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TOPIC: Standing Seam roof

seamless valley

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I am having built a very traditional looking log cabin. There is a full length front porch that has a shed roof 4/12 pitch that goes up to meet the main roof 11/12 pitch. I am having a standing seam metal roof put on. I have pictures of other similar homes and the metal standing seam panels come down the main roof and transition smoothly to the shed roof. I could imagine that snow or ice could easily slide right through the valley formed where the shed roof meets the main roof. My roof contractor however wants the standing seam panel to come down and end at the valley where the two roofs meet, then start a new panel for the shed roof. At that juncture valley he says he will put some kind of horizontal ridge strip that sticks up an inch or so above the standing seams. I can envision this ridge strip holding up snow, ice, and leaves, thereby preventing their ability to slide off the house. Do you have any experience to indicate that one of these two ways is a better way to install the roof? Could you tell me how the seamless way is done with no leaking so that I could tell my contractor how to do it? The roofer says he does not know how to do the non-ridge strip way. Thanks Bill
Guest User

11/4/2003
This detail is really not a called a valleY, it is called a pitch transition. First off and we can't say it enough, call the manufacturer and get their recommendations. Your case the transition is severe and there is probably no way to bend the ribs and they would orobably need to be cut and overlapped slightly. Also one needs to look at the rafter lengths and calculate the expansion and contraction of the sheets. The standard detail is generally to install the lower shed roof first. then form a flashing to fit the transition that lays over the lowere sheets and under the upper sheets. Each manufacturer has differant details depending on the profile and typicappy have a profile metal closure strip or a foam closure to seal the joint. Snow will slide down over this detail. Hope this helps and thanks for choosing metal.
Allan Reid
Dura-Loc Roofing Systems, Inc.

11/5/2003