Barn metal roof: 26ga v. 29ga

[rbstern]

Hoping to get some feedback on metal roofing for my barn project.

Visited a local metal roofing manufacturer. They seemed surprised that I would be interested in putting 26ga on a barn, said they typically sold 26ga for commercial buildings, and 29ga for barns and residential.

Had a neighbor tell me he prefers the 26ga, felt that 29ga was too susceptible to damage.

Price difference between the two for my project is about $1K, so it's not a huge upgrade cost. Colors offered in both gauges fall within what my wife wants for the roof color.

Anything else to consider? Weight? Ease of install?

EDITED TO ADD: I may put solar panels on this roof at some point in the future, if that matters.

 

[Jrasband]

I like working with 29 gauge as it is much easier to install, and cheaper. As long as your perlins are spaced no more than 2' apart 29 gauge seems to work fine.

 

[rbstern]

I like working with 29 gauge as it is much easier to install, and cheaper. As long as your perlins are spaced no more than 2' apart 29 gauge seems to work fine.

Easier to install because of weight? Ease of drilling/screwing?

 

[Diggin It]

Pick up an 8' length of 29. Then pick up a sheet of 26. Then imagine moving a 12' piece up onto a roof and into position.

You'll answer your own questions.

I did mine alone. Had to rig up several different types of ropes/slings and pulleys to hoist each panel into place and secure it before I could start driving screws.

You can reinforce under the solar panels if need be and might have to for either gauge.

 

[KennyG]

Around here, 29 ga. seems to be standard. The premium jobs do 29 on sidewalls and 26 on roofs, primarily to minimize hail damage etc. For length of service, quality of coating is more important than thickness. Be very careful in installing the solar. When I bought my place, the previous owner had solar heating on the roof of the pole barn. I had to replace the roof because of the rust through where they did a sloppy job of anchoring it. If you have unprotected and untreated penetrations, either thickness will rust badly in a few years.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

+1 for 29 gauge, I have always found it to be more than adequate for roof's.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

I did 2 big house roofs with 26g. Definitely a weight difference, definitely harder to screw down. I got to the point of having to predrill to make it easier. Cutting was much harder.

Then (due to cost at the time) used 29g on the garage / shop building. It was so much easier to handle and install. So much so, I used it on the new house too!

I doubt that I would use 26g again.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

Hoping to get some feedback on metal roofing for my barn project.

Visited a local metal roofing manufacturer. They seemed surprised that I would be interested in putting 26ga on a barn, said they typically sold 26ga for commercial buildings, and 29ga for barns and residential.

Had a neighbor tell me he prefers the 26ga, felt that 29ga was too susceptible to damage.

Price difference between the two for my project is about $1K, so it's not a huge upgrade cost. Colors offered in both gauges fall within what my wife wants for the roof color.

Anything else to consider? Weight? Ease of install?

EDITED TO ADD: I may put solar panels on this roof at some point in the future, if that matters.

If installing solar panels on a metal roof is going to happen, I would look into using S5 solar hardware. Solar Metal Roof | Standing Seam Metal Roof | S-5!

I have found that the solar install is easier with the heavier gauge metal.

 

[hcallaway]

26 GA is superior but generally not needed. I used 26 GA on a roof at the lake. My garages all had 29 GA.

 

[3gunr]

When i had my garage put up last yr the crew had a bunch of leftover metal from other buildings i said i would take if they wanted to get rid of it ,to my surprise they gave it to me about 10 pcs 8 to twenty ft long . A couple were 26 gauge, They were much heavier than 29 gauge,i had a hard time carrying them by myself.

 

[Doughknob]

Why is 26 used on commercial buildings?????

 

[hcallaway]

One reason is it is resistant to hail damage and it also has a longer life.

 

[EddieWalker]

I have 26 gauge on my house, but my shed and barn both have 26 gauge. The difference is significant, but I'm only willing to pay the extra for the thicker material for my house. When you walk on it, you'll know the difference really fast!!!

 

[Smokeydog]

Local commercial building company used to be cheap source of 26ga. Longest sheet 12’. Reroofed my barn. Strong stuff. That company is now gone.

When I wanted to do my house cost was several times more than 29ga and could get longer sheets for less seams.

 

[Hay Dude]

Hoping to get some feedback on metal roofing for my barn project.

Visited a local metal roofing manufacturer. They seemed surprised that I would be interested in putting 26ga on a barn, said they typically sold 26ga for commercial buildings, and 29ga for barns and residential.

Had a neighbor tell me he prefers the 26ga, felt that 29ga was too susceptible to damage.

Price difference between the two for my project is about $1K, so it's not a huge upgrade cost. Colors offered in both gauges fall within what my wife wants for the roof color.

Anything else to consider? Weight? Ease of install?

EDITED TO ADD: I may put solar panels on this roof at some point in the future, if that matters.

Every barn I’ve roofed used 26. But we get hail, falling tree litter, etc. here.
If solar is being used, definitely 26

 

[M59]

rbstern,

If you ever intend to walk on roof for any reason ( maintenance, looking for a leak, etc ) you will want 26 ga. The thinner the sheet the metal the more it will flex and possibly wrinkle at the corrugations.
My garage was constructed where the bank was excavated for a flat spot, a black bear jumped from the bank onto the garage roof and as it walked around the roof and its claws popped holes in the 29 ga sheet metal.
Galvanized steel sheet metal 26 ga: 0.02169". 29 ga: 0.0172"
29 ga is almost 25% thinner than 26 ga
Pull out a set of feeler gauges and compare the two thicknesses.

 

[LD1]

MY first question would be is the rib profile the same?

Usually commercial siding has larger ribs, and ribs spaced further apart. How is that gonna effect the appearance of the building and is that acceptable.

If they have the same rib profile....then its really up to you. 29ga works fine for 99.9% of people and 26ga is just overkill.

Weight difference isnt as substantial as some may think. 26ga is .75#/sq ft and 29ga is .56. That translates into a 10' sheet of roofing being 25# for 26ga and 19# for 29ga. And having done alot of metal, it isnt really the weight that gets you....its the awkwardness and the wind catching that big "sail" you are holding.

I agree that the coating/paint/warranty is more important than metal "gauge" for long term. Because lets face it....if the paint and coating is damaged....neither 26ga or 29ga bare metal is gonna last very long in the elements.

PRobably for $1000 more you could use 2x6 purlins, but why? Its overkill and 2x4's work fine.

With regard to solar.....the metal shouldnt make a difference because any attachment of the panels should be to trusses/purlins/frame and not to the metal.

 

[Rustyiron]

Hoping to get some feedback on metal roofing for my barn project.

Visited a local metal roofing manufacturer. They seemed surprised that I would be interested in putting 26ga on a barn, said they typically sold 26ga for commercial buildings, and 29ga for barns and residential.

Had a neighbor tell me he prefers the 26ga, felt that 29ga was too susceptible to damage.

Price difference between the two for my project is about $1K, so it's not a huge upgrade cost. Colors offered in both gauges fall within what my wife wants for the roof color.

Anything else to consider? Weight? Ease of install?

EDITED TO ADD: I may put solar panels on this roof at some point in the future, if that matters.

They have a clever solar mounting system for standing seam roofs that mechanically clamp to the vertical seam, no penetration through the roof.
This would be a deciding factor for me. I like the aesthetics of the standing seam but the low cost of a metal roof kinda goes out the window along with the DIY aspect, not completely as there are "snap down" systems but the installation is not as "out of the box" as an exposed fastener type.

 

[5030]

Hoping to get some feedback on metal roofing for my barn project.

Visited a local metal roofing manufacturer. They seemed surprised that I would be interested in putting 26ga on a barn, said they typically sold 26ga for commercial buildings, and 29ga for barns and residential.

Had a neighbor tell me he prefers the 26ga, felt that 29ga was too susceptible to damage.

Price difference between the two for my project is about $1K, so it's not a huge upgrade cost. Colors offered in both gauges fall within what my wife wants for the roof color.

Anything else to consider? Weight? Ease of install?

EDITED TO ADD: I may put solar panels on this roof at some point in the future, if that matters.

I would go with 26 no matter what. Thicker is always better than thinner and no issue with adding solar, in fact, the standing seams on the metal roof psnels will be ideal for the sub structure to mount to.