Metal material for roofing has become a viable and mainstream alternative for household properties – maybe except those with a flat roof. If you think of replacing a shingle roof with a metal roof, learn more about it below.
Replacing a Shingle Roof with Metal
The metal used to be a roofing material that’s solely found on architect-designed and luxurious properties. However, it has been increasingly used in all types of houses because of its availability and the advanced manufacturing process.
The statistical data within the roofing industry has noted that each year, the market share of metal material roofing increases steadily by about 3% in the last couple of years.
Read also: Disadvantages of metal roofs
Recently, metal roofing is used for 15% of the entire roofing installations. On the other side, asphalt shingles used to dominate the roofing market share have decreased instead at roughly 59%.
Step By Step on How to Install Metal Roof over Shingles
If the local building codes in your area allow, replacing a shingle roof with a metal roof without tearing the asphalt shingles is actually possible. While removal is still an ideal option, it can turn quite messy and costly.
There are two main techniques that commonly used to install metal roofing on top of asphalt shingles.
The first method is to overlay the new underlayment on top of the shingle roof to cover it up. In this scenario, the new underlayment serves as a defensive structure if water gets through the metal roof.
This method’s benefit is that the underlayment will be the buffer between existing shingles and the newly installed metal roof. The shingles will wear slowly due to the friction with metal panels if there is no buffer in between.
The second technique is to use battens or purlins when replacing shingle roofs with metal roofs. Here’s how it’s done:
- Screw down the battens or purlins to the deck of your roof. The purlins depend on the metal panel design from the manufacturer.
- Install the metal panels on battens or purlins.
The last method above allows you to have a great flat surface before laying the metal panels down, without unevenness and grooves from asphalt shingles.
The majority of metal panels for roofing are comparable to the shingles with the best quality, with durability of about 30 years. However, in practice, metal panels can last anywhere from 50 to 70 years. That’s why it is scarce for homeowners to have to replace their metal roofing during their live period in the house.
On the other hand, there’s a good possibility that the homeowner needs to replace asphalt shingle in the span of 50 years for two to four times. Even though the initial cost of metal panels is higher than asphalt shingles, you’ll be able to save money for long-term use.
Beside the fact that metal panels for roofing are only available from particular retailers, it requires expertise and skills to install and repair the material.
DIY enthusiasts often give a shot of replacing shingle roofs with metal roofs on their own, but it is not recommended in general.
