As most metal roofers know, there are literally billions of square feet of metal roofing in the U.S. nearing the end of its service life. Metal-over-metal roof retrofit can be a cost-effective solution to reroofing a building.

Metal-Over-Metal Retrofit Considerations

When working on a metal-over-metal retrofit a roofer may experience some issues. MBCI’s Roof Hugger® panel system can resolve some of those common concerns such as:

• Does the existing roof need an insulation upgrade?
• Are there workers in the building that would be at risk if the existing roof is completely removed for installation of a new roof?
• Do current code requirements dictate the addition of closer fastener/clip spacings?

The Roof Hugger® System panels are environmentally friendly and allow you to add insulation or even solar energy equipment between the old and new roof. Learn more about the Roof Hugger® panel systems to see how it can be the right solution for your metal-over-metal retrofit project.

Metal-Over-Metal Retrofit Energy Efficiency

Chances are that roofs installed 40 or 50 years ago did not have much insulation under them. Adding insulation can help improve the energy efficiency of the building. The Roof Hugger® System allows you to add a blanket, rigid and/or reflective insulation between the existing and new roofs.

The use of Roof Huggers also allows a building owner to incorporate technology such as solar thermal into the new cavity between the existing and new roofs. Solar thermal technology, used for preheating water or to help heat the inside of the building, is the most efficient use of solar technology that one can employ.

Metal-Over-Metal Retrofit Installation Safety

By using our metal-over-metal Roof Hugger retrofit system, the existing roof can be left in place. This provides a safer environment for both workers inside the building and the roofers as they install the new roof. With the existing roof left in place, there are typically no “leading edge” safety issues. Leaving the existing roof in place will save a substantial amount of labor and eliminate hauling the old roof off.

Metal-Over-Metal Retrofit Code Requirements

Current code requirements may dictate that the new roof be able to withstand greater uplift pressures than was required when the building was originally built, particularly in the edge and corner zones of the roof where the pressures are higher. In some cases, the use of Roof Huggers may increase the existing building’s purlin load capacity by providing additional brace points. When this is not enough, the Roof Hugger system can provide additional attachment points between the existing purlins.

As you can see from all these metal-over-metal retrofit benefits, Roof Huggers should be considered for any metal-over-metal retrofit to ensure that your new metal roof performs to its greatest potential.