House roofs, metal or shingle?

[JMJ Farms]

I've installed 100s of metal roofs and 100s of shingle roofs. Problem with metal is the screws. Used to be rubber washers. Then they changed to neoprene. Now they have neoprene washers with a molded cover that is part of the screw head to eliminate direct exposure to the sun. They are far superior to the original screws. One problem I'm starting to see much more often is the screws backing out. Common knowledge that metal shrinks and expands with temperature changes. Over time this can cause the screws to back out. Even if it only moves a fraction of a fraction of a mm every day. This is where fasteners installed on the rib rather than in the flat are superior. A lot of old barns don't have any washers left under the nail heads but they don't leak bc they were nailed on the rib. However , metal manufacturers stipulate that metal must be fastened in the flat. Alternative is standing seam type products where the fasteners are not exposed. Downside to these are that they are very expensive. Rule of thumb is 3 to 5 times more than a shingle roof.

Shingles cause many less problems but typical don't last as long. We only install architectural shingles. I don't even know why they make 3 tabs anymore. Price difference doesn't even come close to justifying the cheaper shingle. Architects, slang, will last minimum 25 years up to 40 in the right application. Generally speaking, a steeper pitch will equate to a longer life. Shingles are cheaper to install than metal.

Pros and cons to both.

 

[herofan]

Around here, most all houses had metal roofs until around the 60s, then shingles started being used. For years after that, metal was not in style and a sign that you lived in an old house. I grew up in a house with a metal roof. If you were upstairs and it rained hard, it sounded like a load of gravel was being unloaded on the roof.

Probably 20 years ago, metal roofs started being the trend again, even on brick houses. Personally, I prefer shingles. If nothing else, metal roofs just look strange on some styles of houses, but I guess it's because shingles were the trend for so long around here.

 

[HDRider]

I've installed 100s of metal roofs and 100s of shingle roofs. Problem with metal is the screws. Used to be rubber washers. Then they changed to neoprene. Now they have neoprene washers with a molded cover that is part of the screw head to eliminate direct exposure to the sun. They are far superior to the original screws. One problem I'm starting to see much more often is the screws backing out. Common knowledge that metal shrinks and expands with temperature changes. Over time this can cause the screws to back out. Even if it only moves a fraction of a fraction of a mm every day. This is where fasteners installed on the rib rather than in the flat are superior. A lot of old barns don't have any washers left under the nail heads but they don't leak bc they were nailed on the rib. However , metal manufacturers stipulate that metal must be fastened in the flat. Alternative is standing seam type products where the fasteners are not exposed. Downside to these are that they are very expensive. Rule of thumb is 3 to 5 times more than a shingle roof.

Shingles cause many less problems but typical don't last as long. We only install architectural shingles. I don't even know why they make 3 tabs anymore. Price difference doesn't even come close to justifying the cheaper shingle. Architects, slang, will last minimum 25 years up to 40 in the right application. Generally speaking, a steeper pitch will equate to a longer life. Shingles are cheaper to install than metal.

Pros and cons to both.

What do you have?

 

[JMJ Farms]

I've installed 100s of metal roofs and 100s of shingle roofs. Problem with metal is the screws. Used to be rubber washers. Then they changed to neoprene. Now they have neoprene washers with a molded cover that is part of the screw head to eliminate direct exposure to the sun. They are far superior to the original screws. One problem I'm starting to see much more often is the screws backing out. Common knowledge that metal shrinks and expands with temperature changes. Over time this can cause the screws to back out. Even if it only moves a fraction of a fraction of a mm every day. This is where fasteners installed on the rib rather than in the flat are superior. A lot of old barns don't have any washers left under the nail heads but they don't leak bc they were nailed on the rib. However , metal manufacturers stipulate that metal must be fastened in the flat. Alternative is standing seam type products where the fasteners are not exposed. Downside to these are that they are very expensive. Rule of thumb is 3 to 5 times more than a shingle roof.

Shingles cause many less problems but typical don't last as long. We only install architectural shingles. I don't even know why they make 3 tabs anymore. Price difference doesn't even come close to justifying the cheaper shingle. Architects, slang, will last minimum 25 years up to 40 in the right application. Generally speaking, a steeper pitch will equate to a longer life. Shingles are cheaper to install than metal.

Pros and cons to both.

What do you have?

Architectural shingles on my house. Half and half on my rental houses.

 

[Chevy]

Wow I didn't know a hog boar pig whatever its called could look so scary!! Thanks for the nightmares. Please keep your wild piggies. We haven't seen any here yet.
We have a metal roof seems to do it job. I guess so maybe so....
I wouldn't recommend standing on it to power washing it in the rain.... ask my old man about that....

 

[Chevy]

I was looking like this I told him don't think you should do that but I'll go get the camera... I came out the house just in time to see him flying off the roof and landing standing up!!!
Dang I love that man!! Guess he didn't feel like taking the ladder! A faster way down maybe?!
Thankfully it didn't hurt him to bad.