Standing-seam and metal panel systems
The two families of metal roof we install behave quite differently, and the difference is mostly about where the fasteners are.
Standing-seam
Panels are joined at raised vertical seams, and the fasteners are concealed beneath the panel rather than driven through the face of it. The panels are also able to move as they expand and contract with temperature. That combination — no exposed penetrations, room to move — is why standing-seam is the premium residential choice.
Exposed-fastener panel
Panels are screwed through the face into the structure, with a washer at each screw. It's considerably cheaper to buy and quicker to install, which is why you see it on shops, barns and ag buildings across the valley. The trade-off is that every fastener is a penetration with a gasket that ages, so it needs periodic attention over its life.
Which is right depends on the building. We'd put standing-seam on a house and exposed-fastener on a shop, most of the time — but not always, and the roof geometry gets a say.
Metal roofing in Montana winters
The main reason metal comes up in conversation here is snow. A metal roof of sufficient pitch sheds snow rather than accumulating it, which keeps load off the structure and reduces the conditions that let ice dams build at the eaves. It's a real advantage at higher elevations and on steeper roofs.
But shedding snow means the snow goes somewhere, and that has to be designed for. Before we quote a metal roof we look at what's below each plane: doors, walkways, driveways, parking, decks, gas meters and utility connections. Snow retention devices and panel orientation get planned around those, not added afterwards when someone's car gets hit.
Metal also doesn't hold granules to lose, and it doesn't crack when it's cold — two of the more common ways asphalt roofs age around here. Wind performance is good when the fastening schedule is right for the exposure, which matters in places like Livingston and Big Sky.
Metal versus asphalt for your roof
Metal tends to be the better answer when the roof is steep enough to shed well, the building is at elevation or in heavy snow, you plan to own it for a long time, you're roofing a shop or ag building, or the appearance is what you're after.
Asphalt tends to be the better answer when the roof has a complicated geometry with many planes, valleys and penetrations, the budget is the deciding factor, you're matching a neighbourhood or HOA appearance, or you don't expect to own the home long enough to see the difference.
We install both, so we've got no reason to push you one way. If you're weighing this up, our metal versus asphalt comparison goes through it in more detail, and roof replacement covers what a full replacement involves either way.
Metal roof repairs
An existing metal roof usually doesn't need replacing when it starts leaking. Failures concentrate at predictable places: fastener gaskets that have aged and are no longer sealing, seams and end laps, flashing at walls, chimneys and valleys, penetrations for vents and stacks, and panels dented or lifted by wind or a falling limb.
Those are repairable, and we do that work. If the panels themselves are still sound, a repair is nearly always the better spend — see roof repair.
Metal roofing questions
Is a metal roof noisy in rain?+
Far less than people expect. A metal roof over solid decking with underlayment and an insulated attic beneath it sounds very different from a metal panel screwed to open purlins on a barn — which is where the reputation comes from.
Does metal cost more than asphalt?+
Yes, generally — both the material and the labour. Whether that extra cost is worth it depends on how long you plan to own the building and how the roof performs where it is. We'll price both options so you can compare like for like.
Will snow slide off onto my walkway?+
It can, and that's a design question rather than an afterthought. Panel runs, orientation and snow retention need to be planned around doors, walkways, parking and gas meters before anything is installed.
Can metal go over my existing roof?+
Sometimes, but it isn't automatically a good idea. It depends on the condition of what's underneath, the decking, the framing and local code. We'd rather look before answering.