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Old 03-25-2012, 06:40 AM   #21
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It sounds like metal is unusual for your area. If your house is upscale compared to the area then an upscale roof would be in keeping with the house.

If you get a lot of snow, I would advise assessing whether the snow coming off the roof would cause damage. I had a friend with a metal roof and when the snow came off the roof it cleaned off the sanitary vent pipe so they need to have that repaired. Also, we have some neighbors whose deck railings have been destroyed by sliding snow off a metal roof. We decided to stay with aspalt due to such concerns, though you can install things on the roof to break up or divert sliding snow.

When we redid our roof we put ice and water shield over the whole roof rather than just along the edges. The contractor had recommended this and it was only a few hundred more but I think it will be worth it in the long run. I sort of wonder if the added "padding" would be of any help with hail damage, but we don't get much hail around here so I don't really know.
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Old 03-25-2012, 07:06 AM   #22
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I would definitely rule out the $60k for the longer lasting - it is unnecessary. If it doesn't last 50 year, who is going to provide the replacement warranty? Probability is the company or whoever is responsible will not be around 49 years from now...and if you do sell the home, does that warranty transfer? No matter which you choose, if you do sell the home, you will not recoup the cost - your sale will be entirely dependent on other criteria. It may be a selling point in your favor, but if you were selling the home now I wouldn't see it as a reason that you'd get $10k or $20k above what it would today with the old roof. Is local tax assessor going to be raising your assessment as a result? Insured replacement value as far as your homeowners insurance goes? No - bottom line is that the roof replacement is a normal wear and tear item in my mind and is a requirement.

If you go with the less expensive, let's say 25 year, maybe it will need replacing sooner, but your upfront costs are lower, and there is always the possibility it will last even longer.

So, in my mind, if you do go forward with replacement the decision is either the cheaper $20k, or what you have for $30k. Do you really care if the new roof looks exactly like what you have now? If you went for the more expensive 50 year, it would look different, so I don't see the benefit of paying $10k more than the cheaper to have it look the same.

The last alternative is to do nothing - if you let the roof go without replacement, what's the down side? Is there imminent danger of the whole roof blowing off or other major damage? Can a smaller repair job be done on it for maybe under $5k and get you another 5 or 10 years out of it? If so, I would go with that.
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Old 03-25-2012, 08:43 AM   #23
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Originally Posted by pb4uski View Post
If you get a lot of snow, I would advise assessing whether the snow coming off the roof would cause damage. I had a friend with a metal roof and when the snow came off the roof it cleaned off the sanitary vent pipe so they need to have that repaired. Also, we have some neighbors whose deck railings have been destroyed by sliding snow off a metal roof. We decided to stay with aspalt due to such concerns, though you can install things on the roof to break up or divert sliding snow.
These are really important points. Thanks for bringing it up.
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Old 03-25-2012, 08:58 AM   #24
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I'm a very simple person. I never "invest" in a roof that will well possibly outlive me ...

We put on a new roof last year (hailstorm - insurance paid for most of it) with 30-year asphalt shingles, that replaced 20-year asphalt - and into its 17th year since original construction.

At the time, I was 63 years of age. While I (and the shingles) may not last another 30 years, I could not see any "payback" in "getting more" (although we looked at the slate composite, at 3x the price).

While a "special roof" may be good to look at, I could not see paying the extra for others to enjoy the view ...

No, I'm not cheap - but I am frugal ...
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Old 03-25-2012, 11:33 AM   #25
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IMO, dollar for dollar, composition [asphalt shingle] roofs are the best value out there. The material is the most widely used roof for single family, and relatively speaking, takes the least special skill to install. It is easy to spot repair [save a couple bundles from the original install] and lends itself easily to DIY if you wish.

The benchmark "lifetimes" of roof materials are averages, and I have seen 20yr. comp roofs go 30 with good care, or 15 with little care in the same neighborhood. Climate, sun exposure, tree proximity, snow load and duration, and particularly wind exposure, all make a difference as to how long they last.
[btw, I live in western Wa,so I know nothing of hail damage] I tend to view roof warranties as straight insurance, and like for water heaters, tend to self-insure.

The few times I have been on walkable-slope metal roofs, I have feared sliding off, or causing enough damage to warrant calling a pro. Compared to comp, you need a phd in roof to cut in a vent or skylight, whereas monkeys can be trained to do it in comp.
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Old 03-25-2012, 12:27 PM   #26
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Though I've probably seen "rock faced steel shakes," frankly I wasn't aware there was such a thing (when I hear metal roof, I think of standing seam metal). They come in all sorts of styles and colors, but I looked at one manufacturers site and (not that it matters) I think they look very, very nice. In case anyone else wonders what the OP is talking about...
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File Type: jpg SteelRock_Tile(lg).jpg (527.9 KB, 1 views)
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Old 03-25-2012, 02:10 PM   #27
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Midpac,

As you were in the business, do you have an opinion about the "acrylic resin"
adhesive that is used to adhere the mineral surfacing to the metal panels? [mentioned in a test report on the website under technical]
I am not a materials science or application guy, and really have no idea if this material combination is good or bad in this application.

Some building materials take awhile to fail, and my gut is saying that this may be the weak link, although it would likely only be cosmetic, as the galv-alum coated steel would last a good while by itself.

[sorry if this is OT]
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Old 03-25-2012, 02:28 PM   #28
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Midpac,

As you were in the business, do you have an opinion about the "acrylic resin"
adhesive that is used to adhere the mineral surfacing to the metal panels? [mentioned in a test report on the website under technical]
I am not a materials science or application guy, and really have no idea if this material combination is good or bad in this application.

Some building materials take awhile to fail, and my gut is saying that this may be the weak link, although it would likely only be cosmetic, as the galv-alum coated steel would last a good while by itself.

[sorry if this is OT]
I was with a Megacorp (not Certainteed) that made building materials including asphalt roofing and shingles (big player). They also had a premium line of fiberglass shakes & tiles, short lived. I was not involved in roofing contracting or other types of roofing, so no info on acrylic adhesives, sorry...
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Old 03-25-2012, 02:34 PM   #29
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This comment isn't exactly in line with the OP's question but we are in the process of replacing a Certainteed roof that was defective and only lasted 15 years. There is a class action settlement and we submitted a claim that was paid. If you have a Certainteed roof that is failing it is worthwhile filing a claim
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Old 03-25-2012, 06:37 PM   #30
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bld999 failed to mention the other nemesis of roofs in our area... moss.
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Old 03-25-2012, 08:01 PM   #31
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bld999 failed to mention the other nemesis of roofs in our area... moss.
Man, you got it, I guess I'm so used to seeing it, I think that's what roofs look like....
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Old 03-25-2012, 08:20 PM   #32
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Originally Posted by bld999

Man, you got it, I guess I'm so used to seeing it, I think that's what roofs look like....
Tis the season to find that "forbidden" chemical at COSCO. ; )
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Old 03-25-2012, 08:48 PM   #33
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All info is second hand, so take it for what it is...

When I was looking to move, I saw a house with a metal roof... the RE agent pointed it out to try and make the house more appealing.... but the roof was not level... I went into the attic and they just put the roof on top of wood shanks... to me that was a bad job...

My BIL worked for a roofing company for a few years (he was in construction for decades, this was at the end of his career)... I had said that I wanted to put 40 year shingles on my roof... he said 'don't waste the money, they are the same as 30 year'... I did not go with 40....

Back when I was young, I put on a roof of my parents house... we used 20 year shingles... which lasted about 15.... this was on top of wood shanks... my dad died and my mom live there when it needed a new roof... a couple of the sisters and BILs said 'put on another 20 year roof, she will not live here that long.... well, that roof did not last that long and she needed another roof!!! We just let it get worse as the house was not worth much and we thought.... how is water going to get through 3 layers of roof

We sold her house to one of those people who buy ugly houses... and it was UGLY....



This topic is interesting to me as I was looking at our roof earlier today and was thinking that we are going to need to replace it in the next year or so... so keep the comments coming
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Old 03-28-2012, 04:56 PM   #34
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I would consider Solar and skip the metal roof.:
Solar Power Shingles are a wonderful approach to harness endless, environmentally friendly solar power for producing free electricity.
They look like regular roof (asphalt) shingles, which have a special photovoltaic substance in the form of a thin film on the top, with ability to transform solar radiation (light) directly into electricity.

As any other roof tiles they blend with the roof in the best possible way and they certainly don't ruin the aesthetic value of the building.
Solar Power Shingles -Tiles
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Old 03-28-2012, 05:22 PM   #35
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I just decided on asphalt roof repear lacement. Current roof was installed a few months after I bought the house in 1993. At that time I had 20 year shingles installed. It cost $3.6k back then. The price this time is $9.9k for 25 yr shingles. Same contractor as before. I am also having a ridge vent installed to replace the two nonfunctional electric vents.
This thread gave me timely advice as I was considering a metal roof. The big drawback to the metal roof is the attenuation of cell phone radio waves. That and the simple corrugated metal roof would be $6k more and a standing seam metal roof would be $2k more than that.

The asphalt shingles have held up well through 19 years of annual hail storms.
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Old 03-28-2012, 05:31 PM   #36
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The big drawback to the metal roof is the attenuation of cell phone radio waves.
If this is a major issue you can buy a cell phone repeater for about $300-$400 that will fix the problem. The antenna goes up in any window with good reception. As a bonus, the power output by your cell phone will be reduced a lot, which increases battery life (and reduces any RF health concerns not already addressed by my tin foil hat)
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Old 03-28-2012, 06:17 PM   #37
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If this is a major issue you can buy a cell phone repeater for about $300-$400 that will fix the problem. The antenna goes up in any window with good reception. As a bonus, the power output by your cell phone will be reduced a lot, which increases battery life (and reduces any RF health concerns not already addressed by my tin foil hat)
Or something called a femtocell, which is a tiny transmitter that uses a broadband internet connection to connect to the telco network. You end up with your own personal cell. Keep the hat on though, they're in style these days. <G>
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Old 04-07-2012, 03:14 PM   #38
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Finally received the first quotes:
Asphalt - $12,400. High quality shingles, identical in appearance to the current roof. Limited lifetime warranty including 130 MPH wind warranty!
Metal - $39,000. Steel shakes with 50 year warranty including 120 MPH wind warranty.
I understand that beyond 20 or so years the warranties are more or less meaningless, but thought I would include the information anyway.

Both quotes were lower than I had estimated using online calculators. Asphalt actually MUCH lower. I will be getting at least one more quote for each asphalt and metal, but it is really starting to look like at 3x cost metal will not be a good investment.
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Old 04-07-2012, 05:07 PM   #39
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Finally received the first quotes:
Asphalt - $12,400. High quality shingles, identical in appearance to the current roof. Limited lifetime warranty including 130 MPH wind warranty!
Metal - $39,000. Steel shakes with 50 year warranty including 120 MPH wind warranty.
I understand that beyond 20 or so years the warranties are more or less meaningless, but thought I would include the information anyway.

Both quotes were lower than I had estimated using online calculators. Asphalt actually MUCH lower. I will be getting at least one more quote for each asphalt and metal, but it is really starting to look like at 3x cost metal will not be a good investment.
I'd seriously consider metal at 2x knowing I might actually live to break even, but at 3x+ I just couldn't do it either. I was curious how your story ended, so thanks for the update.
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Old 04-07-2012, 06:19 PM   #40
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You state that you may only live in your house another 25-30 years. Do you really know what you will want 5, 10, 15 or even 20 years from now? You seem to be basing your decision on the premise that you know for sure that you'll be staying there for a long, long time. Nobody really knows what the future might bring.

If it were me, I'd definitely go with the asphalt shingles which will be $26, 600 less than the metal roof. To do otherwise you'd be betting too much on your attitude toward the house at some very distant future date. Who can really predict what you'll be thinking many years from now. As someone else stated, you'll never recoup your investment on a resale in the much more expensive metal roof.
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