whether it moves your premium is between you and the carrier, but it removes one of the reasons a policy gets declined in a high fire zone.
Get a bid: metal roofing
Say what the roof is doing, what kind of roof it is if you know, and which town you are in. We call back to talk it through and set a time to look at it. If water is coming in right now, skip the form and call.