It’s time to replace your worn-out asphalt shingle or wood shake roof. You’ve heard about all the great advantages of sheet metal roofing, but which is right for you – standing seam, ribbed, or corrugated? One is recommended for your home, while another is recommended for your barn or shed. As more Coloradans are replacing their asphalt shingle or wood shake roofs, they’re questioning whether sheet metal is right for them. Below, we compared standing seam, ribbed, and corrugated sheet metal roofing to help you decide which is right for you.
Quick Answer: The key differences between standing seam, ribbed, and corrugated sheet metal are their profiles and how they attach to your roof deck.
Sheet Metal Roofs We Offer
Standing Seam
Ideal for Your Home
Ribbed
Great for Your Outbuildings
Corrugated/PBC
Perfect for Your Barn, Shed, etc.
What’s the Difference Between Standing Seam, Ribbed, and Corrugated Metal Roofs
The difference among standing seam, ribbed, and corrugated is their profiles. Standing seam refers to the seam where the panels meet. It’s about an inch tall and perpendicular to the rest of the sheet. Standing seam is a concealed fastener metal roof. The screws used to fasten the metal brackets to your roof deck are concealed.
Corrugated refers to the wavy pattern of peaks and valleys in this profile. Ribbed metal roofing sheets are flat with the occasional vertical rib that runs lengthwise to the sheet. Corrugated, PBC, and ribbed sheet metal roofs are exposed fastener metal roofing panels. The screws used to secure them to your roof deck are exposed or visible.
What is Sheet Metal Roofing
Sheet metal roofing panels start as a large roll of flat tin. Think of a roll of aluminum foil, only much bigger. The rolls of tin are fed through a machine that forms the tin into its various profiles, such as standing seam, ribbed, or corrugated.
We manufacture our own standing-seam sheet-metal roofing panels in-house for a perfect fit to your roof. Other profiles we offer, such as ribbed and corrugated, are not formed on our lot but purchased elsewhere, such as from American Building Components, in pre-cut profiles and lengths.
Advantages of Sheet Metal Roofing
Of all the roofs we offer, sheet metal is the coolest and most energy-efficient. Sheet metal, such as standing seam, reflects the most heat. As a result, your attic and home are cooler during the summer. Asphalt shingles reflect the least heat.
Sheet metal roofs are recyclable in our area. We’ve identified metal recycling centers from Denver to Fort Collins and take old metal roofs to them for recycling. Asphalt shingles and treated wood roofs are not recyclable.
Sheet metal roofs come in more colors than any other roof we offer. Standing seam, ribbed, and corrugated/PBC are available in literally dozens of colors. At most, traditional asphalt shingles are offered in a dozen in any one line.
Because sheet metal roofs are highly resistant to fire, strong winds, hail, moisture, etc., they’re very durable and long-lasting. You can expect your sheet metal roof to last 70+ years. Traditional asphalt shingles typically last only 15 to 25 years.
Cool and Energy-Efficient
Recyclable in Our Area
Dozens of Colors
Durable and Strong
Long-Lasting
Low-Maintenance
Who is a Sheet Metal Roof For
A sheet metal roof is for you if you want a roof that’s
long-lasting
durable
energy-efficient
cools your home
recyclable
If you’re looking for a tough and long-lasting roof, you’re looking for a sheet metal roof. On average, sheet metal roofs last 70+ years. Traditional asphalt shingles, on the other hand, only last 15-25 years. If you’re looking for a cool, energy-efficient roof, you’re looking for a sheet metal roof. Sheet metal roofs are the most energy-efficient roofs since they reflect more heat from the sun.
Additionally, they keep your attic cooler. In turn, it keeps your house cooler during the hot summer months. If you’re looking for an eco-friendly, recyclable roof, you’re looking for a sheet metal roof. Asphalt shingles are not recyclable in our area. Metal roof is.
If you don’t mind the slick, smooth appearance of sheet metal, then a standing seam roof is perfect for your home, and a ribbed or corrugated roof is great for your barn or other outbuilding.
Who is it Not For
Sheet metal roofing is slick and smooth. Some folks find it has a ‘farm’ or ‘industrial’ look. Personally, we feel that standing seam, ribbed, or corrugated/PBC roofing has a ‘Colorado’ or ‘Western’ look. We feel a sheet metal roof fits right in here in Colorado, on any structure, whether it’s your home or barn. It just depends on which profile. That said, if you don’t like the sleek or smooth look of a sheet-metal roof, you might prefer a stone-coated steel roof.
Stone-coated steel shingles or shakes resemble traditional asphalt shingles in appearance and look more natural or familiar. Stone-coated steel shingles have many advantages over traditional asphalt shingles. For example, they’re recyclable, unlike asphalt shingles. When we remove a worn-out steel shingle roof, we take it to the nearest metal recycling facility. Stone-coated steel roofs are also more energy-efficient than asphalt shingles because they release more of the heat they absorb.
Which Sheet Metal Roof is Right For You
Standing Seam
Homes are a perfect match for standing seam metal roofing. As the metal warms, it expands. As it cools, it contracts. Over a 25′ length, sheet metal can grow an extra 3″ in direct sun. Standing seam sheet metal roofs clip into a hidden metal bracket that’s fastened to your roof deck. As a result, the exposed metal sheets can expand and contact all they want without causing any damage. Standing seam sheet metal roofs are the ultimate low-maintenance roof for your home.
We make our own standing seam roofing panels in-house for a perfect fit to your home, and they’re available in dozens of colors.
Ribbed, Corrugated/PBC
Ribbed and corrugated or PBC sheet metal roofs are perfect for barns, sheds, and other outbuildings. Standing seam metal roofs are expensive – they’re a more complicated roofing system, and they’re protecting your family, electrical systems, etc. Your barn or shed, on the other hand, typically doesn’t have any insulation, less electrical wiring, etc. Therefore, a simpler, less expensive roof covering is often desirable.
Ribbed and corrugated/PBC are less expensive than standing seam, yet still highly durable against the weather, long-lasting, and are still less maintenance than other roof coverings, such as asphalt shingles.
The Bottom Line
If you’re shopping for a new roof and comparing standing seam, ribbed, and corrugated, good for you! Traditional roofs aren’t eco-friendly and don’t last very long. When deciding which sheet metal roof is right for you, keep in mind that a standing seam roof is best for your home since it requires less maintenance. Corrugated/PBC and ribbed are perfect for outbuildings.
Need a New Sheet Metal Roof?
Contact us for a free consultation or estimate. All our roof installations in Northern Colorado are backed by our 5-year workmanship guarantee. What’s more, when we’re done installing your new standing seam, ribbed, or corrugated roof, we inspect it to make sure it was installed correctly.