Your shingle roof is near the end, and you keep thinking about metal. A neighbor put one on, it looks sharp, and you’ve heard it handles heat and wind well. Then you start pricing it and the questions pile up. Standing seam or screw-down panels? Will it be loud when it rains? Will it make the house hotter? Is it worth it for your house, or just for someone else’s?
Metal roofing in Clermont, FL can be a great fit, but not every metal roof is the same, and the installation matters as much as the material. APC Roofing installs and repairs metal roofs on homes, garages, porches and outbuildings. APC is GAF Certified, licensed in Florida (CCC1337030) and insured, and your inspection and estimate are free.
The main types of metal roofs
There are four systems you’ll hear about, and they’re quite different.
Standing seam. Flat panels joined by raised seams, with the clips that hold them hidden under the seams. No screw heads face the weather. Panels can expand and contract with the heat because the clips let them slide. It’s the cleanest look and has the fewest exposed parts to age. See our standing seam metal roofing page for more.
Exposed-fastener panels. Ribbed or corrugated steel held down by screws driven through the face of the panel, each sealed with a rubber washer. It costs less up front and suits porches, barns, workshops and many homes. The washers age in the sun, though, so this kind of roof needs its screws replaced at some point.
Metal shingles. Metal pressed to look like shingles, shakes or tile, for homeowners who want the look of a traditional roof.
Stone-coated steel. Steel panels coated with stone granules, shaped to look like tile or shakes. It gives a textured look and weighs far less than concrete or clay tile.
How metal handles Clermont heat
Central Florida sun is the daily test for any roof. Today’s metal roofs come in finishes with reflective “cool” pigments that bounce back a lot of the sunlight, which helps keep the attic cooler on a summer afternoon. A dark charcoal or black panel will run hotter than a light one. Color matters, but so do your attic ventilation and insulation.
Metal also cools off quickly after sunset. And the finish matters for looks over time. Higher-grade paint systems (often called PVDF or Kynar finishes) hold their color longer, while lower-grade polyester finishes tend to fade and chalk sooner. That’s worth asking about on any estimate.
Clermont sits well inland, so salt spray isn’t the concern it is for homes on the coast. A standard coated steel panel is usually the right material here.
Built for hurricane season
Wind pulls hardest at the corners, edges and ridge of any roof. A metal roof’s wind performance comes from how it’s attached. Manufacturers test their panels as complete systems and publish fastening patterns, with more fasteners near corners and edges where uplift is strongest. The trim at the eaves and rakes should be hemmed and locked onto cleats so there’s no loose edge for the wind to catch.
When you’re comparing estimates, ask whether the panel system is rated for Florida wind loads and whether the installer follows the maker’s fastening pattern. That’s where a low bid often cuts corners.
Will a metal roof be loud in the rain?
Not on a house built the normal way. The loud metal roof everyone remembers is a barn with panels over open framing. On a home, the metal sits on a solid deck with underlayment beneath it and insulation above the ceiling, and most people notice little change from shingles during a summer storm.
You may hear some light ticking as morning sun warms the panels. That’s normal expansion, and a properly installed roof is designed for it.
Details that separate a good metal roof from a bad one
- Gauge. Steel thickness is listed by gauge, and lower numbers mean thicker metal. Homes commonly use 26 or 24 gauge. You can’t see the difference from the ground, so it belongs on the estimate.
- Underlayment. A high-temperature synthetic underlayment goes under the panels, because ordinary felt breaks down under hot metal.
- The deck. Panels need a sound, solid deck. Soft or rotted plywood can’t hold clips or screws and gets replaced first.
- Flashing. Valleys, pipe boots and walls need proper metal flashing. Caulk is a backup, never the main seal.
- Mixed metals. Copper runoff or bare pressure-treated lumber in contact with coated steel can corrode it. A good installer keeps incompatible metals apart.
You may also notice slight waviness in the flat part of wide panels, called oil canning. It doesn’t cause leaks. Narrower panels, stiffening ribs and a flat deck reduce it, and it’s worth looking at photos of finished roofs before you choose a profile.
Metal roof repair and upkeep
Not every metal roof problem calls for a new roof. A leaking pipe boot, a loose piece of trim or a few failed screws are repairs. On exposed-fastener roofs, replacing the worn screws and washers can stop leaks at each screw head and snug down loose panels. A badly dented or twisted panel can be swapped out, though a new panel may not match an older faded one perfectly.
Replacement makes sense when rust has eaten through large areas or wind has bent the roof out of shape. Our metal roof repair page covers those fixes in more detail.
How it works
- Book your free inspection. Call 407-270-1129 or request a free estimate online.
- Get a clear, honest assessment and estimate. You’ll see photos of your current roof and deck, talk through panel types and colors, and get a written estimate that lists the gauge, finish and underlayment. Financing is available through Aqua Finance, Fortifi, Hearth and Home Run Finance.
- Your roof gets done and the site gets cleaned up. Our crew handles the metal roof installation and cleans up before leaving.
Metal roofing questions from Clermont homeowners
Can a metal roof go over my existing shingles?
No. APC Roofing always tears the old roof off down to the deck first. Moisture trapped under metal has nowhere to dry, and a tear-off lets us check and repair the deck before the new roof goes on.
Does a metal roof work on a low-slope porch?
Many screw-down panels need a slope of about 3 inches per foot or more. Some standing seam systems go lower. Below what the panel allows, a flat roof membrane is the better choice.
Will metal make my house hotter?
Usually the opposite with a light, reflective finish. Dark colors run hotter, and attic ventilation and insulation play a big part either way.
Do you install stone-coated steel?
Yes. Stone-coated steel is one of the metal systems APC Roofing installs, and you can weigh it against standing seam when you get your estimate.
Get a quote on metal roofing in Clermont, FL
Call 407-270-1129 for a free metal roof estimate, or start online. To see every service in town, visit our Clermont roofing page.
The goal is a roof you picked with clear eyes, installed the way the maker intended, that you won’t have to think about every time a storm rolls through.
