One piece ridge to eave. No horizontal laps.
Standard and heavy-duty from the same line.
Our own plants, not a distributor's stock.
The part that keeps water out of the ridge.
Where roofs actually fail. Not a place to save.
One sheet through a full development.
A metal roof lasts several times longer than an asphalt shingle roof, sheds snow and debris rather than holding them, and does not lose granules into your gutters every storm. It costs more up front. Over a thirty-year horizon in the Southeast the comparison usually favours metal, but if you are selling the house in three years, shingles are the rational financial choice and we will say so.
Gauge: 29 is standard and correct for most roofs; 26 earns its price on wide purlin spacing, hail country, or roofs you walk on. Panel length: cut-to-length means one continuous piece from ridge to eave, eliminating horizontal laps entirely. Closures: foam pieces filling the rib profile at ridge and eave, without which your peak is open along its whole length. Fasteners: painted-head screws with bonded washers, sized to your framing. Everything else is preference.
Almost never the panel. The sequence is: washers perish under UV, screws back out with thermal cycling, water enters at fastener holes; or cheap foam closures compress permanently and wind-driven rain tracks under the ribs. Both happen years before the steel gives up. That is why we push customers toward better fasteners rather than heavier gauge — it is where the money changes the outcome.
Going over existing shingles saves tear-off labour and landfill fees, and is common across the Southeast. It requires a sound deck, longer fasteners to reach solid framing, and a check on how many layers are already up there — most jurisdictions cap it. Steel follows the plane it is fixed to, so a wavy deck stays wavy. If the deck is soft, tear off.
Several decades with a sound coating and quality fasteners — considerably longer than asphalt shingles. The limiting factor is almost always fasteners and closures rather than the panels, which is why those components are worth specifying properly.
Over a long horizon in the Southeast, usually yes — longer service life, better weather shedding, no granule loss. If you expect to sell within a few years you may not recover the premium, and we would rather tell you that than take the order.
Far less than people expect on a roof over decking and insulation — the myth comes from bare panels over open purlins on barns. On a house with a deck beneath, the difference from shingles is minor.
No. Metal does not attract lightning, and being non-combustible it is arguably safer if struck. This is one of the most persistent myths in roofing.
29-gauge for most residential and agricultural roofs — it is the industry standard. Step up to 26-gauge for wide purlin spacing, hail-prone areas, or roofs walked on regularly. Call (252) 375-3651 and we will tell you which applies rather than defaulting to the upsell.
Tell us the size, your county and what you are storing. We quote from current steel pricing — no obligation, and we will tell you if a different size suits you better.
