big home this summer that will
cost $50,000 to roof. Metal roofs
clearly cost more than asphalt
shingle. Donaghue estimates that
as of late summer 2009, the cost
for materials is about $6 to $12
a square foot whether it is steel
or aluminum, standing seam or
profiled shingles.
Most metal roofs are Energy
Star efficient and qualify for up to
$1,500 in federal tax credit.
We installed slate-like shingles
on the pitched roof and standing
seam on the new porch additions,
where the pitch was too shallow
for a profiled surface. Standing
seam (long verticals) is what you
commonly see on American metal
roofs where the metal roof market accounts for just 8 percent of
the total roofing market. That
may seem small, but it’s about
double the percentage of just
20 years ago.
Roof Aqua Guard is one of
several products favored by
professional roofers.
METAL ROOFS,
THEN AND NOW
When they think of metal roofs,
most people think of franchise
restaurants with their brightly
colored, come-hither-looking
tops. Or, they think of agricultural
metal roofs with screws rusting
right through the metal into the
building.
Today’s modern metal roof
always has some kind of clip
locking system with interlocking
panels, so it can float with the
heat, leaving the panel to contract
and expand depending on the
temperature. The clip system
allows the roof to do that. The
clips also keep the roof flat to the
decking material so that when air
This is the way standing-seam
panels are installed. The pitch
of a roof determines the best
product to use—shingles or
standing seam.
sheet of ice crashing onto
unsuspecting people or property
below. We also had an extremely
hot upstairs bedroom area, and
metal reflects more heat than
asphalt.
Given these considerations,
we hired Gerry Donaghue of
Donaghue Construction, to drive
the project. “You’ve got to understand how to manage the snow
coming off a roof,” Donaghue
says. “Installing metal roofs is
not rocket science, but it must
be installed correctly to make it
work. If it’s a hand’s-on DIY person, I strongly recommend hiring
a professional to prep you for
the job.”
Getting good advice is a wise
investment. Donaghue says the
average price for the projects his
company does is in the $18,000
to $22,000 range, but he has a
