A metal roofing system is only a good as the installer. At Roof Top Services we take pride in the knowledge and fabrication of our metal roof systems. We are proud to say that we have never had one of our installed metal roofs fail. When a severe storm comes through the Albemarle County region with high winds, we often receive calls about metal roof damage. The homeowner wants to know why their roof failed and can we install a new metal roofing system that will stand the test of time. When we visit the site and inspect the damaged roof, the problems we see are most often installation issues.
The first image below shows a typical metal roof failure due to the combination of installation issues and high winds (ie: Blown off roof example). This is a double lock standing seam roof. The first failure is the fastening system. It is critical for the installer to understand and choose the proper fastener and number of fasteners for each roof installation to avoid wind uplift pressure. The National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) recommends two fasteners per hidden clip and the fasteners are to be ring shank nails. The spacing of fasteners is of vital importance. The clips must be spaced 12 inches apart and no further.
Above, you can see that the clips have only one nail each in Photo 1A and that nail has a smooth shank. Photo 1B shows the clips are on average 30 inches apart (versus the recommended 12-inch spacing), which resulted in using only one-third of the fasteners required.
Photo 1C shows the nail Roof Top Services uses is a ring shank which has higher holding power to the roof framing, and it has the required two nails per clip with 12 in spacing between each clip. Photo 1D shows the correct installation clip and nail sequence of one clip every twelve inches on the metal panel.
As you can see from this case study, not all roofing contractors follow the correct installation guidelines. Roof Top Services LLC has been serving Albemarle County and the surrounding areas since 1999. We pride ourselves in the workmanship and high-quality materials that we are able to provide clients, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us with your next roofing project!
