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TOPIC: Installation Process

Incorrectly installed?

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We are doing a whole house remodel & have had a painted metal roof put on. Since cold weather started, the roof is "sweating" (?) & dripping down my walls. The sheetrock on the ceilings are ruined with stain & dripping so badly that the new bamboo floor has warped. The contractor has been here repeatedly, but hasn't been able to stop it & now mold is starting in the attic. Three days ago, he installed a power vent in the gable to try to get the humidity down (was over 150%rh). The new part of the house just has the metal, felt paper (which they put on AFTER the water started). lathing, insulation then sheetrock. On the old part of the house, a knee wall was built on top of the old shingle roof so the addition could have higher ceilings. So, there is the metal, lathing, an air space & then the old shingles, plywood, insulation & then sheetrock. In that part, the water is dripping onto the shingles & I'm not sure where it goes. I have contacted the metal manufact. for specific instalation instructions so I could see where the contractor went wrong, but the manufact. says they don't give out instructions, that our contractor "should be well versed in the installation of roofs". I wrote back that I agreed, he should have been, but evidently wasn't! They still won't give me any help. Could you, Please tell me the order that things should have been put on? Will the power vent do any good? It has not turned off since they put it in & it is suppose to when the rh % reaches 50. If the roof needs to come off & osb or plywood put on, along with a moisture barrier, does the metal need to be replaced also, since they have been up there walking around on it & no plywood under it? One more thing, On the old part, where they put the lathing strips ontop of the shingles, should that have been plywood with moisture barrier also, or can the metal be straight on the strips, on the shingles? Thank you so much for your help. I really don't know where to turn. P.S. I did ask if he was a licensed contractor. He said he was & showed me what I thought was his license. I just found out from the state that it expired in 2003 & is on hold for renewal.
Guest User

1/22/2005
Susie, I do not like hearing stories like this. I am sorry. First of all, condensation occurs when warm moist air hits a cool surface. This can occur on the bottom of plywood as well as on the bottom of metal roofing or other materials. To stop condensation, you have to eliminate the warm moist air. Next, there could be roof leaks contributing to this situation as well. You may wish to use this website to locate an experienced metal roofer in your area and see if they will come look at things. Generally, most residential metal roofs are to be installed over plywood or OSB rather than lathe. Surely, if you call the manufacturer, they can at least tell you this. It is possible that both the manufacturer and the contractor are unfamiliar with residential applications of metal roofing, unfortunately. Generally, from the inside of the home to the out, here is what there should be: Drywall, Vapor (Air) Barrier such as polyethylene, Insulation, Vented airspace (with intake and exhaust vents that allow air cirulation through the attic or minimum 1" airspace), plywood or OSB, appropriate underlayment and possibly slipsheet as required by the roofing manufacturer, and, finally, the metal roofing. I do not understand how the contractor could have added felt after the leaks had been noticed. If you like, email pictures of the roof to me. Also, if the manufacturer is a member of this association (MRA), let me know who they are and I will alert them of this situation. Are there sources of moisture in the home that can be eliminated? Ventless gas stoves create a huge amount of moisture. Are there any bathroom vents or a dryer vent not vented to the outside? Are there a lot of house plants or other things in the house? Are there missing bathroom or kitchen exhaust fans? Is the crawlspace or basement wet? Todd Miller [email protected]
Guest User

1/22/2005
I'm going to try & answer your questions in order, so hopefully, I can give you the full picture. There were leaks. They "forgot" to caulk around the vent in the new bathroom & some of the workers torqued the screws down to much. Supposedly, that has all been fixed by removing the metal, that's when they put the felt down, putting on a new peice where the screw holes had spidered, then re-attaching the metal. They did not replace the insulation that had gotten wet, which I raised cain about, but they won't listen to me. The manufacturer is Mountain Metals and they won't tell me anything! The one e-mail they sent me was hateful and that's when they said that about my contractor "should be well versed in the installation", etc. There is a ventless fireplace, but it is in the part of the house that has the lowest rh reading; in the 40's. Could it be causing problems in the other rooms? We have checked the vents for both bathrooms & dryer & they seem fine, all to outside. Very few houseplants & there again, are in the old part of the house with the lowest rh%. The crawl space does have water under the new section, which is the part that is giving us the most trouble. We have insisted on more than one occasion, that every bit of the water has got to come out. They have finally pumped it to where there is about 1/2 to 1/4 inch left in the ditch beside the foundation wall. There is a downspout that I've made them relocate that may have added to that. We are actually, waiting on some rain to check it out. I've told them that no amount of water is acceptable & the rest has got to come out, but they are dragging their feet. The owner keeps saying "I just don't know what to do." & all I hear is excuses & "This has never happened before". The old part of the house is dry underneath. I have another meeting with him Monday morning to go over all this again & to show him the research I've done that shows he installed it wrong. Your answer will surely help. Thank you.
Guest User

1/23/2005
I'm not a contractor or anything. Just a homeowner that has done a lot of research since I'm trying to come up with what to do for a new roof on my home. What other kind of attic ventilation do you have other than the fan. I know right now my attic is well vented due to the installation of my current roof, but I'm going to have decking put on and I need to install soffit vents in addition to ridge vents. The recommendation that I've found is that you need 1 sq ft of intake (soffit vent) and exhaust vent (ridge or gable) / 150 sq ft of attic. This means I need to add about 15 soffit vents (16 x 8) to my house to get the correct intake. I'll have plenty of exhaust with the ridge vents and all the gable vents I have.
Guest User

1/23/2005
We have soffit & ridge vents on both the old & new part, the entire lenght of the house. There was the large gable vent before & that is where he installed the power vent. There is attic space over the old part so the air has plenty of circulation. The new part has the styrofoam tray things, (can't remember what they are called), to get the air from the soffit vents. We just had our meeting with the contractor. We had asked him to bring any research to justify his installation &/or his defense of the way he installed it. He brought one Q&A about a ventless fireplace. Nothing else. I gave him a copy of this thread & some other things I've found. He said he'd have to study it. We've given him till Thursday to give us an answer on what he's going to do. I'm afraid we are going to have to go to court to get it corrected.
Guest User

1/24/2005
My recomendation is as follows. 1) Make sure that the older section has the styrofoam air tubes to allow more intake air at the eaves. 2) Make sure the air space over the old and new roof on the overlay is vented. This can be done by vented eaves closure strip for intake and vented closure strip at the ridge. 3) On the new section, remove the attempted underlayment and then have the underside of the roof covering sprayed with a thin layer of foamed in place insulation. This will act as your moisture barrier. 4) Make sure there is ample ridge opening to ventilate and again if required install vented closure strip. 5) shut down the gable power vents as they just short circuit the air.
Allan Reid
Dura-Loc Roofing Systems, Inc.

2/3/2005
I too am very sorry for your horrible experience with this project. I just want to stress the fact that the Metal Roofing market is growing by leaps and bounds. Not only in the commercial market but mostly in the residential market. This type of roofing can be beautiful as well as structural when installed correctly. Please don't let this horrible experience turn you off of metal roofing as an alternative to more common types of roof coverings. Installing metal is more of an art than a process and not everyone is so skilled.
Guest User

6/11/2005
I will add that there are plenty of quality manufacturers and contractors available who will indeed help in choosing the best product and application for each home. Ask for references and talk to past customers. Todd Miller
Todd Miller
Isaiah Industries, Inc.

6/11/2005
The Bottom line is this. The Contractor you ended up with was working on a expired License from day one and he knew it. (BAD MOVE) Not only that the outfit he's working through probably knew it aswell. " I'm willing to bet when he flashed his License to you he did it quickly like a teenager with a fake id. If your roof that he installed is defective in anyway, and he's not bending over backwords to do what ever it takes to correct the problem "Including haveing the roof replaced @ his cost" It sounds like you've done your homework and he's trying to drag this thing out as far as he can. Some cantractors are strait up Honest and good at what they do. Other aren't worth the Nail they drive. I'd stop playing his game and take the drivers seat!! The next Ph. call made would be from My Attorney!!!!! Good Luck
Guest User

8/15/2005
Thanks for your input. Todd Miller
Todd Miller
Isaiah Industries, Inc.

8/15/2005
hello. i am not sure if i am doing this right... well, i would like to find and hire a "metal roof consultant" to check and see if our standing seam roof was installed correctly. thanks so much. mihi mcnanie 858.481.7777 del mar california [email protected]
Guest User

9/21/2005
You may be able to find a "Roofing Consultant" out there with metal expertise. I do not know any but I imagine there are a few. Also, why not contact the manufacturer of the roofing? They may have a suggestion for a third party inspector or they may have a local rep who can come look at your roof. A final choice would be to use the Find a Contractor section of this website to find an experienced standing seam installer who would come look things over. Todd Miller
Todd Miller
Isaiah Industries, Inc.

9/21/2005
thanks!
Guest User

9/22/2005
Good luck Todd Miller
Todd Miller
Isaiah Industries, Inc.

9/22/2005
I have had the same nightmare story. Incorrectly installed metal roof, leaked like a basket around the 4 dormers. Decided to try a second time with another contractor and now the problem is worse...Does anyone in Newfoundland know how to properly install a metal roof and who can I fly in from anywhere to fix our problem...I am tired of the blame game and just want the leaks to stop. The manufacturer has been of no help and the installers are all scratching their heads. S.O.S. Please help me fix this roof. I can provide free transportation and accomodations to any qualified installer who can fix this problem for me. Hoping for a reply from someone...anyone. Sincerely frustrated and fed up with the water damage this is causing. Michele, Paradise, Newfoundland, Canada
Guest User

10/14/2009
I forgot to leave my contact information: Michele O'Dea Bell 709-781-3456 [email protected] I hope and pray that this problem can be sorted out before the snow comes and working on the roof becomes too dangerous. Thanks, Michele
Guest User

10/14/2009