My father has an eighty year old house. The roof is tounge in groove oak, covered with shingles. When applying the enamel coated roofing, do the shingles have to be removed? Does it have to be striped? What about air space under the tin? And the biggest question- Do the screws go in the flat or the peak? Anyone with this experience?

-- Terri Perry (tperry@stargate.com), July 07, 2000

Answers

You really need to talk to a roofing contractor. Laying metal roofing directly on the wood may cause moisture problems, resulting in wood rot. I strongly suspect the shingles will have to be removed. One thing I can say is the screws go on the flat. Each one has a rubber washer to seal it.

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 08, 2000.

I would strip the roof and then lay down 30# felt for a moisture barrier. the screws go in the flat area, valleys. I have put 4 tin rooves on new construction in the past 4 years and one replacement on my shop, usually there are instructions with the material but the supplier would have some sort of instruction sheet that will answer all your questions.

-- Hendo (OR) (redgate@echoweb.net), July 08, 2000.

We put a this same roof on our new home. Incidently, it will outlast the shingle roofs by years and years. Screws go in the ridges. We put four by eight sheets of styrofoam insulation under the metal roofing. It prevents condensation.

-- homestead2 (homestead@monroecty.net), July 08, 2000.

If the singles are indeed wood (cedar), instead of throwing them away consider cutting them up into maybe 2-3" wide slices, bundling them and trying to sell them someplace as fireplace kindling. A roof should provide a number of bundles perhaps 10" in diameter. May offset part of the cost of the new roof.

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 08, 2000.

If there are more than two layers of existing roofing material you should tear them off. If not, you can install the metal roof over whats there. A layer of rosin paper for separation is cheaper than felt and doesn't adhere to the metal in hot weather. Use screws or nails long enough to get a bite into the oak and should be installed in the ribs not on the flat. Installing on the flat is generally done if metal is used as siding.

-- peter (pdfitz@mkl.com), July 09, 2000.

Terri, you can leave the shingles on the roof as long as there is only one layer. Strip the roof with 1 by 4's length wise across the roof, spacing them every three feet up to the ridge. Install the metal, using screws in the flats, using neoprene/metal to wood screws. Use screws on the joints where two sheets overlap each other, every two feet apart up the length of the metal. If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me johnrmcgaugh@hotmail.com John (Vicki's Husband)

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), July 09, 2000.

terry, i have put on a few metal roofs, the first one was not very successful, but the rest have been fine. i would probably take off the old shingles, but only because i'd like to start fresh and be able to see if there were any problems that needed to be fixed. then i would cover the boards with very heavy plastic, 4 inches of styrofoam insulation, another layer of plastic. hold all of this down with 1x6's stretching from the peak down, and screw 1x3's horizontally ever few feet across the 1x6's. this will leave you with a very nice grid which will make it easy to climb around on the roof. i always have used nails with neoprene washers and nail through the ridges into the horizontal boards. the roofing is actually suspended 1-1/2 inches above the insulation, leaving plenty of space for air movement. this house is three years old, and i haven't had any problems yet. i can sypathize with being unable to find info on alternative building techniques. i sort of made this one up...

good luck, john

-- john houser (farmrjon@juno.com), July 10, 2000.