Our website visitors most often navigate to our metal roofing page. Our website analytics make that clear. Ultimately, our desire is to help homeowners choose a product that is appropriate for their home while also meeting the criteria they’d like to accomplish with their next roof. Sometimes that is standing seam. Sometimes it is one of our metal shingles. In the end, if they received the right product for them and for their home, that is all we care about.
Standing seam metal roofing is very popular right now. It is the most commonly available type of metal roofing and, once homeowners begin to do their research into metal roofing, they quickly find a variety of standing seam products. They may like its looks, or maybe they find it looks too commercial, industrial, or even agricultural for their neighborhood.
Many folks, though, when they research standing seam, actually end up with what we call through-fastened or exposed-fastener metal roofs. They are not standing seam roofs. By definition, standing seam roofs come in continuous lengths, have hidden fasteners, and have some mechanism built-in that allows for the metal’s natural expansion and contraction during thermal changes.
Through-fastened metal roofs have screws right through the face of the panel. Those screws try to hold the panels tight and have no flexibility for expansion and contraction. The screws have a rubber or neoprene gasket or washer to help allow water from entering at the hundreds or thousands of screw holes on the roof. They work well at first but, after a few years, homeowners will find the screws have worked loose, broken, or the washers have cracked.
Again, through-fastened metal roofs are not standing seam roof. These corrugated types of products have overlapping panels rather than interlocking panels. That can be another area of water infiltration. Being used extensively in agricultural markets, through-fastened products are increasingly being used residentially. In many cases, we’re concerned that homeowners are not getting the metal roof they think they are getting. We often hear homeowners and even contractors refer to these roofs as standing seam roofs. They are incorrect. One additional concern is that, because they compete in the highly competitive agricultural market, many of these products are produced from lower quality metals and feature lower quality finishes.
Metal shingle roofs come in a variety of profiles from wood shake to slate to wood shingle, or even tile, as you can see on our own website. Most homeowners “oooohhh” and “aaaahhh” over the beauty of these roofing systems. They tend to complement any home and neighborhood very well. Most of them have hidden fasteners as well as higher quality base metals and finishes.
Oftentimes, when folks see the metal shingle roofs, they assume they are more costly than standing seam metal roofs, because of their increased aesthetics and assumed increased complexity. While every roof can have its particular nuances that affect final cost, compared to a high quality standing seam, metal shingle roofs are usually very similarly priced or even lower priced. This causes homeowners to often say things like “Wow, I had no idea that I could all have that for the price of that.”
Let us know if you’re researching metal roofing. We will answer your questions openly and straight-forward. We’re successful only when you have chosen the roof that is right for you and for your home. You can call us at 314-596-0596.
