Steel shingles

[Robert E Lee]

Inspected a home yesterday that had steel roofing, shingle profile, approx. 50" x 9". The concern is that there were not cap or ridge vents, is this a normal installation?

[Les]

Robert,

We have been involved with several metal roof systems with no ventilation over the past few years. So far we have seen no particular problems with this configuration. Of course there are other changes that must be made; insulation, hvac, exhaust vents, etc

[randynavarro]

There are tons of off-brand, non-traditional roofing products out there.

Whenever I've inspected one, I tell the client I'm not familiar with the product and I don't know how it's supposed to be installed. I'm clear that they need to track down the contractor that installed it to get any warranty and product infomration.

Most time I heard back, the contractor was usually out of business and a few times the manufacturer was also out of business.

[hausdok]

Hi,

I'd say it depends on how the cover is installed and the type of deck it's installed over. As much as I hate to see folks go to other forums to get their answers, sometimes there are certain building practices that are so foreign to most of us that you can't get a straight/authoritative answer here or on any of the home inspection forums; I think metal roofs is one of those areas where we're still testing the waters as far as inspections goes, so, whenever I have a question about metal roofing products I go to the Metal Roofing Alliance Ask The Experts Forums for the answer; they have a "ventilation" category here with about five pages of questions and answers about ventilating various types of metal roofs.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[randynavarro]

Originally posted by randynavarro

There are tons of off-brand, non-traditional roofing products out there.

Yea. I'm not talking about standing seam or locking seam metal roofs - lots of those.

I inferred that Robert was talking about some weird shingle style roof with some stamped pattern to make it look like cedar or comp or some other weird thing.

Who knows who made those things. . . .

[BornaRoofer]

Check these out.

http://www.decra.com/

[Robert E Lee]

Yes, they were steel coated with granular material and profiled to look like shingles. The roof had been installed in 2002 and the attic look fine, there were soffit chutes between every other truss. Thanks for the comments and web site references.

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by Robert E Lee

Inspected a home yesterday that had steel roofing, shingle profile, approx. 50" x 9". The concern is that there were not cap or ridge vents, is this a normal installation?

The requirements for attic ventilation have nothing to do with the type of covering on the roof.

Check section 806 of the IRC for the ventilation requirements.

If it is a Decra roof, the Decra installation instructions include information about installing continuous ridge vents. You can download them here: http://www.decra.com/PDF/shingle-install.pdf

A Decro rep spoke to our local ASHI chapter last month.

-- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Brian G]

I've yet to see a steel shingle roof. Can you walk on those things without damaging them? Does anyone know how good the "stone" coating really is over time?

Brian G.

Steel....Nomally Good Stuff [:-thumbu]

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by Brian G

I've yet to see a steel shingle roof. Can you walk on those things without damaging them? Does anyone know how good the "stone" coating really is over time?

Brian G.

Steel....Nomally Good Stuff [:-thumbu]

Decra claims that you can walk on theirs. The one's I've seen look very robust. The only way to know how long the coating lasts is to wait.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Ken Meyer]

We have a Decra roof on our house, installed in 2002. In early 2007 we had a solar array installed, and the installers had no problems other than wearing out a lot of drill bits going through the roof to install the rack, and wearing out their shoes from the granules. The roof covering did not distort from all their walking on it, and I've been up on parts of it as well, you can feel a little flex, but it does not distort from walking on it.

I clean the gutters regularly and have never seen any granules. It is made to last.

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[Brian G]

I'm sure the shingles are nice, but I'm lusting after your solar array. I have a big, steep roof with both southern and western exposures. []

Supposedly solar panels will be dropping by as much as 45% in the next few years. I hope so. [:-thumbu]

Brian G.

Slow Down the Damned Meter [:-crazy]

[elgato]

Did your roofing look like this? I found only gable vents, and called out "poor and inadequate" ventilation.

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[hausdok]

Hi,

I hope that you called it out based on an attic issue 'cuz that type of metal roof cover is installed over battens and has lots of airspace beneath the surface for ventilation. Go here, ask an expert, check out the guide and get yourself a free subscription to Metal Roofing Mag.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[modernroofer]

This system is overpriced and overrated. Forget them honoring the warranty also.

Decra has the worst customer service and staff. Steer clear if you expect any follow up. They are an overpriced system especially for anyone that is not located near any of their warehouses (ex. California or Texas); for some reason even if you are closer to Texas, they will ship from California, not sure till this day how that makes any sense. The shipping costs are enormous and the demand is just not there. If you want any clarification around installation guidance or costs per square for materials, DO NOT ask Decra employees as they are useless. They will not provide accurate information. I'm not quite sure how they are still in business. They are a small company that do not stand by their customers but even worse, they hire incompetent employees. Not worth the hassle or the costs of installing this system.

[hausdok]

Uh,

Pssst, Hey, modernroofer, thanks for posting your opinion of Decra; but that post you responded to? - it's more than four years old. Those folks with the Decra roof have never returned here since as far as I know.

Note to Decra if you stumble on this thread. Don't bother writing to TIJ and demanding a retraction because you don't like what this person has said about your product. Look at the footer below this page. You'll note that the views expressed here are the view of the authors - in this case modernroofer - and do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the sponsors - or the owners of this forum either for that matter.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Roofmaster1981]

Inspected a home yesterday that had steel roofing, shingle profile, approx. 50" x 9". The concern is that there were not cap or ridge vents, is this a normal installation?

Proper attic ventilation is essential. It prevents condensation and dry rot within the attic wood structure and wood substrates, prevents mould, and prevents warping of the plywood. Proper venting also extends the life of the shingles and roof membranes. Provide ventilation in a ratio of approximately 1:300 of the insulated attic area. Ideally air should enter the vented soffit, rise as heated in the attic, and exit near the peak of the roof.

Some people incorrectly believe that ventilation is only to keep the attic cool on hot summer days, and have even been seen to close their roof vents off for the winter. Nothing can be further from the truth. One should vent the roof at all times of the year, day and night, in order to keep the attic temperature as close as possible to the outside temperature. Most importantly, the ventilation is absolutely necessary to prevent winter ice damming problems on sloped roofs