in this area we get a lot of snow,like nessmuck says the snow slides right off. so your roof has to be built so when it comes off it doesn't hurt or kill ya or plug you in.there is some danger when a large amount of snow comes off.

Bingo! That's probably what the shingle company is counting on too.
I would definitely go steel.

Standing seam steel roof. No exposed screws.

Depends on how old you are and when you will need the next roof after this one. I'm 40 and went with standing seam. I shouldn't ever have to worry about my roof again. Had I put a 30 year roof on it would have needed to be done when I was 70.

Personally I like steel but check with your insurance company on what they cover. I've heard alot of horror stories on insurance companies jacking up the premiums with steel. Seems the steel fades enough that they have to replace one side or all to match colors if a claim is made.

I have heard just the opposite about rates. Shingles are flammable and that increases risk of ignition. Steel mitigates those risks. Here the rates are more about your proximity to the fire station than the roof material.

I reroofed my house with 30 year shingles in the early 80s. Did the work myself and got 30 years out of them. Being in my 60s when I needed to redo again, I went with screw down metal. If I had been a lot younger, I would have spent the additional money for the standing seam but figured the one I chose would last as long as I need it.

The fire department will not go on a metal roof to ventilare and open a spot to apply water hence a metal roof means a house fire is more likely to result in a complete loss. As far as a 50 years shingle, I don't believe it for a minute. The only way a shingle could ever last 50 year is if your house was in a bubble. I don't care what they claim, a shingle of any makeup when exposed to the elements can not possibly last 50 years. Sure a shingle roof may she'd water for some time but what will it look like in 20 years?

important things to think about

single roofs most frequently fail for lack of proper ventilation the shigles get cooked

so how old is your current roof ? why is it failing ? how is it failing ?

do you need more ventilation? if you hang a thermometer in you attic and read it at midnight and the one outside at midnight if they are not within 2-5 degrees of each other you need more vent or if your atic is lower you need more insulation you are air conditioning your attic.

what a mettal roof on 2x4 over an existing roof can do is give you ventilation

I was measuring the under temps of steel roofs yesterday with an inferred thermometer in bright sun a white pannel was 122 degrees with an outside air temp of 78 and the dark green panel was 133 but a white pannel over insulation the underside of the insulation was 86.

if your pannel is 1 1/2 inches off your roof decking then you have an air gap cheap insulation to keep that heat from conducting into your attic

you also asked steel vs shingle , as pointed out there is standing seam steel that removes the issue of the washers around the screws.


but from the cost perspective your going to have a hard time beating steel on 2x4s over your existing roof , screw the 2x4 down with 5 inch screws making sure to get into the trusses and not just the decking pull the ridge cap off cut a good ridge vent use vented steel ridge cap make sure insulation isn't blocking your soffit vents or add them if you don't have any.

as others have pointed out when steel drops snow it is like an avalanch you don't want to be under it , if you have to walk out where it will drop snow you need a snow bar to hold the snow back on the roof and make sure you do it high enough up that it is well inside the wall so that the eves drop their snow but the roof keeps it an the heat loss from the structure doesn't cause ice dams.

Greencounty only thing I would not recommend doing is the snow bar. What happens when you hold the snow from coming off the roof is on warm days the snow melts and drips off the roof and then refreeze on the ground leaving a hump of ice which then any more dripping the water and ice flows back into your structure.

Also keep in mind most steel companies don't recommend steel on pitches less then 3:12

One more thing that needs considered is the load rating of the trusses.

Trusses are not built equal. Economy trusses are very common in building houses with what is told to the truss company at the time what was being used for top covering. My guess your trusses were designed for shingles. Not shingles and steel.

My point is steel adds up in weight fast. The steel is strong and can hold a lot of weight in itself but how about the structure design under it?

Then you add snow weight you are adding a lot more weight.

I am not saying it can't be done or should not be done as people do it and get by with it. As a licensed contractor I always said I would not do it as I did not want to get caught up in a battle with the insurance company and the truss design company.

If you do go steel and are doing it on your own there are a few tips I can give you as it's more then just slapping steel down and screwing it. You need to start your steel correctly so your trim will work on both ends. And if your not running square with the structure you can stretch or shrink some sheets to get back on track.

The reason steel is more expensive to insure with some companies is the fluctuating price of steel. Fading is a cosmetic issue and probably not covered anyway unless you have a special endorsement.

My mom and dad went with a metal roof when the storm blew some shingles off. They love it and saved almost 1000 on what the insurance company paid on the damage.

not arguing your pint that can definitely happen but the benefit of limited use of snow bars is there , I wouldn't want it anywhere the benefit didn't out weigh the other option but if the option is dropping a ton of snow on you when you close the front door and being injured or having dripping to be mindful of and keep an eye on.

with a traditional shingle roof it melts off and drips and can do just that also

it's a catch 22 in some cases if the snow makes a 4 foot pile next to the building then compacts and freezes hard your in the same boat and you had to move 4 feet of snow from in front of the door.

a gutter where the snow bar is to direct melt away from the walk way or door area can make it better.

I was mostly just saying if you use snow bar put it back far enough as to not get ice dams on the eves

we get away with a bit more on ground drainage here as in right here in the sand flat I sit on because on the old houses basement insulation isn't generally good enough that the ground is frozen solid to the outer wall , the snow pulls away from our foundations after a few days and also that we sit on sugar sand so before it has a chance to seep in the wall it drains down.

but that is something to address with very good foundation drainage that you benefit from during rains also

I had an elderly neighbor with the problem that nearly half her roof dumped on the walk way between her door and the drive way the side walk ran right against the house, the melting and dripping hadn't been an issue in all the years it had a shingle roof 12/12 pitch,but the snow dumped right on the side walk after adding the metal roof, she took the option of having an additional roof added over the walk way so that her elderly brother didn't spend half his days in winter out there chiseling at the pile.

but it is all something to be considered on a project I have seen roofs that have 2 valleys that meet over the front door , that would be a mess with steel , it isn't good with any type of roof really, some houses were built to look fancy and others built to shed water

Agreed Greencounty.

The reason the drip off is more noticeable with steel is the steel warms up quicker as it's thinner causing more drippage to spread compared to a shingled area.

Gutters on a steel building can be done but I have yet find a company that would install them as they won't stand behind them from being torn off. But I have seen them last quite a few years on steel roof but do very little in winter as they freeze shut usually on the down spout.

The drippage concerns I have seen first hand the damage it can cause by water refreezing and busting foundations. Causing big problems.

I think we all are giving the pros and cons. Drainage is important.

A dormer could be added if need be to protect walkways.

Steel. Replaced our roof with steel 4 years ago and it is cooler in summer. There is no grit wearing off the shingles in the gutters, no shingles ripping off in wind storms. No maintenance needed. No need to haul old shingles to land fill. And it is dry inside.

Steel panels are generally 25%-50% lighter than shingles. In most areas code allows for shingling right over existing shingles. I've never done it but tore of plenty that were double shingled. Anyhow, adding purlins and steel panels to an existing shingled roof is a perfectly acceptable practice.

I started work on a new shed early this spring. It has a metal roof. I found out that you guys are right, snow just slides right off at some point. The back porch area is right next to my driveway, I had just gotten done plowing when it dumped a load of snow on my plowed driveway. Had to plow that area again.



It's getting gutters so I decided to put on snow-catchers. The lower row is directly over the exterior wall and spaced 18". The upper row is 15" above that and staggered.



Hopefully they save the gutters and keep me from plowing twice every time it snows. The front gutter going on:

metal roofing

Take a look at some of these videos. Kinda get the best of both worlds but I have no clue how well they last. Diamond Steel Shingles

Strike2
You are 100% right about fire dept. If you house is not proper insulated and vented you will have ice build up and shingle damage over time.