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Roofing and Siding since 1985
Sat, May 16 2026,11:12am [ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, [3] ]
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Date Posted: Sat, Jul 06 2002,10:24pm
Author: No name
Subject: Re: aluminum versus asphalt roofs
In reply to: 's message, "aluminum versus asphalt roofs" on Sat, Jul 06 2002, 7:51am

I sure would like to know what salesmen are saying to convince people they are worth the extra money?

Things you want to know about your prospective metal product.

1) What is the gauge of metal. 26g is good. The smaller the number the thicker the metal. 28g hmmm, if thats all you can afford. 30g, don't even think it!

2) Make sure YOU understand how a damaged panel will be replaced. Their technique for doing this. I remember that salesmen would talk about the difficulty of installing a specific product and how the roof technicians where SPECIALLY TRAINED, wink wink, (what's so special about the training). Believe me, its not the training, its the individual installer caring enough about his work to do a quality job that gives a roof its proper longevity. I've seen people that were trained but didn't care enough to learn.

3) If they are stupid enough to guarantee it won't develop an algae growth, GET IT IN WRITING! Then when and if it does, because you house is in an area that develops this, they will be forced to clean it for you when you won't be able to find anybody else that will. And if they don't clean it here e-mail me and I might allow a complaint about a specific company here.

A LITTLE MORE OF MY COMMENTS ON METAL ROOFS
I have done a lot of metal roofing and all metal roofing that doesn't have exposed fasteners can be a bear to repair. I use to work for this place that would have us cut down a panel where it locked together with another. Then fill the seems where the panels lock together with chalk. Then stuff that doctored up panel in there. Of course this will work but its hardly a factory install and the product is no longer performing as the manufacturer intended because without the chalk its a leak. I've seen some metal that was so cheesy I could step 5 feet away from it and throw a 16 penny nail into it. Some metal roofing is no better then a pop can.

Before you have your metal roof installed call some pressure washing places and ask them if they'll wash your metal roof. I know a lot of people that do nothing but pressure washing exclusively and they won't touch a metal roof. I live up in Washington and unless the product has zinc in it, (I know of none that does) it can very well develop a green algae on the North side of the house. I've seen it. Anybody post here saying they don't believe me I'll go take a picture of this metal roof near where I live that gets greener and greener every year and post a picture of it here. This is probably not a problem in places that have a lot of sunny weather.

Metal is an extremely maintenance free for the most part. In Washington algae usually start growing on some later in their life because of pollen and airborne particles that land on it making a film on the metal that starts to inhibit the complete shedding of moisture. This stuff keeps the metal wet longer giving algae a chance to start growing in spring and fall when the temperature and humidity are more favorable to their growth. The situations that green algae start to grow fastest on a metal roof is when they are under Evergreen trees. Pollen and sap drop on the roof and really hinders the drip dry effect that you are looking for that keeps this stuff from growing. Its like this, have you ever seen one of those truck out in a field that has been out there for some time and it had developed an algae growth on it. That is precisely what I'm saying I've seen grow on metal roofs. Now find somebody to pressure wash that off. Good Luck! If you do, it won't be cheap. That washer is putting his life at risk on that metal roof. Of course copper doesn't develop these problems but it does tarnish and become a dirty brown color.

Don't get me wrong here, I love metal roofs because that algae never hurts it's performance. It just distract from its beauty over time. That algae on that truck in the field might not be noticeable from the street but I bet you'll see it on you roof out of a window. What will that do for resale 20 years down the road on a 50 year roof?

If you check my photo gallery you will see some tile metal and shake metals I have installed and I really believe that these are some of the best metals out there. These are panel systems that use exposed fasteners. It's nice because if a panel needed to be replaced you can just unscrew the fasteners and replace a panel. The bad thing about this product is another company has purchased the exclusive rights to this product in the state of Washington and they won't sell it to other contractors.

TO SUMMARIZE:
Metal is the most maintenance free systems out there, yet impossible to clean. The only reason its maintenance free is because debris that would compost and rot way other roofing products don't damage most metal products.

If you want to go all out and get the best roof out there I'd recommend the Presidential TL that you can see by clicking samples & examples. Its a lot of roof! You can get this product algae resistant where they mix copper particles in with the granules.

Just my opinion,
Tim Soth
A Roofer

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