19 Gauge Metal Roof

ugabulldog

I have a sub saying he will install 19 gauge standing seam (new) on my roof. Is this for real? I have never heard of that thick before.

Ed the Roofer

Is he referring to galvanized steel, with a prefinished coating or aluminum.

Galvanized thicknesses get stronger and thicker as the number goes down.

A very flimsy galvanized guage would be 28 guage.
Next stongest would be 26 guage,
then 24 and so on in increments of 2 lower each time.
20 guage galvanized is nearly impossible to bend without a heavy duty commercial brake.


Aluminum strengths and thickness numbers run the seemingly opposite direction in this regard. It is in decimal points.

.019 = very cheap and flimsy, as in coil stock material
.024 = slightly better, mid grade
.027 = commonly used as seamless gutter material
.032 = better choice for running seamless gutters
.040 = Good hardened strength and rigidity for architectural sheet metal work, very similar to between 24 guage and 26 guage galvanized strengths.

The "Strength" of the actual material is increased by the amount of ribs or other profiles formed intom the panel, as a flat stock sheet of .019 would fold and crease when holding it horizontally, once it has the profiles and/or ribs roll formed into them, they too, now have additional rigidity.

I believe this may just be the start of a learning process for you, so get various manufacturers literature and internet web site addresses for a more detailed comparison of your options.

Also, ask to see existing 3-5 year old homes with the product in place by his company.

Ed

P.S. The only guage standing seam roofs I have installed are the 24 and 26 guage coated galvanized and the .040 aluminum products, as specified by the architests at that time.
Berridge
Pac-Clad
Metal-Era
Metal Sales
Wrisco

ugabulldog

Thanks Ed. I will ask him. I have seen his roofs on commercial structures that are a few years old and they look fine. Also, he says you can hit this stuff with a ball pin hammer and barely dent it, so obviously he is representing it as being very thick.

Ed the Roofer

Get the manufacturers specifications, warranty sheets, installation details, and thickness of materioal options available.

If any panel is lying on a solid decking, such as plywood, a flush strike with a hammer should only mar the finish.

I'm sure the contractor does very nice work, on the commercial project, but he has people with technical know how watching over the installation and adherance to the specifications and had an architect or developer provide the equal or greater than specas to follow in the first place.

Ahhhhh! I see!!! The old ball peen hammer test!!!! Hmmmmm!!!! Yeah, thats the ticket.

That just sounds too much like the movie "Tin-man" with Danny Devito, about the con games the original "Aluminum Siding" salesmen and the such used to flagrantly boast about.

Rent the movie, and look for any similarities.

But, even if you do like the jobs he did on the commercial projects, endsure that you are getting the same level of quality of product as installed on them.

Ed