How it works
- Lyle, there's no script. These notes are your own words from the article. Glance at them, then just talk.Megan asks the questions in this order. Skip any you like.
- Each answer is its own clip. Start the answer with the question's words (“Standing seam is...”), so each one makes sense on its own.Seven answers give us the full YouTube video for the article, plus up to seven short clips.
- Mistakes are fine. Just stop and go again.
The questions
Question 1
What's the difference between standing seam and exposed fastener?
- On exposed fastener you can see the screws from the ground. On standing seam the next panel interlocks and covers them.
- Standing seam and hidden fastener are the same thing.
- Different steel: exposed fastener is usually 29 gauge, standing seam 26 (lower number = thicker).
- Our names: pole barn metal, Shadow Form, then hidden fastener at the top.
🎥 Film beside a roof of each type, or hold up a panel of each
Question 2
Why do we put furring boards under exposed fastener metal?
- Self-drilling screws strip out of an OSB deck, and most houses round here are OSB.
- 1x4 spruce boards every two feet give every screw a solid wood backer.
- Over old shingles, the shingles deteriorate, the panel settles and the screws go loose. We've replaced about a dozen like that.
- Pro tip: if a metal quote is a few thousand cheaper, ask whether the furring boards are included.
🎥 A furring board and a screw in hand
Question 3
How much does each one cost?
- Exposed fastener about $6.30 a square foot installed. Standing seam about $11.
- Real jobs: $21,730 to $30,295 for exposed fastener, $31,395 to $44,028 for standing seam.
- We do a lot of exposed fastener just for the economics. Standing seam is the far better option.
- If standing seam is the one you want, we sit down and do the financing application with you.
Question 4
How long does each roof last, and what does it need from you?
- Exposed fastener: the screws are rated 40 years, but the washers deteriorate in the sun's UV rays.
- Have it inspected at about 10 years, then every three to five. Usually new screws somewhere between 15 and 25 years.
- That's not the end of the roof. New screws still cost less than standing seam would have.
- Standing seam is the one you forget about. Keep the gutters clear. There are 50-year-old standing seam roofs on the farms here.
🎥 A screw close-up, showing the washer
Question 5
Is standing seam worth the extra money?
- Two reasons people pay it: the look, and never thinking about the screws.
- Exposed fastener still makes sense on a budget, an outbuilding or an addition.
- “If you're 25 years old and you're in your forever home, that's where I'd put my money.”
Question 6
What colors are people choosing for metal roofs?
- Burnished slate, black and charcoal are the top three.
- Black roof with white siding is the in thing right now.
- Textured costs a little more but is easier to walk on.
- Try colors on your own house with the roof visualizer on our website.
🎥 A finished roof in one of the top three colors
Question 7
So how should a homeowner decide?
- Budget and how long you're staying decide it. Everything else is preference.
- Either way: make sure the furring boards are in the quote, and ask what gauge the panel is.
Better Way Roofing · Prepared by Endless Customers · Updated 17 October 2026