One of the most important pieces of a building is it's roof. Owners who are wanting easy ways to save money are looking into metal panel roofing. Because metal panel roofing combines both the durability that owners desire and the visual appeal they crave, the popularity of this type of roofing has become more evident recently.

Roofs that have metal panels have been shown to withstand all the elements and have a low level of maintenance so their lifetime cost is relatively low. Due to their popularity many manufacturers are developing a wider array of finishes, profiles and colors for the metal panels which will add to the aesthetics of the building. The metal roofing can also save you money in energy costs since the designers have improved the finish which provides a cooling formulation.

It's important to understand the complexities of the many different roofing systems, because the abundance of metal roofing products available today can cause people to have a number of questions when discussing the designing of metal residential roofing. The maximum potential of any metal roof will occur only when the appropriate roofing system, underlayment, finish and substrate are specified.

There are two fundamental types of metal panel roofing, which are classified according to the method in which the roof resists water. This is determined by the slope or the pitch of the roof. The first type is the structural roofing which features water-resistant panels and is used on low-slope roofs. Architectural or non-structural roofing is designed in such a way that water sheds quickly, and requires steeper slopes.

Normally, in a structural roof, panels are capable of spanning between structural supports, and are joined by clips to the building structure, The floating clip system that fastens the structural panels to the roof allows for thermal expansion and contraction. Since thermal expansion and contraction influences all materials to some extent, structural panels and flashing must be designed in such a way to accommodate that same expansion.

Structural metal panel roof systems are usually fitted over a roof assembly that includes structural metal framing and purlins. In areas having heavy snowfall, high wind-loads or when the owner requires a roof assembly, panels may be installed over solid substrates, like metal decking, plywood, oriented-strand board in combination with ISO board insulation to achieve the necessary structural load of the panel system.