Metal should not be a must in Keys, roofers say

One type of metal roof cannot cover all Florida Keys homes, roofing professionals told Monroe County Commission members Tuesday.

A vote that could have required a “standing seam” metal roof to be installed when replacing a damaged or destroyed roof for most homes in the unincorporated county was delayed until a Dec. 13 meeting in Key Largo. It could be pushed back further.

At Tuesday’s Key West meeting, two roofing-association executives and a material manufacturer’s representative urged the board to research more options.

“There is no magical roof that provides a one-size-fits-all solution to [homeowners’] roofing needs,” said Michael Silvers of the Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association.

The proposed ordinance “attempts to deal with a very complex issue basically with one sentence,” Silvers said. “There are so many problems with this [metal standing-seam requirement] that I could not possibly cover them in the time allowed.”

County Attorney Bob Shillinger also asked the commission to postpone a decision. The roofing representatives “may have some information to share that they would like to leave to marinate with you over the next 30 days.”

The board agreed, but Commissioner Heather Carruthers said Hurricane Irma’s devastation of Lower Keys homes shows something must change.

“We need to find a way to harden our homes and protect ourselves,” she said.

Commissioners brought the metal-roof ordinance forward to help homeowners get upgraded roofs as they replace roofs severely damaged or destroyed by Irma.

If metal roofs are mandated by local building codes, the windstorm insurers could be required to pay for the more expensive metal roofing.

But requiring metal roofs also would raise the cost of new homes and potentially make Keys housing even more pricey for working residents, the roofers said. Many commercial buildings are built with flat roofs, where metals roofs are not considered practical, they noted.

The cost difference between asphalt-shingle roofs and metal roofs “is substantial,” Miami roofing executive Paul Gonzalez told The Keynoter. “And the standing-seam is one of the most expensive.”

There also is a smaller pool of installers available to competently install the more complex metal roofing, the roofing representatives said.

Keys resident Eleanor McAdams agreed. She told commissioners she “personally would prefer a metal roof,” but the post-hurricane demand for building contractors raised prices to “exorbitant” levels.

Michael Fischer of the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association said many shingle roofs damaged or destroyed by Irma likely were weakened by age and probably built with shingles that do not meet current codes that require a significantly higher wind resistance. “Today’s product is at another level of safety,” he said.

If the county does change the roofing building code, it apparently would not affect regulations within Keys municipalities. Most manufactured housing also is regulated by state law, which allows shingles, rather than local building codes.

This story was originally published November 20, 2017 at 11:26 AM with the headline "Metal should not be a must in Keys, roofers say."