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I've been in my forever home a few years & have high electric bills. I do not have enough attic insulation (I can see my joists). My attic ventilation is also inadequate given the very high summer attic temps I've experienced.
I've been in my neighbor's attic with spray foam insulation in the summer & I was shocked and decided this is the way to go given this is my forever home.
So, before I do that, I decided to have my roof & decking checked out. I have gotten an insurance claim for hail damage. So, I'm in the process of getting bids for a new roof.
I live outside Tyler, Texas. We have hot summers & cold winters (by my standards haha) & are quite humid & get a good amount of rain.
Also, my house was built in 1962 but has had a few additions & is just over 3,000 sq ft. I have a 5-ton air source heat pump, which I've been told is the largest residential unit available & is undersized for the house. As I understand it, the foam will help the heat pump load & a reflective metal roof will also help in the summer. True? Will they work well together? Or can they cause problems together?
As I am 36 years old & this is my forever home & I do have the money to invest in upgrades now & reap the cost savings for years to come, I am interested in a metal roof & spray foam insulation. Given everything, does this make sense to do?
I've spoken to many roofers here, but none have any real knowledge about energy efficiency. With so many different ideas and opinions on what would be best, I am writing here to ask for advice on what you would do if it were your home.
With longevity over price in mind, I am leaning towards concealed fastener panels, unless standing seam would be better?
My house is very isolated in the country ? looks are not a concern to me. I read about the PVDF paint, but I've been told that bare metal (galvalume) would perform just as well at reflecting the sun & should last my lifetime and save some money on install. True? But will it rust or dull over time & lose its reflectivity? Making painted the better choice?
With a metal roof and spray foam insulation, is there a need for thermal or moisture barrier anywhere?
What about around my chimneys? They are brick & mortar. I've read the alkaline will be a problem for galvalume.
All things considered, what would you do if it were your home? Are there better options than these?
So far, the leading roofing bid has proposed to tear off the shingles, install stormguard in the valleys, new synthetic felt, new chimney & plumbing flashing, & concealed fastener 24-ga. nonpainted galvalume. His BBB profile shows an A+ rating & he has been in business for 15 yrs. He says his price will be lower than the rest because he owns his own metal-forming machine which he will bring to my house and cut & form the metal onsite. How does all of this sound? Any red flags? What kind of screws should be used? What corner cutting should I look for?
Thanks for reading and replying.
2/6/2019
Or copy this URL: https://www.metalroofing.com/spirit/comment/24004/find/Lets see some pics of the home.
An informed customer is the Best Customer!
2/7/2019
Or copy this URL: https://www.metalroofing.com/spirit/comment/24005/find/Standing seam panels by definition have concealed fasteners. "Bare" metal roofs do not meet Energy Star standards so will not have the same energy efficiency. I have a document I can send you that walks through things you need to know when buying a metal roof, so you can make a wise choice. Drop me an email at [email protected] and I can send it to you.
Isaiah Industries, Inc.
2/7/2019
Or copy this URL: https://www.metalroofing.com/spirit/comment/24006/find/I found these on a realty website. Tell me what kind of pictures you want and I can take them tomorrow. (it's already dark)
2/7/2019
Or copy this URL: https://www.metalroofing.com/spirit/comment/24007/find/Todd, I understand that standing seam panels are held by clips held by screws and mechanically seamed at the joints.
The leading roofing bid was not standing seam, but still had concealed fasteners. The panels are screwed down on one side and the other side sits over the next panel's screws and snaps into place. Any thoughts on this type of panel? Thanks. I e-mailed you.
2/7/2019
Or copy this URL: https://www.metalroofing.com/spirit/comment/24008/find/Thanks. There are different definitions of standing seam but I generally apply that name to any panel with a raised seam and concealed fasteners, so it could be snap lock or mechanically seamed. It also could be clip-fastened or a "nail hem" panel. The nail hem panels can work well but I generally do not suggest them for panels over 25' in length. It does not look like you'd have any panels longer than that. Also, your roof has plenty of pitch for a snap lock standing seam. Another option for you would be a metal shingle.
Isaiah Industries, Inc.
2/7/2019
Or copy this URL: https://www.metalroofing.com/spirit/comment/24009/find/Pretty piece of property and home there.
How is the roof vented in this case? If you are building a once and done solution here (i.e. forever home), there are things you can do to help with the solar rejection from the attic or if you want to go that route and condition the attic in total.
As a default, the metal (assuming a similar color range), will keep the attic dramatically cooler here.
An informed customer is the Best Customer!
2/7/2019
Or copy this URL: https://www.metalroofing.com/spirit/comment/24012/find/The attic currently has 2 electronic exhaust fans in the roof and lots of soffit vents AND gable vents. I know it is not working properly and there is inadequate air exchange. It gets VERY VERY HOT.
The spray foam insulation and conditioning the attic appeals to me as I could then use the attic for storage as a bonus.
I am definitely looking for a once and done solution so I want to do it right the first time.
So, I figure a metal roof and spray foam insulation would be the best for longevity and energy efficiency.
I'm here to verify if this all makes sense and advice on all of it. Thanks.
2/7/2019
Or copy this URL: https://www.metalroofing.com/spirit/comment/24018/find/A couple of ideas ... sort of unusual on a home like yours to have to resort to foam on the roof. It sounds to me like your ventilation is not working well. A properly vented attic will have pretty much a 50-50 split between intake and exhaust vents. I almost feel like you may have the wrong mix of vents. You want ventilation that, if you think of air flow as the current of a river, continually bathes the under side of your roof deck with fresh air. A great source of venting information is www.airvent.com Also, here are a couple of articles that may be helpful:
https://www.classicmetalroofingsystems.com/about-metal-roofing/solar-energy-metal-roofing/
https://www.classicmetalroofingsystems.com/roof-performance-ventilation/
https://www.classicmetalroofingsystems.com/dreading-summer-electric-bills-2/
Isaiah Industries, Inc.
2/7/2019
Or copy this URL: https://www.metalroofing.com/spirit/comment/24019/find/I certainly don't have to resort to foam. I know i could fix the ventilation to help in the summer.
But the foam just seems like a win-win-win.
I believe foam will help save more energy in the summer than proper attic ventilation.
I believe foam will help save energy in the winter. I don't believe attic ventilation will.
Same with the metal roof, I believe it will only save energy in the summer. I believe the foam will save energy in summer and winter.
These 2 factors are the #1 considerations as I believe they will help my undersized heat pump performance. It runs A LOT in the summer and winter.
Will the foam help in summer and winter as I believe? And pay for itself over my lifetime? I'm 36 and this is my forever home.
Keep in mind, if I didn't do spray foam, I would still have to pay to add more insulation in the ceiling and fix the ventilation.
As a bonus WIN, the conditioned attic space offers me more storage options. Right now I don't keep anything up there due to the very high summer temps and freezing winter temps. If it was conditioned and sealed off, I would feel comfortable keeping anything up there.
So, does the foam make sense given these considerations?
And how will a metal roof function with the foam? Will they work well together? Or cause problems? Any humidity or condensation concerns? Or any other concerns?
Have there been tests of bare metal roofs vs. the PVDF paints? It's hard to believe a dark paint could outperform bare galvalume and it wouldn't qualify for Energy Star.
If I do get a metal roof and spray foam insulation, is the paint worth the extra cost energy wise? Does the paint extend the life of the roof?
Again, thanks for your time and all of your info. Trust me, I'm reading and considering everything you've sent and written and using it all to make my final decision.
2/7/2019
Or copy this URL: https://www.metalroofing.com/spirit/comment/24022/find/You are doing your research well. Thank you.
I do not mean to discourage you from the foam. It would be beneficial. In some cases, I see situations where spray foam really is "necessary". I do not see that based upon what I know of your situation but it would be helpful.
The goal with ventilation is to keep the attic the same temperature as the outside, both winter and summer. Keeping a cold attic in winter helps avoid ice dams on the roof in northern climates.
For these reasons, my "go to" answer is usually to insulate on top of the ceilings (which helps both winter and summer) and then to ventilate the attic with a goal of keeping it the same temperature as outside.
Again, though, your foam idea is fine and would be beneficial. I'd be happy to talk this through further with you if you wish. My phone number is 1-800-543-8938 ext 201
Most of the paint finishes with reflective pigment are PVDF chemistry coatings which, yes, offer unmatched protection for the metal and will extend the life of the product compared to acrylic clear coated ("mill finish") or lower quality paint systems.
Energy Star requires both high reflectivity and high emissivity. The "bare" product does not meet the emissivity requirement.
I would say that reflectivity is more valuable than emissivity. However, "bare" galvalume (I use the quotes because it actually has a clear acrylic coating on it that weathers away after a few years), will dull down some over time and its originally very high reflectivity will diminish.
Please feel free to call me. I appreciate the decision you're making. My wife and I were able to move into out "forever" home in 1994 and installed a metal roof in 1996, which we have never regretted. It still looks like new.
Isaiah Industries, Inc.
2/8/2019
Or copy this URL: https://www.metalroofing.com/spirit/comment/24023/find/Is there any HVAC in the attic? If not, I see no reason to condition the attic here.
An informed customer is the Best Customer!
2/8/2019
Or copy this URL: https://www.metalroofing.com/spirit/comment/24024/find/I have an undersized air-source heat pump. The condenser is outside obviously, with the inside unit in a closet with the plenum and ducts in the attic.
My logic for the foam is: it seems like a win-win-win.
I believe foam will help save more energy in the summer than proper attic ventilation.
I believe foam will help save energy in the winter. I don't believe attic ventilation will.
Same with the metal roof, I believe it will only save energy in the summer. I believe the foam will save energy in summer and winter.
These 2 factors are the #1 considerations as I believe they will help my undersized heat pump performance. It runs A LOT in the summer and winter.
Will the foam help in summer and winter as I believe? And pay for itself over my lifetime? I'm 36 and this is my forever home.
Keep in mind, if I didn't do spray foam, I would still have to pay to add more insulation in the ceiling and fix the ventilation.
As a bonus WIN, the conditioned attic space offers me more storage options. Right now I don't keep anything up there due to the very high summer temps and freezing winter temps. If it was conditioned and sealed off, I would feel comfortable keeping anything up there.
So, does the foam make sense given these considerations? Thanks.
2/8/2019
Or copy this URL: https://www.metalroofing.com/spirit/comment/24028/find/If the duct work is in the attic, in Texas heat, I can see an argument for conditioning the attic in that case.
That said, if you want to get inventive about how you do it, you can use rigid foam and above deck venting to make a really efficient roof system and avoid the expense of spray foam.
An informed customer is the Best Customer!
2/8/2019
Or copy this URL: https://www.metalroofing.com/spirit/comment/24029/find/Are there any downsides (other than initial cost) to a metal roof with spray foam insulation?
2/9/2019
Or copy this URL: https://www.metalroofing.com/spirit/comment/24030/find/If done correctly, no.
An informed customer is the Best Customer!
2/9/2019
Or copy this URL: https://www.metalroofing.com/spirit/comment/24031/find/