Ask-The-Experts forum

Below is a forum for exchanging information concerning residential metal roofing, including general material and metal roofing installation questions. Should you have questions or concerns that deal with specific branded metal roof products please contact the manufacturer directly.

Expert Panel

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  Tom has been in the metal roofing industry for the past twenty years, serving in product and business development, marketing, as an industry consultant, and in his current position as Executive Director of the MRA. Tom writes, "I'm not an 'expert' installer -- but I know enough to be dangerous! I've installed small metal roofing projects and organized installation training seminars. And I know when I need more expert help to answer your questions. So when you get an answer from me, you know there's expertise behind it."

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  Todd has served as President of Classic Products, Inc., one of the country's leading metal roofing manufacturers, since 1996. Before that, he served for 15 years in various marketing-related roles at the company. Under Todd's leadership, Classic Products has taken an active role in educating homeowners across North America about the many advantages of metal roofing. Todd participates in various metal roofing industry associations, and is a Board Member of the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) and Metal Construction Association (MCA).

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  Mr. Bus has over twenty years experience in the metal roofing and siding industry. Dick is President of ATAS International, Inc., a family owned manufacturer of architectural and residential metal roofing and siding. ATAS manufactures profiles in aluminum and steel for the residential and architectural roofing market. Panels are manufactured with high performance coatings. Dick was Chairman of the Residential Roofing Council for the Metal Construction Association (MCA). He Chaired the committee to write the Minimum Performance Guideline for Residential Metal Roofing. He is now the 2nd Vice President of the MCA, which is part of the Board of Directors and he is also, President of the Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA), a consumer awareness campaign.

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  Ken Buchinger is Vice President of Corporate Warranties and Certifications for Houston based NCI Building Systems. He has been with the company for 18 years. He is responsible for product testing, improvements, and development. In addition, he is in charge of the company's Erector Certification Program, which trains erectors in the proper installation techniques of the company's metal roofing systems. And, he also is in charge of inspection and review of projects for weathertightness warranties. Ken has written numerous articles for various trade magazines and gives presentations for various organizations. Prior to joining the company in 1988, Ken erected metal buildings, architectural roofing systems and structural steel for 13 years.

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  David Stermer is the Director of Engineering for Metal Sales Manufacturing Corporation based in Louisville, Kentucky. He has been in his current position since 2005. David is responsible for product testing, product approval, product development, documentation and project design. Prior to joining Metal Sales, David worked for a major metal building manufacturer for 15 years in various roles, including Design Engineer and Engineering Manager. David is a Professional Engineer, has a Master of Sciences degree in Structural Engineering and is currently serving on the ASCE 7-16 Wind Load Subcommittee.

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  Melissa is the Territory Manager for the Northeast and Texas for Umicore Building Products, manufacturers of VM Zinc. She has been with the company for five years in a variety of roles and is now responsible for meeting with architects and installers, giving presentations on metal roofing and reviewing details. She is not an installer by trade, but has taken part in installation training sessions and understands the mechanics of metal roof systems.

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If you have a metal roofing question, please post it below and a member of our panel of contributors will provide a response. Answers provided by contributors are based on the limited information posted and, therefore, may not provide a complete or accurate answer under all of the relevant facts and circumstances. No advice or information obtained through the forum or this website shall create any warranty by MRA or its contributors whatsoever and all warranties are disclaimed. MRA and its contributors disclaim any liability of any kind arising out of or relating to use of the answers or information provided hereunder, and by using the forum, you agree to waive any claims against MRA and its contributors and hold them harmless from any liability or damages of any kind arising out of or relating to the forum. For a detailed description of the terms and conditions of use of the Forum and this website, including a more detailed description of disclaimers of warranties and limitations of liability, please see the Terms and Conditions section of this website. MRA does not endorse or recommend any commercial products, processes, or services. The views and opinions of contributors to this Forum do not necessarily state or reflect those of MRA or its members, and they may not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.

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Ask-The-Experts >

Calculating Snow Shedding / Friction Coefficient
Joel Rigler I'm planning on building in a high snowload location. The site parcel report indicates it will require designing for a 316 psf snowload. Windload requirements are more moderate (70 mph). Seems like the optimal roof would be one that sheds snow rather than retaining it. Ie, a higher pitch roof is called for. Are there rules of thumb, or more complex calculations for knowing when a roof would shed based on pitch, roof surface/finish, and perhaps interior insulation ? Are there standards for discounting snowload based on roof pitch and/or finish. Are there specific product choices that address this such as ways to select a slicker roof surface ? Posted On: 10/18/05 2:46PM
Allan Reid 834 Posts "Dura-Loc Roofing Systems, Inc." Certainly talk to the local building department as they have a good hditory. What you will find is that truss design to meet the loading will drive it too and I suspect that you should be 8/12 or greater on roof slope. Certaily granular finishes hold the snow more than smooth finishes. Whether the snow stays on or not you are designing for that load but certainly shedding it off is wise. Also wise to ensure you build it so there is no heat loss and ice daming potential. Replied On: 10/20/05 7:57AM
Joel Rigler Thanks for the suggestions. I started this out by looking at particular kit home that uses a fairly shallow pitch (4/12) which is why I started thinking about it. I believe I worked out the math with regard to tranlating vertical load (snow weight) into a force perpenticular to the roof line (namely snowload * cosine(roof pitch in degrees)). However I'm still focused on understanding the frictional component. I've found the formulas for calculating the frictional force, based on snowload, pitch, and the frictional coefficient - what I lack is the actual frictional coeffecient for types of roof and snow. Would any metal roof manufacturers publish such information ? Replied On: 10/20/05 4:12PM
Todd Miller 4436 Posts "Classic Products, Inc." I would guess that it has never been studied. Replied On: 10/20/05 8:23PM
rev su I would think you could use the friction coefficient of the metal or of the finish. That might be available somewhere. Ask an engineering professor - they teach materials science. Replied On: 11/27/10 11:22PM