There are countless roofing companies out there who claim to be metal roof experts. Altek Roofing is San Diego County’s top metal roof installation company. For both residential and commercial, Altek should be your first and only metal roof installation choice. But if you are speaking with another company, obviously we wouldn’t recommend it, but you should consider the following issues before you enter any contract.
Material: Galvalume is the only material standing seams should be made from, period. Galvalume is a combination of galvanized steel and aluminum. (See our chart link on the FAQ page for all the material choices and our Color Generator for all your color choices)
Gauge: Home improvement stores offer material as thin as 28 or 29 gauge. While this is the standard for numerous stamped steel panels in the market that are created to look like slate or shake, it is not the norm for true standing seam metal roofing material. Our standard is 24 gauge (the higher the number the thinner the material) that withstands hail better than even the commonly accepted 26 gauge panels offered by most other metal roofers. Cost is a non-issue as they’re pennies different per linear foot. In addition, our panels can come with decorative striations to help eliminate oil canning (metal wrinkling look)
Energy Efficiency: The choice of roofing material has the greatest impact on the energy conservation of a home. Cool metal roofs coated with Kynar 500® PVDF based resin can reduce energy consumption by up to 40% as part of a total system design (as reported by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory). Kynar 500® coated metal roofing has many attractive features and benefits. The architectural appeal, variety of profiles, texture and color, flexibility and long-term durability make it popular for residential projects. There’s simply no other choice to consider other than Kynar® for metal roofing panels.
Underlayment Material: The underlayment of your roof is as important as the finish or exterior material you choose. This is particularly true if you are installing a new roof or installing after a tear-off of an older roof where you are down to the original decking.
Titanium® PSU30, with its unique construction, provides superior performance in use. Its unique rubberized asphalt formulation helps to prevent buckles and wrinkles when exposed to temperature and moisture variations on a roof.
- Our synthetic underlayment is 20 TIMES STRONGER than felt – it won’t rip or tear
- It’s about 10 TIMES LIGHTER than felt so it goes up faster and puts less weight (and stress) on your roof.
- And it’s the most slip resistant underlayment in the industry.
On-Site Fabrication: Portable roll formers save on packaging, freight costs and reduce the time of a project. As an added bonus, onsite panel fabrication eliminates the possibility of shipping damage to panels, miscalculated sizing, etc. Also, onsite roll formers can produce panel lengths varying in size required by the specific roof, as shipping rules does not regulate them.
- No expensive shipping and crating of long panels.
- Coils are delivered right to the shop or jobsite.
- No panel shipping damage and delays are minimal. Less labor and waste.
- The ability to work on your own schedule, not the factories.
- Form perfect panels to any length.
- Panels have a 1 1/2″ rib height that is the best defense against moisture, high winds and provides the most aesthetically appealing panels.
Hardware and Sealants: Altek uses concealed clip fastened. The two most common ways of attaching a metal roof to a structure are exposed fasteners and concealed fasteners.
Concealed clip fastened panels use a system where the fasteners are driven through the clips into the roof deck with no connection or piercing of the metal panels. The clip and fasteners are concealed beneath the standing seam panel material. The panel is then laid over and attached to the clips and then mechanically or hand locked to them. These clips allow for greater expansion and contraction of the panels, eliminate oil canning (metal wrinkling look) and at the same time ensuring most stringent requirements for high wind areas.
Exposed fastened panels use a screw or nail to secure the metal roofing to the roof deck, or purlins, whereby the nail, or screw, penetrates an area where two panels overlap. This can involve hundreds and even thousands of fasteners, which must be spaced and driven to maintain the integrity of rubber grommets that serve to prevent precipitation from gaining access through each hole.