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Commercial Metal Roofing
Your Trusted Metal Roofing Company
Exterior Pro Roofing manufactures and installs several different types of metal roofing to fit your unique project needs. We custom fabricate all our metal roof trim in our sheet metal shop, offer full-length metal roofing panels from the gutter to the ridge with no seams via onsite roll forming, and fabricate and install commercial gutters to match our standing seam metal roofs.
Learn more about our line of metal roofing panels and our custom metal roof trim.
Metal roofing is used in residential, commercial, and industrial settings—but with different profiles and gauges of metal to fit each roofing scenario. The success of a metal roofing project largely depends on using the right type or style of metal roofing in the right application.
Important factors to consider when choosing the right type of metal roof include:
Check out some different types of metal roofing we install:
See how our crew installs a snap lock standing seam metal roof on one of our local restaurants. We remove the existing metal roof and then install new wood sheeting. Next, we installed new metal roof underlayment on the entire structure. Then we use our metal roof machine to make the new metal roof and install the metal roof panels. Finally, we install the metal trim and new seamless gutters.
U-shaped standing seam metal roofing is a great fit for mansard roofs—like the kind on this Arby’s in southern Indiana. Watch as our guys quickly change the entire look and feel of this restaurant with the new gray metal roofing.
This historic farmhouse gets an upgrade with a new standing seam metal roof called the 138 T. This is our favorite type of metal roof for residential and light commercial applications. See how our guys maintain the historic look and feel of this older home—all while providing a huge upgrade and leak-free metal roof for the homeowner.
The 238 T standing seam is a fantastic type of metal roof designed for commercial metal roofing projects. Watch as our guys remove and replace the metal roof on this historic catholic church in southern Indiana. We used our onsite roll former to make the metal right on the job and then picked up full length metal panels with our crane. The 238 T standing seam was a great fit for this church. Finally we fabricated and installed copper gutters on this church.
No Exposed Screws Or Nails. A standing seam metal roof doesn't rely on exposed screws or nails to attach to a home or building, but rather uses a clip that fits over the top of the male leg of the standing seam metal. The clip gets screwed down to the roof, holding the metal roofing panel in place. Then the next standing seam roof panel is placed in order that the female leg sits over top of the male leg and the clip so that the clip is now underneath the metal roofing. No exposed screws or nails is a major reason that standing seam metal roofing lasts so long, and not having the metal roofing directly screwed down to the roof is our second reason that it performs so well. This allows the metal roofing to expand and contract.
Did you know that a screw-down metal roof requires approximately 70 screws per square to attach the metal to the structure? On an average 2,000 sqft home, this is more that than 2,300 screws or 2,300 potential roof leaks in your new metal roof!
Designed To Allow For Expansion And Contraction While Staying Water Tight. Metal roofing expands and contracts every day with temperature changes and the use of clips when attaching the metal roofing allows for this movement. The clips let the metal move without tearing or buckling against its self, screws, or metal trims. Since the movement of the standing seam metal roof is compensated for in its design, the seams, transitions, and metal trims don’t break watertight seals and leak. Standing seam is designed to move all while staying watertight, this is possible because of the interlocking pieces and components of metal roofing, which leads us to our third reason standing seam is worth the investment in your home or business.
Did You know that a metal roof panel will expand and contract approximately 1” per 100-foot long pc. each day?
Interlocking Parts And Pieces. Probably one of the neatest things about standing seam is how the metal panels and trims are interlocking. This is done via a “hem.” A hem is a fold in the metal that is usually either 1” or 1 1/2 inches long that hooks up” to another piece of the metal roofing system. In the metal roofing world, the design idea of interlocking pieces is called architectural details. Creating and installing a standing seam metal roof with full architectural details is really where sheet metal craftsmanship is revealed. Interlocking pieces or architectural details allow for thermal movement in the metal roofing without creating leaks.
Did you know it takes a variety of specialized tools to create full architectural detail? A combination of metal brakes, hand brakes, hand rollers, and special sheet metal pliers are used.
Elevated Ribs Keep Seams Dry. Standing seam or standing rib metal gets its name from the fact that the seam between the pieces of metal roofing is elevated or raised off the surface. This greatly reduces the chance that water, snow, or ice can enter the joint between the metal panels. The seam or rib height will vary depending on the application. For example, lower-pitched metal roofs can require a taller seam or rib whereas a steep metal roof application will perform well with shorter ribs. In addition the height of the standing seam, there are also different types of joints formed between the pieces of metal. The two standard types are mechanically seamed and snap lock. Mechanically seamed metal panels can be used on any slope but are usually required for low slope metal roofs. Snap lock style seams are faster to install but can only be used on roof pitches of 3/12 or above. A variety of seam heigh and seam styles allows you to find a custom fit for your next metal roofing project.
Did you know that standing seam has been around for hundreds of years?
Thicker Gauge Metal And Better Paint. Last but not least is the thickness or gauge of the steel used in standing seam and also the type of paint. Standing seam metal roofing comes in standard 24 gauge thickness as opposed too much thinner 29 gauge screw-down metal. The paint used in a standing seam is typically Kynar, whereas the thin gauge screw-down metal uses siliconized polyester paint. The thicker steel used in standing seam ensures a much longer life, and the top-notch paint means that the roof will look great and resist color fading years down the road. Standing seam metal roofing is an investment in a home or building you will appreciate more and more as time goes by. The longevity and durability of a standing seam are unmatched in the roofing industry, so if you want to roof it once, roof it right with a standing seam metal roof by Exterior Pro Roofing!
Did you know we manufacture our standing seam metal roofing and gutters? We use CNC automated folding tables to fabricate metal roofing and trims for a custom fit on every roof we installed.
Standing seam metal roofs have never been more popular—the fantastic curb appeal along with the long service life makes a standing seam metal roof a much better choice over a screw-down type of metal roof. Learn the major differences between standing seam and corrugated or screw down metal roofing.
Snap lock metal roofing is a type of standing seam that gets its name from the fact that the pieces of metal “snap” together. Snap lock is a very well known metal roof widely used on both residential and commercial roofing projects all over the country.
Snap lock metal roofing is popular not only because it looks great, but because it has proven long term performance and it is fairly simple to install.
A major distinguishing factor between snap lock metal and other types of metal roofing is that snap lock installs via a clip. The clip is where the screws go that hold the metal to the home or building. Then, when the next piece of metal is installed, the clip along with the screws are hidden and are not seen or exposed. Snap lock metal roofing has no exposed screws or nails. The snap lock roof is installed by setting a piece of metal, attaching the clips with screws, then snapping the next sheet on and repeating the process of set the clips.
Where Should Snap Lock Metal Roofing Be Used?
Most snap lock metal roofing is 24 gauge in thick metal with Kynar paint. It can be used on homes that want standing seam, but also on buildings in commercial applications because the snap-lock metal meets architectural specs and standards and the panel has had extensive testing.
Snap lock metal roofing performs best when used at a 3 / 12 pitch or greater, and we always recommend using a high-temperature ice and water shield as your underlayment on the entire structure.
The snap-lock metal also needs to be installed over a solid substrate, which means that the structure needs to be solid wood or solid metal decking. Snap lock cannot be installed over open purlins like the kind commonly found on steel buildings. Types of metal roofing other than snap lock should be used in that scenario.
How Wide Is The Snap Lock Metal Panel?
Snap lock can be roll-formed in a variety of panel widths, but the most common and cost-efficient width is 18” wide. This is because of the way the coil that the metal roofing is made out of. It takes a 24” slit of coil to make a 18” wide “ snap-lock metal panel. Large 48” wide master coils are slit in half to make two 24” coils, then the 24” coils are roll-formed into 18” wide snap lock metal roof panels with no waste, making snap lock a smart option for cost-savvy consumers.
Having a snap lock metal roof installed on your home or business will not only mean a leak-free structure for years to come, but a good clean metal roof installed correctly adds much curb appeal and value to a property and requires little to no maintenance.
The T style profile is the next step forward in the evolution of standing seam metal roofing. Traditional standing seam metal relies on a male and female leg that interlock and make a watertight seal. This design is good but difficult to repair and offers little flexibility during installation.
The T style standing seam uses a neutral T Leg and seam cap design, making it simple to repair or replace an individual piece and flexible to install— especially around rooftop obstacles like chimneys, skylights, or HVAC units.
Let's look at 5 reasons why you may want to consider using the 138T standing seam metal roofing on your next project.
The 138T And 238T Is Repairable. Standing seam metal roof panels provide long term performance but are almost impossible to work on or repair due to the fact that the pieces of metal are interlocking and folded together. If a repair needs to be made, you have to remove panels from where you began all the way to the place where the repair is to be made, then replace all the metal. This all changed with the T panel. The seam cap that joins the pieces of the 138 T together can be unfolded and the panel that needs to be repaired can be removed and replaced.
Full-Length Metal Panels With No Seams. The 138T is roll-formed on your job site and will be full length with no seams in the metal. That means a solid sheet of metal with no place to leak. Get rid of seams and get rid of leaks on metal roofs.
Simple Design and easy to install. The 138 T is systemized in ways that other types of metal roofing are not, making it easy to install but more importantly, it's easy to teach someone how to install. Simple, easy to teach repeatable processes lead to predictable outcomes—which means quality installs for homeowners, building owners, and general contractors.
Best Flashing System - Traverse Panels Behind Chimneys, Curbs, HVAC Units & Skylights. The traverse panel detail is hands down the best way to waterproof chimneys, curbs, HVAC units, and skylights. The typical problem on metal roofing is that water heads straight into the back of these rooftop obstacles and simply has nowhere to go. Curbs with welded corners are tricky to install, can be difficult to keep on module with the roofing panels, and often leak due to the difficulty of flashing it in the right way.
Traverse panel changed all that and made flashing simple and effective without expensive welded curbs.
The Seam Cap Becomes The Gutter Strap. The seam cap can be extended out past the edge of the roofing panels and then be folded in a way that it can be used as a gutter strap, giving the gutter incredible strength and making it able to better withstand sliding snow or ice. This detail is for commercial jobs where the gutters are fabricated in the same color metal as the roofing panel. Residential gutters are usually seamless aluminum gutters and seam cap is not used as the strap.
Now that you’ve learned the several advantages the 138 T has over other standing seam metal roofing panels, we need to figure out where it should be used.
The 138 T is the perfect fit for a residential and light commercial job. This panel needs a solid deck whether wood or steel, and we highly recommend using high-temperature ice and water shield as the underlayment.
If your next project is on a steel building or over open purling, check out the vides on the 238T.
The 138 T does what other types of metal roofing can’t—all while looking great and keeping your home or business weathertight.
Cost of metal roofing in 2020 and your budget
Price isn’t everything, but it is important—especially when trying to determine which type of metal roofing is right for your upcoming project. And while we can’t give you an exact figure of what a new metal roof on your home or business will cost without seeing the job, we can offer some general ideas about the cost of metal roofing in 2020.
A snap lock metal roof will cost slightly less than a mechanically seam metal roof such as the 138 T. Once the snap lock seam is created by placing the female leg over the male leg and “snapping” them together, the seam is complete and does not require more labor. But a mechanically seamed type of metal roof will require the metal panels to be crimped and seamed together, adding another process to the job and adding labor cost.
Homes or buildings with more trims such as valley, hips, or pitch breaks will have an overall higher cost per square foot. Metal roof trims must be either fabricated or purchased and require labor to set them, increasing the overall cost of the job.
Standing seam metal roof vs asphalt shingles cost. We typically see standing seam metal roofing cost to be somewhere between 2 and 3 times the cost of an asphalt shingle roof.
Accessibility and pitch. Homes or buildings with steep pitches or hard to access areas will most likely cost more than easy to access structures. Specialized roof jack for metal roof and metal roofing tie off points for worker safety must be used and installs times are slower on steep or hard to access roofs, increasing cost.
Metal roof machines help roofing contractors create value for their customers
Metal Roof machines or portable roll formers are changing the way roofing contractors provide metal roofing materials and installation services to both residential and commercial customers.
Roofing contractors who own and operate metal roofing machines are able to provide an enhanced customer experience through direct sales, shorter lead times, faster installations, full length metal panels with no seams, reduced freight cost, and wholesale pricing.
Metal roof machines are usually mounted on a trailer that is then taken directly to the job site. The new metal roof is produced or roll formed right on site. Portable roll formers can be operated off the trailer, but can also be picked up to do aerial roll forming. Aerial roll forming allows a roofing contractor to run out long metal roofing panels directly onto large buildings and means that the building owner gets a full length, seamless metal roof.
What Type Of Metal Roofing Do These Machines Make?
Most major manufactures of metal roof machines like New Tech Machinery, Englert, and Zimmerman have engineered their portable roll formers to have interchangeable dies or tooling. This means the machines can produce several different types of metal roofing, and many metal roof machines also have dies or tooling to make metal soffit and metal siding panels. The most common profile roll formed is snap-lock metal roofing. The snap-lock metal roof is popular because looks great, has no exposed fasteners, and is relatively easy to install. Other common types of metal roofing the portable roll formers can make is 138 T standing seam, 238 T standing seam, 2” mechanical standing seam, and 1 1/2 mechanical standing seam.
How Do Metal Roof Machines Work?
A metal roof machine takes a metal coil and forms it into a metal roofing panel. These coils are usually either 24g or 26g metal. After a customer chooses the metal roof profile and color they want, the metal coil can be ordered to the appropriate length for the roofing project. The coils are then shipped either directly to the job site or to a roofing contractor’s sheet metal shop. The metal coils are mounted into decoilers on top of or behind the metal roofing machine so as to be able to be unrolled and fed into the machine.
The metal coil will then pass through the stations of tooling. Each station or die will shape the metal sheet. As the metal coil continues toward the exit of the machine, it is roll-formed into a metal roofing panel. A controller at the end of the machine can be programmed to make the desired length and quaintly of metal roofing panels. When the right length its reached, a hydraulic shear will cut the metal panel off, and then the process repeats.
The idea and process of a metal roof machine is simple but revolutionary. Onsite roll forming streamlines the process of both buying and installing metal roofing. It reduces waste, freight cost, and lead time—all while creating value with wholesale pricing and full length metal with no seams.
One of the most important components of a metal roof are the trims. Properly installed metal roof trims bring the job together and keep critical areas of the metal roof system dry like valleys, ridge caps, and pitch break. Metal roof trims define the roof and make all difference in whether or not the metal roof will last and keeps the home or structure watertight. Metal roofs rarely fail out in the middle of the metal roof panel, they almost always begin leaking around metal trims.
Standing seam metal roof systems have elaborate trim details that allow the metal to expand and contract without breaking watertight seals on the metal trims.
For each metal roofing project, we do on an automated CNC folding table or sheet metal break. The metal roof trim is made from 4’ x 10’ flat sheets of 24 gauge metal. After we select which metal trim we need to fabricate, we move the flat sheet of metal into the shear and slit down the metal sheet to the correct dimension. Next, we move the piece of metal or blank as we call them to the CNC folding table. We find the metal roof trim program we need and use the CNC to create the piece of metal trim. We have to ability to customize every aspect of the metal trim so we get a perfect fit with each installation.
Standing seam metal roof details are architectural drawings that conceptualize the correct way to install flashings and metal roof trim at different points on the roof. There are standing seam metal roof details drawn up for most common roof conditions, and they can be used as a guide to help installers/roofing contractors know what to do.
However, the concept or theory of how a metal roof trim or flashing should be installed does not always match up with the actual condition of the job. This is very often true when metal roofers install flashing around chimneys, skylights, curbs, and HVAC units on a metal roof.
Let met introduce you the what I consider the smartest standing seam metal roof detail to water proof roof top obstacles called the Transverse Panel Detail. This detail is a part of the metal roofing system of the 138 T and 238 T standing seam and it’s one of the major reasons why we run this type of symmetrical standing seam metal roof.
There are several underlayment options for metal roofing, but we prefer to use high-temperature ice and water shields on our metal roofing projects. The metal roof underlayment is very important because it protects the structure during the roofing process. Watch this video on metal roof underlayment to learn more.
