Standing seam metal profile roof

[Sam B]

Hello

 

I’m hoping you could kindly provide me with the key points that I need to consider please.

 

I am very interested in purchasing a new build home (not yet built) and the house will be built to Passivhaus standards however my query relates to the roof.  It is proposed that the house I would like to purchase will have a standing seam metal profile roof.  I don’t yet know what metal will be that will be used for the roof and I'm not sure that I will be given a choice.  It is also proposed there will also be PV panels on one side of the roof too (south facing).

 

I do work in the housing industry but I’m not familiar with standing seam metal profile roofs.

 

Are there questions that I should be asking the developer please?  I did read that metal roofs can be noisy in the rain but I don’t know if that will be a concern as there will be the loft space between the roof and the bedrooms. 

 

I’d be very grateful to hear of any key points that you think I need to consider and wondered what people’s opinions are of standing seam metal profile roofs are please? 

 

Thank you very much for any replies. 

 

[Russell griffiths]

Do you have an option of something different. 
I have standing seam and it looks spot on, nothing else would do the job on my place due to the low pitch, but I would rather have slate/ tiles for longevity and maintenance. 
but saying that I have no idea what mine will be like in 25years I could be worrying over nothing. 

[Sam B]

Thank you for your reply.  No, unfortunately, the developer has not offered anything else.  The only details provided are that it will be a standing seam metal profile roof. 

 

I am pleased to hear though that you say your roof looks spot on as the appearance of it is my biggest concern. 

 

I did wonder though if I might be given a choice of metals, e.g. aluminium, zinc, etc. I think the colour of the roof will be a dark grey/black colour which I don’t mind the colour of.  I’m not sure if one metal is preferable to another and of course the weight of PVs on the roof will need to be taken into consideration by the developer. 

 

Can I ask regarding your metal roof what the noise of rain is like if you are in your upstairs rooms please?  The proposed house that I’m interested in purchasing will have a loft (used for storage) which would surely mean the noise of rain wouldn’t disturb me when in one of the upstairs rooms?    

[Russell griffiths]

If you have a loft it won’t be a problem with noise. 
I have vaulted ceilings in all the rooms, and it’s noisy. 

[saveasteading]

It will likely be steel, coated with Plastisol.

If within about 10 miles of the sea it needs a special finish.

The PV will not load the cladding but will bear on the structure behind it.

 

The reason for having standing seam is that the fixings do not penetrate it. 

So to then screw PV through it needs skilled attention. 

 

All the above may well be understood by the build team.

 

It needs maintenance much sooner than tiles. Decades, but fewer of them.

 

Why is the developer using it? Much cheaper while also being fashionable.

That's why we are using metal cladding on ours, buf it will be screwed, not standing seam.

[Russdl]

We have a standing seam zinc roof with a loft space that is open to below. It’s a warm roof construction, so lots of insulation between the zinc and the loft space and we don’t hear the rain on the roof at all so if your loft is more standard and closed off to the rooms below I don’t think you’ll hear a thing. 
 

I wouldn’t do zinc again because of how quickly the pigeons have made a mess of it that doesn’t wash off despite the endless rain. Probably most people don’t see it - I do. 
 

18 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

So to then screw PV through it needs skilled attention. 

That really shouldn’t happen. There are numerous fittings to attach PV to standing seam roofs, I’d have flipped my lid if the solar dudes had tried to drill through our zinc roof. 
 

[Sam B]

Thank you Russell, that’s helpful to know that noise won’t be any issue but only because I have the loft.  Thank you also Russdl re your helpful comments too re noise. 

 

Really interesting to hear you wouldn't go for zinc but from what saveasteading says it sounds like the roof will be made from steel.  

 

Thank you also saveasteading for  your reply.  The house is nowhere near the sea so that won’t be an issue but good to know that. 

 

I’m interested to understand more when you say, ‘It needs maintenance much sooner than tiles.  Decades, but fewer of them.’

 

I was under the impression that a metal roof required less maintenance compared to tiles (as tiles can crack, etc and I did think with having PV panels on the roof replacing cracked tiles may be a bit tricky and the metal would be sturdier).  Re maintenance what do you mean exactly when you say, ‘Decades, but fewer of them’ please? 

 

I am under the impression that a metal roof can last 40 to 80 years but am unsure what maintenance is actually required.  I’ve read some people say a clean is required but I will need to bear in mind there will be PV panels on one side of the roof. 

 

I’m not entirely sure why the developer is using a metal roof.  I presume due to cost (but the house will be expensive/definitely at the high end of values for the lovely area it will be located in) but the developer’s architect did say metal roofs are good for attaching the PV panels to but I’m not sure if that is the real reason and whether it is simply due to the developer wishing to save money on the cost of the roof. 

 

I’d be very grateful if you could kindly elaborate on the level of maintenance required for a metal roof compared to tiles please as to date, from what I had read, I had been under the impression that there was less maintenance required with a metal roof.  

 

I suppose just say the developer did come back and say if you prefer tiles you can have them I'm genuinely not sure (due to the PV panels) if tiles or a metal roof would be better? My thoughts have been tiles may be tricky to replace if there are PV panels on the roof and I had thought there would be less maintenance required with having this type of metal roof?  

 

Really grateful to hear your views please.  

 

Edited December 1, 2024 by Sam B

[Kevan Marshall]

On 01/12/2024 at 16:52, saveasteading said:

It will likely be steel, coated with Plastisol.

If within about 10 miles of the sea it needs a special finish.

The PV will not load the cladding but will bear on the structure behind it.

 

The reason for having standing seam is that the fixings do not penetrate it. 

So to then screw PV through it needs skilled attention. 

 

All the above may well be understood by the build team.

 

It needs maintenance much sooner than tiles. Decades, but fewer of them.

 

Why is the developer using it? Much cheaper while also being fashionable.

That's why we are using metal cladding on ours, buf it will be screwed, not standing seam.

Hi,

What type of metal cladding are you going to use please?

 

Kind regards,

Kevan

[saveasteading]

I think it's kingspan quadcore LSR1000, 140 thick, grey colour plastisol.

That's a profiled panel, not flat.

 

On the walls we're having flat panel 100 thick, black.

[Kelvin]

I wonder if he ever bought it. 
 

I love our standing seam roof. It looks perfect with the cladding. I do worry about the longevity of it and the fact that it’s not easy to repair certainly compared to tiles. It’s not particularly noisy in the rain. I decided not to fit the PV panels to it for a variety of reasons. 

 

Not convinced I’d use it again though. 

Edited July 29 by Kelvin

[Redbeard]

On 01/12/2024 at 17:55, Sam B said:

I am under the impression that a metal roof can last 40 to 80 years

Which is better than many (but not all!) built-up felt roofs, but my slate roof is 130+ years old. Yes, it has had repair, but none of it has had any more than patch replacement. I think the copper roof on my old school is probably 65+ years old.

[saveasteading]

Modern metal cladding needs a repaint at some stage, depending on spec and exposure. 30 years? It will last much longer but is best kept maintained, as any product.

The main hindrance to longevity is bad workmanship. Misplaced screws or fillers. Scratches from tools or boots removing the surface.

Older technologies were poorer. Paint would peel or erode (like a car) and plastisol had cut end peel.

 

I've been on old roofs (60 years) that had life in them, and new ones that were failing through damage. 

Cross fingers but my projects total about 50,000m2 and I believe are all OK.

 

I would worry about damage  or bad detailing during solar panel installation.

 

Detail is important too. Avoid ledges and upstands (eg velux) that can hold dirt and encourage nests. And NEVER have internal gutters.