I’ve heard metal is the best kind of roofing for a barn. Is this true?

Metal roofing is probably the most cost-effective roofing for horse structures. While the material itself is expensive, the savings come with the reduced labor time required to install it and the fact that it requires less framing material to support it, due to its extremely light weight. Sharp edges are a real concern, so be sure it is out of a horse’s reach. It also sheds snow very quickly, depending on the pitch or angle of the roof. While this can be a good thing if your structure is not framed very substantially, it is a concern to what or whoever may happen to be underneath it when it decides to go.

 Eaves should protrude from the building far enough to keep the snow off any landscaping next to the building, or even a horse that is poking his head out the window at an inopportune time. Metal roofing is also quite noisy in a rainstorm, and can drip water from its underside when the outside temperature is colder than the inside. Horses generate an amazing amount of heat in winter, which serves to warm up the barn interior enough to tip the balance between inside and out.

 One way to deal with both the noise and the condensation is to put a vapor barrier down before the roofing is applied. Regular sheet plastic, or visqueen, will not last very long. There are products out there specifically designed for this purpose, and they are a wise investment. Most have a white underside to help reflect light back into the barn, and some even have a thin layer of insulation, which is probably the best way to go. Extra care must be taken upon installation, however, to tightly seal up all seams and exposed ends. Birds love to get in the insulation and tear it up for you.

Roofing...