Metal Roofing for Southern New Hampshire Homes
Standing seam, corrugated, metal shingles. Whichever suits your house, we install it over the right underlayment so it handles nor'easters, wet snow and July heat for decades.
Which Kind of Metal Roof Fits Your House?
"Metal roof" covers a few very different products. Here are the four we install, what each one is, and where it makes sense. We'll walk you through the trade-offs for your own roof at the estimate.
Standing Seam Metal
If you want the roof you never have to think about again, this is usually it. Standing seam panels run from ridge to eave and lock together at a raised rib, so the screws that hold the roof down sit underneath the metal instead of poking through it. No exposed screws means far fewer places for water to get in. We install Englert and Metal Sales standing seam, and a well-installed system commonly lasts 50 years or longer.
Corrugated Metal
You have seen this one on barns and sugar houses all over New England: the familiar wavy panel, screwed straight through to the roof. It costs less than standing seam, it is tough, and it has found its way onto plenty of houses lately because people like the farmhouse look. It comes in a full range of colors, not just bare silver.
Metal Shingles & Tiles
Love the look of your colonial or cape with a shingled roof, but tired of replacing shingles? Metal shingles are stamped to resemble asphalt shingles, slate or shake, so the house keeps its traditional look from the street. Underneath that look is steel or aluminum that shrugs off ice, heavy wet snow, wind and freeze-thaw far better than the material it imitates.
R-Panel & Exposed Fastener
R-panel is a ribbed, screw-down panel made for buildings where function comes first: detached garages, workshops, storage buildings and light commercial roofs. It goes on quickly and keeps the budget in check, and a damaged panel can be swapped out without disturbing the rest of the roof.
The Part You Never See: High-Temp Underlayment
Underlayment is the waterproof sheet that goes down on the wood roof deck before any panels do. Once the roof is finished you will never lay eyes on it again, which is exactly why it is an easy place to cut corners. On a metal roof, Roof Pros Plus uses high-temperature underlayment, a product made specifically to sit under hot metal.
Here is why it matters. Metal gets hot. On a sunny August afternoon the underside of a dark panel runs far hotter than the air around it, and ordinary felt or basic synthetic underlayment was never designed to bake like that year after year. It can dry out, turn brittle and stop keeping water out, all while the panels above it still look perfect.
High-temp underlayment holds up to that heat, stays flexible through a New Hampshire January, and gives you a second watertight layer if wind-driven rain or melting snow ever works its way past a seam. Think of it as the backup you hope you never need.
A metal roof is a decades-long purchase. It only makes sense for the layer underneath to be able to last just as long.
Why Metal Makes Sense in New Hampshire
Think about what your roof goes through in a single year here. A nor'easter drops a foot of heavy, wet snow. It melts a little, refreezes overnight, and does it again the next day. Spring brings wind, summer brings thunderstorms and the odd round of hail. Asphalt shingles handle all of that for a while, typically 20 to 30 years, and then they need replacing. A metal roof put on correctly usually lasts 40 to 70 years. For many people that is the last roof they buy for the house.
Snow behaves differently on metal, too. It lets go of a smooth panel sooner than it lets go of a gritty shingle, so less weight sits on the rafters and there is less standing snow to melt and refreeze at the eaves. If you have fought ice dams winter after winter, that is worth a lot. One thing to plan for: sliding snow has to land somewhere, so we'll talk with you about snow guards over doorways and walkways.
Get a Free EstimateWhat You Get With Metal
- Long life: most metal roofs last 40 to 70 years, roughly two to three times an asphalt shingle roof
- Snow slides off a smooth panel sooner, which means less weight sitting on the house and fewer chances for an ice dam
- Usually lighter than asphalt shingles, so it asks less of older framing
- Won't burn: most metal systems carry a Class A fire rating
- Reflects summer sun, which can take some load off your air conditioning
- Commonly made with recycled metal, and recyclable again when it finally comes off
- A selling point if you ever put the house on the market
- Dozens of colors, from quiet charcoal to barn red
Pick a Color You'll Like for Decades
Forget the idea that metal means shiny silver. Charcoal and matte black look right at home on a colonial or a cape. Barn red and forest green suit an old farmhouse. Bronze and deep blue work on newer builds. Exact colors depend on the manufacturer and panel you choose, so ask to see real metal samples when we come out for your estimate. The two roofs below are our own work.
Metal Roofing Questions We Hear a Lot
How long will a metal roof last in New Hampshire?
Most metal roofs last somewhere between 40 and 70 years, depending on the panel type and the metal. Standing seam steel and aluminum commonly pass the 50-year mark with very little upkeep. For comparison, an asphalt shingle roof in our climate typically lasts 20 to 30 years.
Will I hear every raindrop?
Probably not. The drumming people remember comes from barns and sheds, where the metal sits on open framing with nothing beneath it. On a house, the panels go over solid wood decking and underlayment, with attic insulation below that. Together those layers soak up the sound, and most homeowners find a metal roof no louder than the shingles it replaced.
Can you put metal over my existing shingles?
Sometimes. If there is a single layer of shingles and the wood deck underneath is solid, metal can often go right over it, which saves the cost and mess of a tear-off. We check the deck and the framing first. If we find soft spots, rot or trapped moisture, we'll recommend stripping the roof so the metal goes onto sound wood.
What is the difference between standing seam and corrugated?
It comes down to the screws. Standing seam panels lock together at a raised rib and the fasteners are hidden underneath, so nothing pierces the surface of the roof. Corrugated panels are screwed straight through the face of the metal, which costs less but leaves exposed screws and washers that need checking over the years. Both hold up well here. Your budget, the look you want and the type of building usually decide it.
Thinking About Making This Your Last Roof?
We'll come out, measure, look over the deck and the attic, and hand you a written estimate for metal on your home. Bring your questions about panels, colors and snow guards. The visit is free.
Other Services
Roof Repair
Leaks, flashing and storm damage repaired across southern New Hampshire.
Roof Replacement
Full tear-off and replacement in shingle, metal or rubber.
Emergency Roof Repair
Tarping and leak stops when a storm opens up your roof.
Gutters
Seamless gutter installation, repair and gutter guards.
Siding Installation
Vinyl, cedar shake, HardiePlank, and fiber cement siding.
Metal Roof Coating
Elastomeric coating systems that restore and protect metal roofs.
Ice Dam Removal
Professional ice dam removal and prevention systems.
Storm Damage Repair
Emergency storm, wind, and hail damage response.
Commercial Roofing
Maintenance contracts and flat roof systems.