Custom Metal Roofing Details

Experience and Metal Craftsmanship

It takes about two solid years of on the job training for an apprentice metal roofer to make it through the details education he needs to learn to be somewhat proficient and reasonably accurate in flashing areas such as valleys and dormers and chimneys. Our best journeymen typically work these complex details because of the skill required to make them fully watertight and presentable. What many people do not understand is that metal craftsmanship is developed over a lifetime and is not something anyone with a little carpentry or roofing experience can do well. That is why it is so important to us to retain our staff and keep them in training.

There is a big difference between a product with a 100 year life and a 15 year life cycle and that difference ultimately comes down to material and craftsmanship. Even when using the best materials a product can fail if the details aren't attended to properly. A bead of sealant around a chimney is good for about 5 years even if you put a top of the line roof product on the home. If your chimney starts leaking after 5 years you are already one step into replacing the roof. If ten details on your roof rely solely on sealant for water tightness you will begin to see leaks all over the place long before the product should be any showing signs of degradation.

The materials used are also a factor of experience. We know that the standard siliconized polyester resins used in most metal roofing paint systems will break down and start noticeably chalking within 15- 20 years of service. Kynar fluoropolymer resins will keep paint looking sharp for more than double that timeframe. Many contractors and customers might not be aware of that in specifying product but our experience will help you with that and all other material specifications on the roof.