What is a standing seam metal roof?
Ozark, Missouri, and all around there is considered Tornado Alley. However, tornados aren’t the only concern! The summers can be blistering hot, and the winters have known to dump a lot of snow. With all that in mind, commercial and industrial building owners have to choose roofing materials that are durable all year long, which makes standing seam metal roof installation one of the most popular choices.
When you have a standing seam metal roof installation, you are getting one of the most common and popular metal roofs. Once found only on large commercial or industrial structures, they are now installed on homes too.
Defining a standing seam metal roof is a concealed fastener metal panel roofing system. There are two vertical legs with a wide, flat area in between them. The vertical legs are also described as raised seams or standing seams because they are above the flat panel.
The key factor that makes a standing seam metal roof installation popular is the hidden fasteners. While the wide flat panels are attached directly to the roof decking with a clip under the standing seam, aka vertical legs.
How is a standing seam metal roof attached?
A standing seam metal roof installation won’t be done with exposed nails or screws. Instead, there is a clip that that fits over the ‘male’ leg’s top, and the clip is then screwed down to the roof decking to hold the wide flat metal panel in place.
Are standing seam metal roofs noisy?
Not any more than a vacuum cleaner! Yes, a vacuum cleaner is just as noisy as a standing seam metal roof installation will be, up to 70 decibels. Surprised? The key to this low-level noise is quality of metal and quality process of installation.
A flat surface is going to reduce the sounds of anything hitting it hard, like the wide, flat metal panel of standing seam metal roof. Installation of a flat, uncoated sheet metal cannot shorten the sustained sound reflection, aka reverberation.
So, therefore, the roof’s structure is a key component to noise reduction, meaning a solid roof decking with insulation and underlayment, will minimize the sound of rain hitting the standing seam metal roof. Installation of advanced metal roofing products with a thicker the coating and an irregular surface texture, will be even more effective dampening the reverberation.
Is a standing seam metal roof impact-resistant?
Some advantages of a standing seam metal roof installation on a commercial or industrial structure are:
- Weather-resistance
- Durable and Long Lifespan
- Fire Resistance
- Minimal Maintenance
- Energy Efficiency
- Ideal For a Low Slope Roof
- Impact Resistant! So, that means you can you walk on a standing seam metal roof?
Absolutely! A standing seam metal roof installation is ideal for commercial structures where foot traffic is expected on the roof. Whether is the HVAC system, ventilation system for factories and restaurants, electricians, plumbers, or infrastructure, a standing seam metal roof installation can withstand it all.
Can you repair a standing seam metal roof?
Yes, once you have your standing seam metal roof installation completed, if there is any issue that needs to be repairs, it is recommended to call the roofing contractor that installed it to do the repair. If the roof existed and you don’t know who that was, your maintenance team can use a polyester fabric seam tape to create a patch.
They should cut the polyester fabric tape to be up to five inches longer than the damaged area. Then laying the tape over the area, they should press firmly on both sides of the standing seam then apply an elastomeric coating.
Do standing seam metal roofs leak?
If a standing seam metal roof installation is done by an experienced roofing contractor that knows how to install standing seam metal roofing, there shouldn’t be any problems with leaking. Quality installation job is essential for installing a metal roof of any style.
With routine inspections and maintenance, any possible areas that have appear to be prone for leaking, like pooling or puddling water, can be caught before it happens. Then the steps can be taken to fix the issue before the leaks happen. An annual professional inspection is recommended and monthly visual inspection by your maintenance team are key in getting a long lifespan of a standing seam metal roof installation.
Concluding
What is the life expectancy of a standing seam metal roof? Again, standing seam metal roof installation quality is all about the success and longevity. A commercial structure with a standing seam metal roof should get up to 40 years before need replacing.
Other factors that affect the lifespan is the weather, the type of metal and the shape of the roof. A flat or low slope roof will need replacing sooner, usually within 30 years, than a commercial structure with some slant to the standing seam metal roof installation.