By Evelyn Witterholt, RCS Reporter. 

Understand more of what goes into a metal-over-metal retrofit estimation with this handy video! 

When an older metal roof needs replacing, Roof Hugger’s metal-over-metal retrofit systems are a great option. These sustainable sub-purlins make it so that the existing metal roof can stay put and any manufacturer’s new metal roof can be installed right on top of it. Your clients can save time and money by using the Roof Hugger, but just how much can they save? 

Roof Hugger now has this useful video where Founder Dale Nelson breaks down exactly what goes into getting an estimate and how to get the most accurate pricing possible. This 10-minute presentation gives you all the information you need to understand their estimation process.  

Dale does suggest familiarizing yourself with the Roof Hugger system before requesting a quote. Knowing how a Roof Hugger works and how to install it on a metal roof can help you get a more thorough estimate. Information about how their products are designed and installed can be found here. 

In the presentation, Dale gives a comprehensive breakdown of how they price their retrofitting systems and what factors affect the overall estimate. For example, he highlights how Roof Huggers are sold by the lineal foot, not the square foot.  

Dale also teaches you about the two ways Roof Hugger produces their estimates: Component parts pricing, using the job information form and preliminary load design pricing, using the project questionnaire. More details on these types of quotes, where to find the proper forms and how to fill them out correctly can be found in the video. 

You can also learn about what not to do when requesting an estimate. You don’t want to make the mistake of guessing your roof measurements. Errors like these and others outlined in the video can lead to a less accurate estimate. 

Learn more about Roof Hugger in their RoofersCoffeeShop® directory or visit roofhugger.com.

By Dale Nelson, Roof Hugger. 

How retrofit and metal-over-metal roofing can help you survive sudden market changes. 

Working in the construction industry has its highs and lows. Even with business booming, something like COVID-19 can come in and change the game entirely. Last year, as the result of the pandemic, we have seen construction projects slowed down, delayed and cancelled due to uncertainty and supply chain shortages. This year our business jumped dramatically because many contractors shifted to the steady and profitable metal over metal sector. Diversifying your business is crucial in dealing with unprecedented market changes. That is why you should consider adding retrofit and metal over metal to your business. 

First, let’s take a quick look at the market size of existing metal roof tops and why it is worth your time to consider adding retrofits to your business. Almost 19 billion square feet of existing roofs between 20 and 50 years old make this a huge market that is continually growing each and every year. Next time you are driving around town or in an industrial area, check it out. I guarantee you can spot older metal roofs needing to be repaired or replaced. 

What makes the retrofit unique? 

The retrofit market is a pretty steady business. The simple truth is that no roof lasts forever, not even metal. This means when there is an economic downturn, the retrofit will still be chugging along. If you can’t build new, you will fix the roof you have. 

When an old roof has reached the end of its useful life, despite the economic climate, it will be replaced. There are not a lot of contractors and installers that focus on this market. This means there is less competition on any given project. The jobs are frequently negotiated, with owners getting pricing from three or fewer contractors, making your success rate much higher than it might be for new construction. Since the buildings are existing, the permitting process is much simpler. In Florida, there are also several Florida Product Approved assemblies, further speeding up the permit process. Four facts to keep in mind: 

1 - The projects are shorter in duration which translates to good cash flow, getting your money more quickly than you would in new construction and typically with no long-term retainage. 

2 - Installation is much faster and easier than new construction. Your installers are not working over open framing which requires more equipment while exposing them to increased fall hazard, they are working on top of the existing roof. This makes stacking of material, equipment, tools, etc. much faster and easier. 

3 - The framing to support the new roof is installed on top of the old roof, making it unnecessary to add structure from underneath. The framing systems can be designed to meet current codes and fit most existing roof panels. 

4- Design and engineering can be provided by the retrofit framing system supplier. 

What makes retrofit appealing to the building owner? 

The single most important benefit to the owner is that the retrofitting of an existing metal roof does not disrupt building operations. They can continue to conduct business normally, typically with little or no interruption to operations. 

Cost is always a consideration and metal over metal retrofit is very cost efficient compared to other competing products. One of the major reasons is the exceptionally long life of metal roofs. The expected service life of a new 55 percent-aluminum-zinc alloy-coated (Galvalume or equivalent) Standing Seam roof is demonstrated to be over 60 years. Non-metal roof systems from coating systems to single-ply products, typically have a service life from 5 to 24 years. 

Many older roofs are the screwdown type metal roofs that were installed long before standing seam was readily available. The good news is these older screw-down roofs are easily upgraded to standing seam, eliminating most, if not all of the exposed fasteners and many of the problems that were associated with the older roof. Additional insulation is easily added to add energy efficiency to the old building. 

New standing seam roofing is the single best platform for photovoltaic (PV) panels for two reasons. First, it is the only roof system that has a service life beyond that of the PV panels. Second, the PV panels can be installed without penetrating the new roof. 

Today’s metal over metal systems can easily meet the new International (IBC) and Florida Building Codes (FBC) requirements. As we know all too well, windspeed design pressures in Florida have jumped dramatically over the past 15 years. They have moved from 100 mph to 130 mph and 120 mph to 174 mph in some areas. These are huge jumps in design pressures on buildings that were not originally designed for them. Modern retrofit metal framing systems and panels can meet required load demands and do so on top of the existing roof, eliminating the need to get inside the building to try to weave new structural components into the existing purlin and frame system. 

What are the competing products? 

Within the retrofit market there are, like all businesses, competing products. The most common competitors to metal over metal include: roof coatings. There are two basic types of roof coatings. The first and most commonly used is the simple “surface coating” designed to “protect and extend the life of the existing roof.” These materials are commonly spray applied acrylic formulations, applied 15-30 mils in thickness. These products are not intended to be used as a water barrier but rather as a protective coat to extend the life of the underlying material and to be UV reflective. They are installed on all types of roofing: shingles, tile, EPDM, TPO and metal. 

The key to their successful usage is achieving even coverage and good adhesion. However, getting proper coverage and adhesion on a metal roof is extremely difficult. Blisters, pinholes, fish eyes, craters and other imperfections are common. The result is an investment by the client of something that does nothing for leak issues, has a very short life requiring annual or bi-annual maintenance, and when an imperfection occurs and traps moisture between the metal roof and the coating, corrosion of the metal panel will occur very quickly, actually reducing its remaining life. Coatings are normally considered short term solutions having a three-to-five-year life. 

They have some appeal because they are at the low end of the cost spectrum.  They are often inaccurately sold as a waterproofing solution, they are not. I believe they represent a poor investment for the typical metal roof client’s money. 

The second coating product is “liquid applied roofing.” These materials are commonly poured and spread onto the existing roof and applied from 45-60 mils in thickness. Many have an additional reinforcement fabric pressed into the liquid as it is being installed. Like coatings, they are applied over any number of existing roofing materials. Surface prep and adhesion are still the key to a successful application. 

Once again, metal is a difficult surface to properly prepare for full adhesion. There are panel end-laps, side laps, end dams, closures, roof curbs, roof penetrations and many other details to waterproof, keeping in mind that metal roofing is constantly expanding and contracting, pushing, pulling and stretching this material. The cost of this system is significantly more than a simple coating and when completed, a newly liquid applied roof still will not meet today’s building code. 

No coating improves the capacity of the existing roof and they may actually hide some serious structural shortcomings. Failed roof fasteners in older metal roofs are common and it is the roof fasteners that transfer the uplift strength and the diaphragm strength from the roof panels to the building structure. Small fabric caps are frequently placed over failed fasteners and the coating material is then applied, hiding these serious structural issues without repairing them, inviting a total roof failure. 

Once again, for the client, the cost is significant yet the gain is questionable. The quoted material life ranges from 10-to-18 years with proper maintenance but, like regular coatings, if water becomes trapped between the coating and panel, the panels will corrode quickly and may become unrepairable. 

TPO over metal 

The final and most significant competition to a metal over metal retrofit is “TPO over metal.” This system places a flute filler of rigid insulation between the major ribs of the existing panels and then an additional layer of rigid insulation over the filler pieces (or a recovery board) and finally installs a 45-60 mil TPO layer over the top of this upper insulation layer. 

The TPO material must be attached to all the existing purlins in a very specific pattern. These systems can be demonstrated to meet the new wind load requirements but never the new snow load requirements because they rely on the existing panels.  Careful consideration by the owner or competitor is needed. There are over 50 different TPO assemblies and choosing the correct code compliant one for metal is a challenge. 

Metal roofs panels are not the same as structural metal decking. Roofs that have facades or parapets need to be particularly handled with caution, since contractors frequently fill existing valley gutters and cut scuppers into the facade or parapet, allowing water to stack on the roof and risking a structural overload and failure. TPO over metal systems cost from 80-110 percent of a metal over metal system and provides less than half the life of the metal-over-metal system. 

Conclusion 

The metal-over-metal retrofit business can add a steady volume of sales to your company and is not as susceptible to the cycles of new construction activity. It is a great value for your client, providing them a long term, strong and code-compliant roofing solution. It will allow for the installation of more insulation and will be ready for a photovoltaic upgrade when your clients are. Also, it will not interrupt their ongoing business operations. Metal roofing is the best performing roofing material in the market with the lowest lifecycle cost. Use these strengths to support your clients and your business: everybody wins. 

Learn more about Roof Hugger in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory or visit www.roofhugger.com. 

Original article source: Roof Hugger

By Roof Hugger.

Learn the common methods, do’s and don’ts of retrofit roofing.

Metal roofs can be retrofitted in a variety of ways. However, many methods are not considered to be structurally correct and are subject to fail because they cannot withstand wind uplift or drift loads for snow. Our Roof Hugger systems are durable and have endured hurricane force winds from hurricanes Katrina, Ike, Michael and others without failing.

Roof Hugger has the most tested retrofit assemblies in the market today, using several different new and existing roof panel combinations for testing.  It is this testing that ensures our systems are safe and structurally correct.  Competitive systems frequently use calculated values without testing confirmation. Roof Hugger sub-framing systems have been installed on over 90 million square feet of existing metal roofs and continue to be installed on approximately 6 million additional square feet annually.  This is the primary reason why Roof Hugger is the most specified metal-over-metal sub-framing system by building owners, federal and state governments, the military and school boards.  Below are some frequently used methods and a list of their shortcomings:

Number One Don’t

Hat section over existing metal roof high ribs:

• Because of the width of the hat section, only one screw can be installed into the existing purlin.  The other screw must be attached to the existing 26- 29-gauge metal panels, this does not provide sufficient pull-out strength.

• Sitting on top of the existing ribs requires a long attachment screw and when exposed to thermal movement, they will “rock” back and forth causing the fastener to back out or fatigue and ultimately fail.

Roof Huggers provide a positive connection directly to the existing purlins made possible by our factory punched and nesting design.

Number Two Don’t

Wood purlin over existing metal roof ribs:

• The same reasons as Number One Don’t.

• Quantity of fasteners for the new metal roof must be increased due to the much-reduced pull-out strength into wood, increasing installation labor and material costs.

• Pressure treated wood is frequently used, it is highly corrosive when placed in contact with existing and new metal roofs.

• If 18- 22-gauge hat sections are used in lieu of wood, these members have a low pull-out strength, reducing system capacity.  When used with 16-gauge or heavier, high strength members, the system is still not suitable for through fastened (screw-down) metal roofs as they are too rigid for long panel runs to allow for expansion and contraction.

• Roof Huggers are made from minimum 16-gauge, grade 50 steel and are Z shaped, allowing for expansion and contraction like the existing purlins.

Number Three Don’t

Stand-off clip over existing metal roof purlins:

• Frequently it is necessary to reduce the purlin/clip spacing in the corners and edges of the existing roof to meet current codes. Stand-off clip systems are challenged to withstand the increased wind loads in these zones and often must add purlins under the existing roof to provide the correct clip spacing.

• Roof Huggers can be designed with additional sub-framing attached on top of the existing roof, specifically engineered to reduce the existing purlin spacing and properly support the new panels to meet the new wind/snow load requirements.

Number Four Don’t

Sprayed-on coatings:

• Most coatings are quick fixes that fail to permanently fix the existing roof.

• Preparation of the existing roof is vital to the coating’s adhesion and performance.

• They do nothing to comply with new stringent building code wind speeds or snow loads and may hide deficiencies.

• Roof Huggers provide you with a way to attach a new metal roof with a 50-plus year service life that can meet all current code requirements.

• Read more about coatings here.

Number Five Don’t:

TPO over existing metal roofs  

• TPO systems have recently become popular because they are slightly less expensive than metal over metal systems. 

• Design and attachment is critical.  In order to meet existing wind loads the TPO must be connected to the existing purlins per the manufacturers approved and tested details.  Systems that are attached only to the existing roof panels, will not comply with the codes.

• TPO systems must not allow water to accumulate on the roof surface or overloading and potential collapse is possible.

• TPO systems do nothing to add strength to the existing roof to meet the new code requirements for snow drifting, they just add weight.

• TPO systems have about half the lifespan of metal roofing systems, making their slight initial cost advantage a very poor investment.

• Roof Huggers provide you with a base for a new long-life metal roof that can comply with all new wind and snow loads.  Roof Huggers also create a cavity that can be used to add insulation for increasing the buildings energy efficiency.

• Read more about TPO systems here.

Number Six Do:

Roof Hugger sub-purlin system over existing metal roofs

• Roof Hugger sub-purlins are specifically designed to fit over any existing metal roof system.

• They are much faster, less complex and less expensive than removing and replacing an old metal roof.

• They can be made to a specific height for adding insulation or removing steps in roofs that have created poor weathertight roof connections.

• They can add strength to the existing purlins to overcome the additional weight of the retrofit.

• They can be designed to allow the new roof to comply with today's stricter building code requirements.

• Roof Hugger is the most tested retrofit sub-framing system available.  They are made from high strength 16ga. (0.060 min.), 50 ksi, G-90 galvanized steel.

• They will allow an existing screw-down metal roof to be upgraded to a standing seam roof without a major engineering analysis and upgrading the existing purlin bracing to make up for the removal of the diaphragm strength provided by the old roof panels.

• Roof Hugger products are made in the United States.

Learn more about Roof Hugger in their RCS directory. 

By Mark James, Roof Hugger.

All webinars are 30-minute programs with huge amounts of information.

Roof Hugger began these short webinars a little before the COVID-19 outbreak went nationwide.  We have been fortunate, due to working remotely, that we have been able to continue these uninterrupted. With two more to conduct next month, it is the ideal time for roofing contractors looking for continuing education on Metal-over-Metal Retrofit Roofing to watch while working remotely.

The great thing is that we can also arrange a webinar for any company that wishes to take advantage of their down time. We are offering personal webinars, live webinars and webinars on-demand.  However, you want to get the information, we are making it easy for you.

Metal-over-Metal retrofit roofing is what Roof Hugger does. We are the leader in retrofit sub-framing systems for installing new metal roofs over existing metal roofs without removing the existing roof.  We are talking about older metal roofs that have reached the end of their expected service life or have experienced a “quick death” due to neighboring facilities, faulty installation or a multitude of other reasons. We have the experience with the most recognized tested structural sub-framing systems available anywhere and with nearly 100-million square feet of our products installed on metal roofs Nationwide and abroad.

Join us for these webinars

RH5 – Retrofit Roof Design for Wind & Snow on May 7, 2020!

This webinar deals with the most important step in achieving a roof that will withstand its governing building code requirements. Do not worry, we take care of this step for you. 

RH6 – Retrofitting for Energy Upgrades on May 14, 2020

This webinar will enlighten all audiences to what energy-saving benefits can be had by adding some inexpensive options to the retrofit roofing project, making it quite possibly a new roof that can pay for itself.

These programs are designed to inform the metal roofing contractor and design professionals of the correct way to install a new metal roof over an existing metal roof using our Structural Sub-framing Systems.  Please Email Us to Register.

Learn more about Roof Hugger in their RCS directory.