EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT:
Metal Roofs
What's A Metal Roof Made Of Anyways?
Metal roof panels consist of a base metal that is coated in other metals to prevent oxidization and rusting of its core components. The protective layer is often made of a recent technology called Galvalume, which consists of a mixture of zinc, aluminum, and silicone which normally protects the underlying steel. When metal roofs are installed closer to the coastline, as is the case for a lot of South Florida, it's necessary to forgo Galvalume and just coat the metal entirely in aluminum due to the sea air.
METAL INSTALLATION IN A NUTSHELL
01 Roof Demolition
Demolition of the existing roofing system down to the plywood deck.
The very first step in the installation of a new metal roof is to get rid of the system that currently exists on the roof. Most metal re-roofs begin with a previously existing shingle, tile or metal roof, which presents challenges unique to metal roof systems.
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During this stage, laborers are sent to the job site with special equipment to uplift the existing system and literally tear it off. This portion of the process creates the most garbage and debris, so during the process, it's advised to not walk around outside as stray nails may be present on the ground. It's also advised to never be outside during the actual demolition as laborers frequently throw heavy projectiles off the roof into the dumpster.
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It's also generally required to have ample space close to the roof to place a trailer or dumpster, usually 20-30 yards in length. For most homes, the dumpster is placed on the driveway. If the driveway is made of special material such as stamped concrete, protection will be placed below the dumpster to protect the driveway during the garbage accumulation process. On larger homes, it's possible that the dumpster needs to be hauled away, emptied and returned, but for the most part, only one dumpster is necessary.
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This portion of the roofing process is the most invasive to your daily life as it creates lots of noise and trash, but luckily, it only takes a few days on most homes.
02 Underlayment
Underlayment is normally laid down at the same time as the roof demolition.
The second step occurs concurrently with the first step. That means that as a portion of the old roof is torn off, two layers of underlayment are usually applied. This ensures that your home is never susceptible to new leaks during random rain showers as the underlayments make the roof water tight.
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Prior to installing the underlayment, however, the newly exposed plywood is checked for signs of rot and damage. If the plywood is in sufficiently bad condition, the entire board is removed and replaced. Most roofers, including Reggae Roofing, will include up to two or three boards of plywood replacement as being typical on a re-roof. Replacing more than that tends to get charged as a change order to the project.
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This is also the phase where the fascia and surrounding wood is replaced if it's damaged as well. Unfortunately, Florida Building Code does not allow homeowners to save money by forgoing these repairs. Legally, if a board of plywood or surrounding wood is found to be rotten by the roofing contractor, it must be changed out.
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After the wood is prepared, a new layer of underlayment, usually what's called a "30 pound" (written as 30#) is installed over the plywood. Different layers overlap and then are secured with roofing nails and tin caps. Then a layer of membrane known as "Peel and Stick" or a fire barrier is adhered to the 30# layer to prepare the roof for metal panel installation.
03 Metal Installation
During this phase, County inspectors get involved to ensure the job is done right.
After underlayment is laid down across the entire roof and secured, it's time for the roofing contractor to call the first two inspections: Tin Cap Inspection and In Progress Inspection.
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The Tin Cap Inspection has a County Inspector come out to the job site and ensure that the wood is sufficiently strong to uphold a system, and that the underlayment has been made watertight. The In Progress Inspection has inspectors viewing a small portion of installed metal, usually about 100 sq ft, and ensuring that the metal panels are correctly installed and water tight itself.
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After these inspections are passed, the metal installation crew is called out to the job site to start paneling the roof. The paneling process usually takes 3 or 4 days on a typical home. Metal panels are installed in precise patterns, often containing standing seams that can snap and lock together. Depending on the type of metal that was selected, it may be attached by simply nailing or screwing the panels in, or there could be a snap on system on the perimeter of the panels.
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Special metals are installed on the perimeter of the roof as well as the ridges to account for the special circumstances there. Additionally, the whole system will be secured with detail specific metal accessories, like metal tubes on lead stacks. Additionally valleys and terminating edges of the roof will carry some sort of metal. On metal roofs, the eave metals are usually manufactured in the same color as the panels themselves to give the home a cleaner look.
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The typical metal at the end of a roof is called a drip edge and hangs three inches off the fascia.
04 Finishing Touches
The goal during this phase is to pass the final inspection and close out the job.
This final phase of the project has the County Inspector coming out one more time to conduct a Final Inspection. This is the County's last chance to find any mistakes made during the installation process before the County certifies the roof as correctly installed by closing out the permit.
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Sometime during or after, the finishing touches are to be made on the project. This includes roof accessories, such as switching out vent stacks or installing gutters and downspouts.
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During this stage, most professional roofers conduct their own final inspection to ensure that everything is both up to code and aesthetically pleasing. Once the whole scope of work is complete, the dumpster is taken away from the job site and the laborers pass through the whole perimeter of the home with a powerful magnet to lift up any stray nails from bushes and shrubbery. They also keep their eyes peeled for any garbage that didn't make it into the dumpster, to take that with them and leave the home in pristine condition.
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After the workers leave for the last time, final payment is normally exchanged for the final release of lien and the work is officially considered complete.
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Then it's time to kick back and enjoy the new roof!
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WHAT MATERIALS ARE YOU PUTTING ON MY ROOF?
This is not an exhaustive list of the products used on residential re-roofs. Rather, these are the most popular options. Feel free to click on one of the arrows to visit their website and browse their different products/colors. Additionally, we've attached a sample product sheet so you can see all the specifications of these sample products. This gives you an idea of what typically gets installed on a roof.
PROS
As compared with other roofing systems, here's why you should purchase a metal roof:
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Metal roofs appear to have the longest lifespan among popular steep-slope roofing options at anywhere from 30 to 50 years!
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Metal roofs are quickly becoming the more popular option over both shingle and tile and is expected to overtake both soon in South Florida
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Individual roof panels end up interlocking with each other through mechanical or snap-on means, meaning that the whole top layer is one giant, continuous metal. This makes it extremely hard for storms to cause them to fail.
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These roof systems tend to do very well in hurricane conditions if uplift requirements are met (which are mandatory in Miami Dade and Broward County)
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Roof metals come in so many different designs and colors that it's always possible to express your unique preferences. Roof metals can even mimic shingle or tile.
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Metal roofs tend to have the best workmanship warranties of all the major roofing systems.
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Metal roofs boost the value of a home by nearly $2.00 for every $1.00 invested on it. It is a no brainer for setting a home up for sale for a profit.
CONS
As compared with other roofing systems, here's why you should not purchase a metal roof:
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Metal roofs tend to be anywhere from double to triple, and sometimes even quadruple the price of some other budget friendly roof systems.
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Insurance companies have recently given problems to insuring homes with a roof over 25 years in age. This means that even though the metal roof is still serviceable and shows no signs of catastrophic damage, insurance companies may still require replacement.
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Metal panels don't fail often, but they can get visibly damaged during hurricanes. While they are the safest, they're also the most aesthetically displeasing when damaged due to dents and other imperfections.
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Metal roof panels are notoriously expensive and difficult to source making metal roof repairs costly and lengthier of a process. Servicing an old metal roof is always a few thousand dollars at a minimum.
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Once your roof is switched over to a metal system, it will be impossible to switch to a cheaper system without severely devaluing your home. The next reroof will be recommended to be another metal system or something even more premium.
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The installation process for metal roofs tends to be about several times the length of other systems thanks to the lead time of metal.
IS YOUR ROOF UP TO CODE?
While ensuring that every detail of every section of work that goes into installing your new metal roof is legal is a hassle, it's well worth it. There's tremendous peace of mind behind knowing that everything about your roof and the contractor behind it is legal and operating above board.
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Every major county in Florida has their own rules and regulations regarding roof work, so be sure to check in with your municipality to see what the specific restrictions/regulations may be, but, in a nutshell, a roofing contractor must be licensed, insured, have worker's compensation and install all materials according to the Florida Building Code and the installation approval method by the County.
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Don't leave your roof up to chance. Violating any of the legalities revolving around roofing could lead to giant fines from both the County and the State of Florida for both the roofer and the Owner of the property. It also devalues your home as there's no proof of reparation/re-roof with the property appraiser and creates an extra cost when selling your property in order to make illegal roofwork legal.
HOW REGGAE ROOFING COMPLIES WITH THE LAW:
Pay Your Way
Pay it upfront, at the end, or over time.
Our financing options allow you to pay in whatever way is most convenient for you. In general, we require a 20% deposit to begin the job, and then the final 80% is due upon completion of the job.
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However, we allow paying more than 20% as a deposit in exchange for a discount on the job. We can also accommodate paying over time by giving you finance options that provide a low monthly payment for your roof. We can even finance the job through Ygrene if you'd like to explore that option. The bottom line is: we want to help you get under a new roof.
Who We Work With
There are lots of manufacturers of metal products here in South Florida. Feel free to click on the links to learn more about these companies and the products they make, which will ultimately go on your roof. Please note that not every product is available in every region of South Florida. For more information on specific products, please contact us directly.
