Steel Standing Seam Roofing

In recent years standing seam steel has become a more popular consideration for homeowners desiring a permanent solution for their roof replacement needs. Steel still remains a very popular option for commercial buildings where its longevity and generally low maintenance requirements make it an ideal choice. There are a few variety’s of standing seam steel available and we’ll review them below.

Nearly all the products are available in pre-cut panels and special ordered to your exact length. In some regions you can find a distributor with a mobile operation where, the company comes to the job site and forms(rolls) the panels out to your exact specifications. This eliminates shipping damage and gives the installers greater control over the panel length saving time with less cutting.

Quality: With varying thickness from 22 Gauge to 29 Gauge the quality of your metal panel can vary greatly. Perhaps the most important feature to l

ook for is the paint finish warranty. Remember steel does rust and the only thing protecting your panel from corrosion is the paint applied at the factory. While the least expensive panels may simply be galvanized raw metal some manufactures offer warranties up to 50 years on their paint finish. You may hear terms such as Kynar 500 or Hylar 5000 to describe a paint finish this is simply a brand of paint and the process which it is applied.

Steel Standing Metal Roof Cost

Expect  Materials to Run in the $3-$8 per square foot range with the most expensive being Kynar coated 22 gauge material.

Standing Seam Installation:

Because of the light weight of most steel panels you can install steel over 1(one) existing layer of roofing and this can save you the cost associated with a tear off. There are basically two systems for installing panels. A snap lock panel will have little brackets at the standing seam of the panel every 18-24 inches. Many professional roofing’s use a mechanical seamer for seaming the panels on site. If you are doing to roof yourself you will almost certainly use snap lock panels. The other consideration here is what panel with you go with will effect your install time. With panel widths available at small as 8″ and wide as 24″ installation times can be greatly effected. With half the amount of screws or nails to put in on a wide panel you can really speed things up.

Once you’ve chosen your panels, it’s pretty straight forward to install steel, most recommend screwing down the panels however I have seen ring shank nails used. Especially for you first panel you may want to snap a chalk line to ensure straight then lay the rest of you panels off this first one. You’ll need steel accessories for ridge venting and hip, ridge, valleys intersections. Each manufacturer has their own make sure you follow their specifications.

Standing Seam Metal Roof Colors

There are hundreds of different colors available depending upon the manufacturer you choose.  Additionally you can paint some standing seam metal roofing products.

Standing Seam Considerations:

If you plan on installing steel on new construction or after tearing off old roofing shingles there are some things you should know in terms of underlayment and flashing. Remember your steel roof will probably be on this structure in excess of 50 years. Traditional roofing felt and ice and water shield may not be sufficient. Many recommend using either Grace Ice and Water shield or Hi-Temp Ice and Water shield. In addition, a synthetic underlayment is advisable to stand the test of time.