Is Through-Fastened Metal Roofing a Good Idea?

Yes, as long as it’s well installed, it should last as long as a more expensive standing-seam metal roofing.

Standing-seam metal roofs are great.  But that is if you can afford one, as they tend to be pricey. A well-detailed through-fastened metal roof won’t set you back that much, but it will last just as long.

In the days before modern tools such as cordless drills, through-fastened metal roofing was fastened with nails. Due to the metal’s expansion & contraction the nails would then tend to back out and result in leakage, water intrusion. When industry – roofers switched to screws with integral neoprene washers that problem disappeared, thus making through-fastened metal roofing a good choice.

Metal roofing is commonly installed over 1×3 strapping – purlins because this is a good method to handle any condensation that may occur when the outside air is warm and humid, but the metal roofing is cold, caused due to nighttime radiational cooling or from snow cover. The airspace between the metal roofing and the roof sheeting allows any condensation to harmlessly drip onto the roofing membrane before evaporating.