Trying to work on this roof. I'm going to go up here and talk to Brett just a little
bit, see how we're coming along with it. Just going to talk about the difference between
asphalt and metal roofs. You're going to love this. They say an eco-friendly house can't
be built in 150 days for $150,000, and I say it can. I'm Allen Smith, join me as I push
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on eHow Home. So, this metal roof, what kind of life expectancy are we talking about on
something like this, Brett? Well, there's about a 50 year life on the paint, but as
far as the metal goes, it's about a lifetime, about 80 years. 80? Wow. Well, I love them.
I mean, you know, we used them on the main house here at the farm and think they got
such a great, classic look. But, you know, there's also some benefits to metal over,
say, conventional asphalt, isn't there, from a sustainability standpoint? Yes sir, the
metal here is galvalume, which is a galvanized metal and aluminum, that they bring together
and it's made of about 54 percent of recycled material. Ah, 54. Yeah, that's fabulous. And
the metal also will–it's 100 percent recyclable after it's term, so it can be used again.
Unlike asphalt? Correct, sir. The asphalt shingles, they take up a lot space. They don't
have a life expectancy that's the same. So, after about 15 to 20 years you're having to
replace them. And every year the asphalt that goes to the landfills is enough to put on
a tractor trailer to stretch from New York to California, back to New York, and then
to Chicago. My gosh. So, about 1.5 billion tons of asphalt every year. That's a lot of
waste? Yes, sir. Good grief, that is unbelievable. Well, tell me a little bit about the process
here because you put down this water barrier, or vapor barrier. Yes sir, this vapor barrier
here, it's a moisture barrier also and it helps to keep the sheets from sweating. It's
polypropylene, which is a recycled material also. It will keep our decking from rotting
throughout the year. Because you can get condensation that will build up underneath that metal?
Correct, sir. So, it seems to me, I mean, you guys got started down here on this end–it's
really important to get everything aligned first. You get off in the beginning, you're
really going to have a whopperjawed project. That's right, we had to measure actually from
the porch and measure back to get our first sheet, so when these sheets come across this
roof they will all line up. Right, I see. And the water will come down all your sheets.
So, this sheet won't be sitting here. It will go right up here and it will all be in line.
So, the sanding seams, the seams themselves on the main roof, will line up with the seams
here on the porch? Correct, yeah. Otherwise it wouldn't read right if you're standing
back up here in the Daffodil field looking at it. Correct, and that's why it's so hard,
because we're going from the roof here and it's got to meet here. Then we hit a dormer.
Everything on top has to meet. And then when we get on the other side of the dormer everything
has to meet and line up. So, it's almost like it's just draping from the house? Yeah. Excellent.
Ordinarily, it would take, well, just a few days to knock out this roof. But since we
got some valleys in the back and these 2 dormers on the front, the guys are having to cut out
a lot. So, it's going to take a little more time. But, you know, it's going to be fantastic
when it's all done. I just love looking across the Daffodil field and seeing this red roof
come up. If you're enjoying following our progress, make sure you tell a friend about
it, and subscribe to eHow Home.
