Any place you buy your metal from will have the proper screws / nails with the washers. I have never had a problem with the screws or nails. You just have to make sure you do not tighten the scews down too tight. I have seen where the nails will back out over time due to expansion / contraction of the metal though. Screws are my preference. I have never had any issues with paint peeling of the metal...but it will fade over time. The weather / sun is cruel! You can buy metal with 10-yr / 20-yr "no fade" gaurantees...but they are just more expensive. In the long run...all metal will fade. If you can get them to back the product they will just throw you a couple dollars to repaint it. Also they will send someone out to make sure the metal was installed "EXACTLY" like the manufacturers instructions. If it wasn't...and I gaurantee they will make something up even if you did...they will not even give you the couple bucks. My suggestion is to buy the "residential or seconds" grade. It is just as good and it is cheaper! I built my house 5-years ago and put green metal on my roof. The distributor I bought the metal from told me there was absolutely "zero" difference between his $45 per square and his $90 per square material. One came with a gaurantee and the other one didn't. Both fade over time...it is a fact of life. Brian

Not a roofer, either, but I do have the care of one large house and six two-story barns, all with 150 year-old slates roofs in a very challenging northern climate. I see you're in NY, so I trust you haven't actually torn off your roof, yet. Take a breath, this has been an unusually nasty winter, and while you may wind up removing the roof down to the (or including) sheathing, it may not turn out to be necessary. To begin, please, understand that there are as many Absolute Truths about roof care and maintenance, as there are licensed roofers. (More actually, because there are a lot of unlicensed roofers - and opinionated amateurs, like me- and they/we definitely have their/our own theories, as well!) Can you find out from the previous owners or from examining the water stains or asking neighbors, is this a new problem, or regular winter carnival-type event? (I'm not trying to make a joke at your expense, but ya gotta keep your sense of humor when dealing with roof leaks. I know that from hard experience.) If this is an unusual year, then I wouldn't jump into tearing the roof off, if it is otherwise in good shape. Since you have a modern material (Tamko) your experience may be different from mine. But perhaps it will help you to know that I have no felt, no shield, no drip edge, spotty guttering, no ridge vent or any of the other must-haves you're being offered; some years I have minor problems with ice dams, and most years, I don't. The reason for this is that ice dams are believed to be caused by factors other than the roof and its attendant components. One of those factors is the vagaries of weather, of course. Another is heat escaping up through the house's walls and creating the ice dam, that blocks the water, that then backs up until it finds a likely crevice and becomes a leak. Unless your roof also leaks every time it rains heavily in the summer, then repairs or modifications to the roof are all aimed at treating a symptom (water unable to run down off the roof and finding its way where it ought not be) rather the root cause of the ice dams - the build-up of an ice blob in the winter which blocks the water from running down the roof like it does in the summer. It might be possible to have nearly all the things that are being recommended to you and still have water damage from an ice dam. First of all, how old is your house? What's your roof like - steep, flattish, hip? How many stories? What style is your house? (Can't imagine how wrapping ice shield or drip edge or other flashing around the fascia boards would look....!) What's the state of your wall and/or attic insulation? You sound quite worried and fussed. Can't blame you and I'm sorry for it. I expect you'll figure out what needs to be done and it may not be as bad as you fear. A beginning resource would be to contact the Tamko people and/or your builder if the house isn't very old and get their opinions about what to do. They may offer some useful suggestions. You also could do some research here and elsewhere on the web about ice dams. And bear in mind the suggestions of the other posters about licensing, insurance and dumping permits, etc. There are a lot of opportunities to make the problem worse rather than better; and roofing repairs, even the cheapest estimates, are not inexpensive. I'm sure others will chime in, and when we have more info, be able to offer some additional suggestions that may be helpful. If you've had a lot of damage, you might check your homeowner's policy ...... Also, if you have additional heavy snow, is it possible to have the lower portion of the roof raked before the snow has a chance to make a pest of itself? This is a hard job (and can be dangerous), so don't undertake it lightly. Sometimes you can hire roofing companies to come and rake during the winter. Providing they don't damage the roofing, this would be fine.

Don't get me wrong. I love my house the way it is, but I have gone thru two membrane systems in six years and am in a constant state of anxiety, wondering where my next leak will be. If it weren't such an issue, here in Western Pennsylvania, I would embrace it and run with it. Finding a roofer to work on it is nearly impossible as they are so uncommon locally (except for commercial spaces....and those guys don't care about residential projects). The last roof has created an issue that has destroyed the cedar in the back of the house, which the last roofer denies responsibility for. It has been a fight and I am tired of it.

Hi, Phil, I'd suggest you take a step back and determine if your lifestyle really demands a 2nd story deck before going any further. Flat roofs are problematic. It's not a question of whether they'll leak, but when they'll leak. I'd do everything I could to avoid one, particularly in a cold climate where ice and snow are expected. Consider a workshop with a more conventional roof structure and a grade-level patio. Alternatively, you might consider building a conventional deck to serve the 2nd story and locating the workshop in a different area if the site allows.