G1625S

So I'm starting to build trusses for my house and have recieved many different opinions regarding the roof material.
Some details that may affect the decision:

location--upstate new york at the top of a hill--plenty of snow in the winter

house--more of a cabin, really. 24X24 with a 12X13 bump on one side. Siding will be board and batt and interior walls and ceiling will be rough cut as well.

Planned pitch is 6-in-12 w/2' overhang.

I'm leaning towards steel for ease of assembly...just have to find a color the wife likes. I've heard it's hard to get a leak-free metal roof--how true is this?

As for the potential of shingles, I've heard architectural (sp?) is the way to go. Bear in mind I'm doing most of this myself and I want to get this subfloor covered soon!

Here's what I've got so far---walls are all but done at this point, just no recent photos:

Luvnacumns

If you want quality I would go with a 40-50 year architectual shingle or metal roofing!! Either way you won't go wrong!!

JD730

My grandfathers house has had aluminum on a 12 on 12 roof for the last 50 years. Just starting to get leaks here and there, only when we get these hard downpours, normal rain isn't a problem. When the time come for a new roof, its going to be steel or aluminum again.

Our Morton building's steel roof lets the snow slide right off, a 2 foot overhang is a real good idea.

G1625S

Thanks for the input--keep it coming!

Any manufacturer inparticular for metal roofs come to mind?

SIXSLUG

The metal is the way I'd go if you can afford it. The architectural is good stuff but if your doing it yourself you'lll have less waste with metal and be good for a long time with zero maintenece unless something punctures it i.e. tree falling, meteor etc. If you go metal just pay close attention to your flashing detail.

Redleg

I used this. Lowes and Menards carry the sheets, have to order shingles. Easier to custom fit parts than steel, and no rust. Cross grain cuts with circular saw/carbide blade, lengthwise with a utility knife. Only issue I had is with a large branch that borke off and gave me a small puncture on a flatter pitch section. A little asphalt caulk and then a touch of paint...

Also, I'd consider steel for the peak instead of the ondura peak, only cause a one-man-job would line up easier.
http://www.ondura.com/

dieselJon

Go with steel. Just insulate it well. A soft rain can get pretty loud. I have been in buildings with steel roofing and no insulation. Granted they were machine sheds but a light rain made me have to talk loudly. The other bad thing about steel that I can see is if you have a bad windstorm, it might take off a whole sheet vs a couple of shingles. I am by no means an expert, just what I have seen and heard

RickG

Check these out http://www.metalroofingwholesalers.com/

bdewey

I would go with the Architectual shingles with a 6/12 pitch or higher because snow will still come off pretty easy. Easy to install yourself also. Metal would be good if your pitch was a little lower.

Joe T

Looks like a cool project.

On a project like that I'd go with a green or galvalum colored steel roof covering since I'm assuming you'll be going with an earthy stained siding or something like that. Keep it sealed every few years and it won't ever leak.... Also minor damage can always be fixed with tar .

I've got Galvalum siding on a barn and it was I think $1.55 per foot and isn't as thick as roofing material so it would be a little cheaper. Using my price as an estimate if you need to cover a 30X30 area for example it would be $1.55X30X10=$465 and an 18X15 area for $1.55*18*5=$140 then add in $250 for misc... I'd say you could do the roof for under $1,000 if it's already framed up. You could probably do it in a weekend with one friend helping.

I'd add a small screened in porch and chimney to your project .

G1625S

Thanks for all the input! You've got my wheels turning now.

There will be a 24X8 porch coming off the front of the house. Heat will be radiant via an outdoor woodstove.

greg

RoadDiesel

..JFI ..We have a colored steel roof on our lit'o cabin..just in case nobody told you so.. an all night heavy rain can keep you awake all night..saturday night it rained off and on all night long in deadwood area..we love the non maintance issue with a steel roof, and would not change it..however..you WILL hear all the rain noise through the ceiling,pine cones dropping,etc ....wife slept well but after an hour it kept me awake..I do have insulation and it still can be heard..just for your info...

G1625S

Hmmm, that's good to know. What style roof do you have? I'm planning to build scissor-style trusses with insulation above.

Joe T

We have a metal roof on our place in the country and yeah you can hear rain but I like it since it isn't too loud. With the window unit on low or fan on you can't hear the rain.

The sound actually helps me sleep... makes me relaxed for some reason. I alwasys thought that was a benefit of having a metal roof, I guess some people don't like it.

FWIW, my galvalum siding on the barn has an insane warranty something like 20 or 40 years against rusting. For roofing material it would have to be maintained though every few years with cool seal or something IMO.

Grit Dog

Metal roof all the way. Won't have problems w/ ice backing up like on a shingle roof. Snow will slide off a 6 pitch on it's own. Which is especially helpful if it's a cabin and you're not there to pull the snow down.
It will tear gutters off though, so it's kind of a tossup. My house now has "keepers" glued to the metal roof to keep the snow from sheeting off and destroying the gutters. Of course, our snow doesn't stay around the whole season, so not an issue of piling up or ice backup.
I'd go metal roof either way, still. No maintenance. Mine's 10 y/o now w/ no leaks. Rain's not that loud. Easy to install. Less labor than shingles if you're doing it yourself.

Look's like a beautiful area for a cabin!