Metal Roofing Around Huntsville
Drive any county road out of Huntsville and you'll see metal roofs everywhere: on shops, barns, carports, lake houses, barndominiums and more and more houses. Metal handles heat and wind well, can outlast two or three shingle roofs, and suits the look of rural East Texas. The right kind of metal depends on the building, though. A shop roof and a house roof are different jobs, and the details that make metal last, like fasteners, seams, trim and condensation, are where good and bad installs part ways.
Standing Seam, R-Panel or Metal Shingles
| Type | What it is | Where it fits around here | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standing seam | Long panels joined by raised seams, fasteners hidden underneath | Houses, barndominiums, lake houses | Higher cost; needs a crew that does it regularly |
| Exposed-fastener (R-panel, PBR) | Ribbed panels screwed through the face to purlins or decking | Shops, barns, carports, some houses | Screws and washers need periodic checking and replacing |
| Metal shingles | Stamped panels shaped like shingles, slate or shake | Houses where owners want a traditional look | Many seams; quality varies |
| Stone-coated steel | Steel panels with a granular coating | Houses in hail country | Similar cost to premium shingles |
Screws and Washers: the Maintenance Item
On exposed-fastener roofs, every panel is held down by screws with rubber or neoprene washers. Texas sun dries and cracks those washers over the years, and heat cycling backs the screws out. That's where most metal-roof leaks start. A roofer will check fasteners across the roof and replace them as a set when they're failing, and check the ridge cap, trim and any skylight panels at the same time.
Heat, Hail and Noise
- Heat: metal reflects more sunlight than asphalt, especially in lighter colors and with reflective coatings, which helps in a Huntsville summer.
- Hail: hail dents metal more often than it punctures it. Thicker panels and textured finishes hide dents better. Whether cosmetic dents are covered is a question for your insurer.
- Noise: over a decked, insulated attic, rain on metal is quiet. On open-framed shops and barns, it's loud, which some owners like.
- Condensation: in buildings without insulation, warm humid air condenses on the underside of cold metal and drips. Barndominiums and enclosed shops need the right insulation or vapor control under the roof.
Over Shingles or After a Tear-Off
Some metal systems can be installed over one layer of existing shingles using battens or a separation layer. Whether that's a good idea depends on the decking, the weight and the manufacturer's requirements. Many roofers prefer a tear-off on houses so they can check the decking and start clean.
Can Metal Go Over Shingles?
Sometimes, over a single layer in good shape, using a system designed for it. A roofer will check the decking from the attic first and tell you whether it's a sound plan or a shortcut.
What Does a Metal Roof Cost Depend On?
The type of system, the gauge and finish of the metal, the size and shape of the roof, any tear-off and decking work, insulation or vapor control on shops and barndominiums, trim and closures at the ridge and eaves, and access to the building. Standing seam on a complicated house roof is a very different price from R-panel on a simple shop.
Choosing a Metal Installer
Ask how often the crew installs the kind of metal you want, whether they do it themselves or subcontract it, which manufacturer's panels and trim they use, and how they handle fasteners, closures at the ridge and eaves, and flashing at walls and chimneys. Ask to see a few of their metal roofs nearby.
Metal Roofing Around Huntsville
Huntsville
South on the interstate
- New WaverlyWalker County
- WillisMontgomery County
- ConroeMontgomery County
- Panorama VillageMontgomery County
- MontgomeryMontgomery County
North on the interstate: Madisonville
West toward the Brazos
Northeast toward the Trinity
East toward Lake Livingston
- Point BlankSan Jacinto County
- OnalaskaPolk County
- ColdspringSan Jacinto County
- ShepherdSan Jacinto County
More on outbuildings: barndominiums, shops and barns.