Steel Roof Replacement on a Pontypool Home with Solar Panels
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- Residential Construction Contractor
Location: Pontypool, Ontario
Service: Roof Replacement — Steel Over Existing Shingles
Type: Full Roof Re-cover
Features: Black steel roofing, spruce strapping over existing shingles, solar panel coordination, lifetime-rated metal panels
Contractor: N.S. Custom Contracting
Project Overview
What the Customer Was Dealing With
The shingles on this Pontypool home had reached the end of the road. Nothing dramatic — just the standard story. Asphalt loses granules, edges curl, the whole roof slowly stops doing the job it was put there to do. Most homeowners hit this point at the 20-year mark give or take, and the only real question is what goes back on top.
What made this one different was the solar array. The customer had panels mounted on the roof, and panels complicate a standard reshingle in a specific way: every time you replace the roofing material, the panels have to come off and go back on. That’s a separate job done by the solar company, and it’s not free. So the math on a roof replacement isn’t just shingles vs. shingles — it’s how often you want to be paying the solar company to remove and reinstall over the lifetime of the house.
The customer ran the numbers and landed on steel. A steel roof at this size and quality lasts a lifetime, which means the panels come off once for the install and (assuming the panels themselves outlast the roof, which they usually don’t) probably never again. One removal, one reinstall, and the roof underneath is done with.
Why Steel Made Sense Here
Steel roofing isn’t right for every property. It costs more up front than asphalt — sometimes a lot more. But on a long horizon, the math changes, and on a property with rooftop solar it changes faster than most people realize.
A quality asphalt shingle roof will give you 20-25 years if it’s installed well. A steel roof will go 50+ years on most installs, often longer. Over 50 years, you’re looking at two or three reshingles — each one requiring panel removal and reinstall. Add up the labour cost on the solar side alone and the steel premium starts to look reasonable.
The other thing steel gives you is paint warranty. Most quality metal roofing comes with a long-term paint and fade warranty — not just structural lifespan, but cosmetic too. The black panels we used here came with that kind of coverage, which means the colour stays where it should for decades, not seasons.
How We Installed It
Step one happened before we showed up. The solar company came out and removed all the panels — that’s specialized work, not something a roofer should be touching. Once the panels were off and the roof was clear, we got to work.
Rather than tearing off the existing shingles, we installed the steel directly over top. This is a legitimate approach for a steel re-cover — it’s faster, generates significantly less waste going to landfill, and as long as the existing shingle layer is sound and the strapping system is right, it doesn’t compromise the new roof at all. The shingles end up acting as a secondary water barrier underneath the steel.
We strapped the entire roof with spruce strapping running horizontally across the slope. The strapping does a few jobs at once. It creates a flat, consistent fastening surface for the steel panels. It opens up an air gap underneath the metal, which helps the roof breathe and keeps heat from building up under the panels in summer. And it lifts the steel just far enough off the shingles that the two surfaces aren’t trapping moisture against each other.
Strapping spacing was set to match the panel profile we were running. Get the spacing wrong and you end up with a wavy roofline, fasteners missing the strapping, or panels that don’t tie together cleanly at the seams. Took the time to lay it out properly before any panels went up.
Once the strapping was on, the steel started going up from the eaves. Black metal panels in a standard ribbed profile, fastened through the ribs into the strapping with screws and rubber gaskets at every fastener. The screws are what most people don’t think about — they’re the actual waterproofing. Drive them right and the roof is sealed. Drive them too tight and you crush the gasket. Drive them at an angle and the gasket doesn’t seat. We pay attention to it because it’s the difference between a 50-year roof and a 5-year leak.
Trim went on around the edges, ridges, and any roof penetrations. Anywhere two surfaces meet — a hip, a valley, a chimney, a vent — there’s flashing and trim cut to fit. The metal trim on a steel roof is what most people see from the ground when they’re judging whether the work looks clean. We bend a lot of it on site to get the angles right rather than trying to force pre-formed pieces into spots they weren’t quite made for.
Once the steel was complete, the solar company came back out to remount the panels. Their crew handled the re-attachment to manufacturer spec — we coordinated timing with them so they weren’t waiting on us and we weren’t waiting on them. That coordination matters more than people realize on jobs like this. A roof exposed to weather between trades is a roof that’s a problem waiting to happen.
What's Included in This Build
Spruce strapping across entire roof for fastening, ventilation, and moisture management
Black ribbed steel roofing panels with long-term paint warranty
Custom-bent metal trim at all ridges, hips, valleys, and edges
Coordination with solar panel installer for removal and reinstall timing
All fastening done with gasketed screws driven to spec
Penetration flashing for vents, pipes, and chimney
Existing shingles retained as secondary moisture barrier — no tear-off waste
Full jobsite cleanup and debris removal at completion
Project Gallery
A few more shots from across the project. Steel roofing photographs well at every stage — there’s something about a fresh black roof against the spring trees that just looks right.
Looking for a Steel Roof Replacement in Ontario?
If your shingles are showing their age and you’re weighing options, we’d be glad to come out and take a look. We do steel roof installs across Pontypool, Bethany, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Peterborough, Durham Region, and Simcoe County. Every property is a bit different — what makes sense on one roof doesn’t on another, and we’ll be straight with you about that.
If you’ve got rooftop solar and you’re trying to figure out the long-term math, that’s a conversation worth having before you commit to anything. We can walk you through the trade-offs without pushing you one direction or the other. Sometimes asphalt is still the right call. Sometimes it isn’t.
Start Your Project
Ready to talk through a roof? Contact N.S. Custom Contracting and we’ll come out, look at the property, and give you a straight read on what’s actually needed. No pressure, no upsell on materials you don’t need.
If you’ve got solar panels involved, mention it on the first call. It changes the planning and we’ll factor it in from the start.
Get in Touch with Our Experts Today
Our unique skills and experience ensure top quality results.
N.S. Custom Contracting Inc. — Your satisfaction is our priority
- 905-797-3000
- info@nsccontracting.com
- 3058 Ganaraska Rd, Campbellcroft, ON L0A 1B0, Canada
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