Metal’s Benefits

Installs over Existing Roof Systems

Metal roofs have the best strength to weight ratio of any roofing material, allowing them to be installed over existing roof systems without the need to add structural support to the roof. Union’s steel roofing panels weigh 50% to 65% less per square foot than most asphalt shingles. Installing over your existing roof eliminates landfill waste and saves labor costs for removing the old roof material.

Most roof types simply weigh too much to be installed over top of one another without adding additional structural support to the roof. Roofs are designed to support a predetermined amount of weight and the addition of subsequent layers of heavy roofing materials such as asphalt shingles can cause structural damage. In these cases, removing the old shingles is usually recommended, but this creates a large amount of landfill waste. In fact, asphalt shingles make up over 3% of all municipal solid waste, or 6.8 million tons annually.

Because metal roofs are so light yet so strong, they can typically be easily installed over your existing roof without the need to add structural reinforcement. The old roof materials under the metal roof simply serve as an extra layer of insulation and water protection and pose no problems to the new metal roof. Of course, each application is different, so consult your licensed roofing contractor to confirm if your roof is suitable for a roof-over installation.