“I have a roof that should last forever and require
practically no maintenance.”
— Bob Hastings
HASTINGS’ STORY
Following the architect’s recommendation, Hastings used a standing seam metal roof, which offers greater efficiency and durability–and less maintenance–than a traditional roof.Bob Hastings has been building custom homes since 1983, but he had his first encounter with metal roofs in 2005, when he was building his own home.
“The main reason I used a metal roof was because this is a ‘Traditional Neighborhood Development.’ It features classical homes, all styled after historical homes from the 1750s to the mid-1920s. My home’s location is near the Village Green, which is the central part of the community. The architect strongly encouraged the builders to use metal roofs there, mostly to recreate the appearance of an old house,” Hastings says.
“If these type of roofs continue to be in demand, it will open up some opportunities for me, particularly in this development. In fact, we are already planning another home there with a metal roof.”
TRYING SOMETHING NEW
“One of the problems I faced was that I had never done a metal roof before, other than a front porch overhang. There is a big difference doing an entire roof. Going in, I knew the basics about metal roof construction, such as how things should be flashed and the basic theory behind it. But I didn’t know how metal roofs work with other components of the home, and how it all comes together. As a result, I was much more reliant on the subcontractor than I am used to,” Hastings says.
“It can be hard to find people to do metal roofs. I was fortunate that the subcontractor, Affordable Metal Roofing, was very open. Any time I had issues, they were quick to answer my questions.”
“Besides being very helpful, Affordable Metal also gave me a good deal on a standing seam metal roof. Normally, the more common 5-V metal roof is more fiscally competitive than a standing seam, but Affordable Metal rolls its own metal for the roof, which reduced the cost. Besides, from a maintenance and longevity standpoint, the standing seam is a great roof because it is clipped down, and then the adjacent panels’ seam actually hoods over where the one panel is attached. So water can’t get to the fasteners where you are making the penetration into the roof.”
UNEXPECTED BENEFITS
“The end result is that I have a roof that should last forever and require practically no maintenance. I probably won’t have to look at that roof again for another 50 years.”
