Does anyone out there have a metal roof on their home? We are seriously considering changing ours to metal but are interested in others' experiences. Do you like it or not and why? How much upkeep is involved? Thanks!

-- Deena in GA (dsmj55@aol.com), May 06, 2001

Answers

Hi Deena, We built our very small home(16 feet by 24 feet) three years ago and put up a tin roof,less than half the cost of plywood and shingles. I love it! So far no problems,the first year no insulation-hot in the summer and cooold in the winter. We insulated last fall it's heaven now.The sound of rain on that tin roof is wonderful, although we haven't rain in three weeks here in northwest Florida. The only problem is some times it makes a popping sound when the sun is beating down on it. It doesn't really bother us once we figured out what that noise was. Have to say go for the tin roof, Daryll

-- Daryll (twincrk@hotmail.com), May 06, 2001.

Hi Deena, and HI forum :) We roofed our house we built with a stainless roof, the dairy barn and shop are aluminum. Most of our customers now are having the very pretty baked colored, galvalume roofs put on. We put up the stainless since it will be a permanant roof, don't want to be roofing when we are 70. (Now I have to admit if we had the money, and no brains, to just totally remove a perfectly good roof, I would replace it with the green galvalume, very pretty! The only maintence at all is to sweep off the pine needles. We have a regular wood deck under the metal, with tar paper, blow in insulation in the attic, you can't hear the rain. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 06, 2001.

Hi there Vicki! That was really good, lots of money and no brains:} Often seems like they are mutually exclusive. I have an entirely metal house, and it isn't a trailer. It's really quite nice with the exception of electronics reception. The roof is simple corrugated galvanized and the attic is insulated. It was cool enough for three summers that I had no AC, just ceiling fans, and I bought an ac last year. In my opinion, metal roofing is the only way to go. It's less expensive, it lasts longer, it's easier to work with, easier to fix leaks, should they occur.

Upkeep is minimal. Clean out gutters if you have them, paint maybe every 5 to 10 years. I love it.

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), May 07, 2001.

I have a friend in Oklahoma that has a metal roof on his house. He really likes it. When he first put it up, he couldn't get it insured though. No insurance company in OK would insure any metal roofed home. They may have changed now. Anyway, I'd say the only drawback might be insurance coverage. You might want to check on that first.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), May 07, 2001.

This past winter was my first experience with a metal roof. There is a metal 'snow roof' on our trailer. It is WONDERFUL!!! I suspect that the same reflective properties that melted off the snow in winter, will keep the house somewhat cooler in the summer, but don't know. We DO have extra insulation up above the trailer roof and under the snow roof, though.

Lots of the homes have them here. They seem to have some coating that minimizes rust, as if the sheets are left on the ground, they rust like crazy, but not on the houses. Some folks have painted their's, too.

One of the things that I like about it is that you can incorporate solar 'blindly' depending on which panels you get. They fit between the ridges, and look just like any other part of the roof. Takes all the asthetic objections out of the project when applying for permits.

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), May 07, 2001.

Nice to see you over here, Vicki. Back when I was kid, part of our roof was tin, and man was it loud in a rain! They don't sound like that, do they?

-- mary, texas (marylgarcia@aol.com), May 07, 2001.

WE replaced our roof with a green metal roof about 2 years ago. They put wood strips on our existing roof and nailed the metal roof to the strips. This creates a dead air space which helps insulate. So far we have had no problems and lots of compliments. We live in north Ga. and had no change in our insurance. David T. Dunagan

-- David Dunagan (ddunagan@lucent.com), June 29, 2001.

Hi I'm writing in the answer section because I don't know where to ask the question!!! I have a metal roof with a top on it that allows ventilation for my horses. Every time it snows, it snows inside the barn. I now have 8 inch high drifts on my rafters!!! this isn't normal is it? My builder said that it was. I have snow 3/4 of the length of my barn and coming out the trap door to the first floor. HELP My hay is getting all wet!! Thanks for any advice Lynn

-- Lynn (Tijssen4@aol.com), December 25, 2002.

Lynn, put some profile vent under both sides of the ridge vent. It allows air in, but keeps bugs, etc out. I got it through a hardware store from ABC metal roofs.

-- Ruta Jordans (rutaj@ptc-me.net), January 07, 2004.