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I have a 2-story brick “shotgun” style house. The floor plan on both floors from the front of the house to the back is 2 rooms, then a hall with stairs, then another room (referred to as “back room” from here on). All rooms are about 15ft x 15ft. The attic is over the two front rooms and the hall and from it I can gain access to the roof over the back room of the house through a window in the gable (is this correct term?). The attic roof is slate in very good condition. The roof over the 2nd story back room of the house is low pitched (1/12 in the middle which fans out from the attic “gable” to the two corners of the back of the house and 3/12 on the sides which slope away from the “fan” portion of the roof). This roof is standing-seam tin in not so good condition. The gutters are box- type. Holes in the tin roof and gutter seams have been patched with self- adhesive aluminum. Everything needs painting.
I have investigated lining gutters (would only last about 5 years or so) and redoing roof with rubber (has the weakness at the seams). This solution would cost me about $5000. Another solution is to redo box gutters and standing seam roof in tin (needs periodic painting) or copper. Although flat-lock is recommended because of the roof pitch, I am considering going with copper box gutters and copper standing seam roof because 1) the difference in price between tin and copper from one highly recommended roofer is almost the same (about $10,000), and 2) copper is low-maintenance, important to me as I cannot do, and do not want to do, roof maintence myself. I am going to call the roofer back for an estimate on a flat-lock roof though.
Questions 1) Is this sensible thinking? I am planning to stay in the house at least 10-15 years. 2) Are there any other solutions other than what I have researched? Is there an economical DIYer solution that will last and not have to be redone every year or so? 3) Is there a web site (1st choice) or book (2nd choice) on the subject of COPPER BOX GUTTERS & COPPER FLATLOCK (and Standing-Seam) ROOFS with illustrations (most important). I have searched Improvenet, This Old House, The Family Handyman, metametalroofing.com. 4) Given the pitch of the almost flat roof, could a STANDING-SEAM roof work? The roofer I am considering said he would double lock the seams and use silicone before doing so. Standing seam would be less expensive, how much so I do not know yet, than flatlock which requires more soldering.
Finally, what is the proper way to vent this almost flat metal roof? There is blown-in insulation under it. On the way up the attic stairs there is an approximately 2ft x 2ft door in the stairwell wall beneath that window that allows access to the roof that I can open and look into. This is the insulated space between the metal roof and the ceiling of the back room. The soffits already admit air to this space – its venting this air I need to do, I think. The roofer does not think vents on a low slope are a good idea and has suggested a vent in the attic “gable” up a few feet from the roof leaving an air space in this wall between studs that connects to the insulated space so that air can funnel up and out the vent.
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I will not install a standing seam roof on a pitch of less than 3/12 if the area below is heated unless there are no lateral seams (i.e. less than ten feet from eave to wall abuttment or ridge). This is to prevent leaking at the lateral seams under ice dam conditions. If you are in an area that is not subject to snow loading, the standing seam roof might be acceptable. Otherwise a soldered flat seam system would be in order.
Copper vs. tin for the same price? I haven't done any tin (terne) work for five years because of this. The fabrication and installation labor is the same and you don't have to paint the copper.
With out seeing the project, it's hard to determine how much venting is necessary. Any good copper fabricator should be able to construct water tight roof vents that are reasonably cosmetically appealing.
I would be a little leary of a roofer who is planning to use silicone on new copper, especially if box gutter is involved.
For more information check your library for a SMACNA manual or the Copper Developement Association on the web. Sory I don't have links. Good Luck.
*Thank you for your reply If you are still out there, a few questions regarding your response. Again, I am talking about a COPPER roof and gutter system. By lateral seams do you mean seams that run parallel to the gutter? If so, none of the standing seams do. They all slope down perpendicular to the gutters but there are FLAT seams running parallel to the gutter in the area between the standing seams. The longest standing seam section is about 15 feet. My roofer mentioned trying to get and use long runs of copper for all the standing seam portions but I don’t know if he can get the material. Questions: 1) Are my flat seams the lateral seams you are concerned about? 2) If they are, are you saying that these flat seams should be 10 or more feet away from the gutter? 3) Regarding piecing like this on my tin roof, is this the usual method with copper and are these seams soldered or is the usual method to lock these pieces together? 4) Would expansion be a problem with long runs of copper, say 15 feet? I have enclosed a photograph of my roof from the attic window. If this helps give you a better picture of this project, do you think a standing seam would work? And WITH or WITHOUT flat seam piecing of material? I ask because I have just about reached my limit on what I can spend on this roof. If flat lock is not too much more expensive I could consider it, possibily possibly a flat seam in the 1/12 “fan” or middle section of the roof with standing seam on the 3/12 sides. Would that work? Snow is usually not a big problem where I live in the Midwest but occasionally we do get a dumping that may last a week or so on the roof.. Finally, the silicone suggestion by the roofer was ONLY going to be used in the standing seams (double locked) which I understand are not soldered. Is that a problem? Would this silicone affect soldering the metal roof to the gutters? It sounded to me like extra insurance against water possibly getting in. Any comments about venting having seen the photograph? I apologize for the long explanation and hope it is clear.
*This is a test!
*I an architect looking for sources for custom copper sink manufacturers. Any info would be welcome.
*If you would like to consider an alternative to a new metal roof, Preservation Products makes a coating system for metal roofs (http://preservationproducts.com/2what.html). I am not sure if this is the best solution for you, but the cost will be significantly lower.
*Thank you for your suggestion - I will look at the site.For anyone following this discussion, I am trying again to attach a photo of my roof with this reply.
*Thank you for your suggestion - I will look at the site. For anyone following this discussion, I am trying again to attach a photo of my roof with this reply.
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I have a 2-story brick "shotgun" style house. The floor plan on both floors from the front of the house to the back is 2 rooms, then a hall with stairs, then another room (referred to as "back room" from here on). All rooms are about 15ft x 15ft. The attic is over the two front rooms and the hall and from it I can gain access to the roof over the back room of the house through a window in the gable (is this correct term?). The attic roof is slate in very good condition. The roof over the 2nd story back room of the house is low pitched (1/12 in the middle which fans out from the attic "gable" to the two corners of the back of the house and 3/12 on the sides which slope away from the "fan" portion of the roof). This roof is standing-seam tin in not so good condition. The gutters are box- type. Holes in the tin roof and gutter seams have been patched with self- adhesive aluminum. Everything needs painting.
I have investigated lining gutters (would only last about 5 years or so) and redoing roof with rubber (has the weakness at the seams). This solution would cost me about $5000. Another solution is to redo box gutters and standing seam roof in tin (needs periodic painting) or copper. Although flat-lock is recommended because of the roof pitch, I am considering going with copper box gutters and copper standing seam roof because 1) the difference in price between tin and copper from one highly recommended roofer is almost the same (about $10,000), and 2) copper is low-maintenance, important to me as I cannot do, and do not want to do, roof maintence myself. I am going to call the roofer back for an estimate on a flat-lock roof though.
Questions 1) Is this sensible thinking? I am planning to stay in the house at least 10-15 years. 2) Are there any other solutions other than what I have researched? Is there an economical DIYer solution that will last and not have to be redone every year or so? 3) Is there a web site (1st choice) or book (2nd choice) on the subject of COPPER BOX GUTTERS & COPPER FLATLOCK (and Standing-Seam) ROOFS with illustrations (most important). I have searched Improvenet, This Old House, The Family Handyman, metametalroofing.com. 4) Given the pitch of the almost flat roof, could a STANDING-SEAM roof work? The roofer I am considering said he would double lock the seams and use silicone before doing so. Standing seam would be less expensive, how much so I do not know yet, than flatlock which requires more soldering.
Finally, what is the proper way to vent this almost flat metal roof? There is blown-in insulation under it. On the way up the attic stairs there is an approximately 2ft x 2ft door in the stairwell wall beneath that window that allows access to the roof that I can open and look into. This is the insulated space between the metal roof and the ceiling of the back room. The soffits already admit air to this space - its venting this air I need to do, I think. The roofer does not think vents on a low slope are a good idea and has suggested a vent in the attic "gable" up a few feet from the roof leaving an air space in this wall between studs that connects to the insulated space so that air can funnel up and out the vent.