Amish Metal Roofers in Eastern Indiana

There are two kinds of steel roof and the difference matters more than the color. Screw down ribbed panel is fastened through the face of the metal with gasketed screws. It is the least expensive steel roof, it goes on fast, and it is the right choice for a barn, a machine shed, or a shop. The tradeoff is that every fastener is a hole, the gaskets age, and somewhere around twenty to thirty years a screw down roof wants the fasteners gone over. Standing seam hides its fasteners in the seam, so there is nothing exposed to the weather. It costs meaningfully more per square, it handles thermal movement better, and it is what belongs on a house or on a barn that faces the road.

Gauge and finish are the other real decisions. Twenty nine gauge is standard residential and agricultural steel in this region; twenty six gauge is heavier and worth it on a long run or a low slope. Ask what paint system is quoted, since a baked on finish carries a much longer warranty than a cheap coating and looks it after ten years. Ask also whether panels are cut to full length. A single panel from ridge to eave has no lap seam partway up the roof to leak later, and most shops here will roll or order to length rather than lap.

Whether you can go over an existing roof depends on what is under it. A single layer of asphalt shingle in sound condition can often be roofed over with purlins or a synthetic underlayment between, which saves a tear off. Two layers, soft decking, or any rot means a tear off, and any honest roofer will tell you that after walking it rather than quoting it from the driveway. Expect a roofer to look in the attic if there is one, and to talk about ventilation, because a tight metal roof over a poorly vented attic will sweat.