Residential Metal Roofing in Rochester MN usually can be installed right over asphalt shingles, which cuts down on the time of installation and the associated labor costs. It might seem counterintuitive that metal for roofing is so lightweight that shingles don’t need to be removed, but metal doesn’t add nearly as much weight as a layer of shingles does. The roofing contractor adds an underlayment of a material such as synthetic felt over the shingles. Depending on the roofing product and the construction of the home, the contractor either adds boards over which the metal will be installed or places the metal directly on the shingles.
An exception to the avoidance of shingle removal may occur if the roof already has two layers of shingles. Even though steel and aluminum roofing products are lightweight, some municipal building codes don’t allow more than two layers of roofing. Even if the local building code allows this, a contractor may be hesitant to add the metal, depending on various factors. If the two layers of shingles already appear to be putting too much of a weight burden on the structure, adding more weight is unreasonable.
A second exception to adding Metal Roofing in Rochester MN over asphalt shingles might be evidence of damage to the roof. If there has been a noticeable amount of leakage into the house, for instance, the roofer may want to replace plywood that could have deteriorated as the shingles no longer adequately protected part of the underlying material. Otherwise, it may be difficult to securely adhere the metal to all parts of the roof. That conflicts with the contractor’s ability to guarantee the labor.
Depending on the situation, the options for a metal roof design may be a bit more limited if the homeowner wants to avoid having the asphalt shingles removed. The roofer may strongly recommend using metal shingles instead of panels. Nevertheless, many styles and colors of those shingles are available and can be very attractive from a curb appeal standpoint. Homeowners considering having a metal roof installed over asphalt shingles may contact a company such as Steve Gentry Construction to evaluate their particular circumstances.
