What Metal Roof Work Actually Involves
Every metal roof starts with a tear-off down to the roof deck. Leaving old shingle layers in place traps heat and moisture against the sheathing. We inspect the deck for rot, then sister any soft rafter or joist before a panel goes on.
Newark's older housing stock means the decking varies. Some roofs carry skip sheathing under old felt; others are plywood or OSB. We check the substrate before pricing anything, because a soft deck changes the whole job.
- A tear-off strips shingles, roofing felt, and tar paper so we can read the deck instead of guessing at it.
- Synthetic underlayment covers the plywood or OSB sheathing, and an adhesive ice-and-water shield guards the eave, rake, and valley where meltwater backs up.
- Self-adhered membrane lines the valleys, and a metal valley pan takes over where two planes meet at a steep pitch.
- Drip edge closes the eave and verge, and ridge cap closes the ridge so wind-driven rain can't wick under the field course.
- Ring-shank nails and screws fasten each metal panel to purlin, batten, or counterbatten at the spacing the wind-uplift chart calls for.
- Step flashing, counter-flashing, chimney flashing, and pipe flashing seal every penetration, with a vent boot or pipe boot at each stack.
- Tools stay simple: a roofing shovel and pry bar for tear-off, a nail gun fed by an air compressor, a roofing square for course layout, and a torch, mastic, and roof cement for detail work.
Which Metal Panel Fits Your House
Standing-seam panel roofing is the premium end of the category. Concealed clips keep every fastener out of the weather, and a correctly installed system runs 40 to 50 years.
- Standing-seam steel panels lock their seams over concealed clips, so a leak never starts at a screw hole.
- Exposed-fastener panels, including the corrugated panel profile most people picture, cost less up front but rely on neoprene washers that harden and crack.
- Stone-coated steel from Decra copies wood shake or clay tile, which helps on blocks where the historic look matters.
- Aluminum panels never rust, which suits the damp air coming off Newark Bay.
- PVDF and SMP finish coats decide whether your paint chalks or holds color; McElroy Metal and ATAS publish warranties on theirs.
- Gauge decides hail and foot-traffic performance: 24-gauge holds up better than 26-gauge, though both meet most building code minimums.
What a Roof Inspection Turns Up
Most metal roof quotes start with a roof inspection, and what we find decides between a targeted repair and a full replacement.
- Granule loss and end-of-life wear on an asphalt shingle tell you the shingle is done, not just tired.
- Rot and decay in the sheathing usually mean water has been wicking in for more than one season.
- Sag along the roofline points at a failing truss, rafter, or ridge beam rather than the surface itself.
- Peeling sealant or cracked caulk around an apron flashing, boot flashing, or skylight shows where water gets in.
- Blistered membrane, spalled concrete tile, or corrosion on a dormer, canopy, awning, or overhang signals the same freeze-thaw problem.
- A clogged gutter and downspout, or ponding water behind a scupper, will rot the fascia over time.
Local Conditions That Change the Work
Newark sits in a classic ice dam climate. Freeze-thaw cycles push meltwater under shingles and into ceilings near top-floor exterior walls, in Forest Hill and Weequahic as much as anywhere.
We get 46 to 50 inches of precipitation in a normal year and 26 to 29 inches of snow. One nor'easter can drop a foot, and Hurricane Sandy showed what flooding in eastern Essex County looks like.
That shapes the details: heavier ice-and-water shield at the eave, a vapor barrier balanced against attic ventilation, snow guards above the door you actually use, and a ridge vent paired with soffit vent so the rooftop dries out. Weatherproofing a hip or gable end takes the same care as the field.
Timeline, Cost Drivers, and When Metal Isn't the Answer
Most residential metal roofs take two to five days from tear-off to final walk-through, weather permitting. Steep pitch, multiple dormers, or a mansard or gambrel roofline adds a day.
- A dumpster for debris, plus scaffold or ladder setups with a safety harness and anchor points, are fixed costs on any job.
- Sheathing replacement in plywood or OSB is the line item that moves estimates most, since it stays hidden until tear-off.
- Roof coating over sound existing panels can buy years, and we'll recommend that instead of quoting a replacement.
