Roof valley - shingle or metal?

[teller80]

Having my house roofed today and instead of a shingle valley they installed a metal one. Is one better than the other? At this point would they have to tear it off and redo it? thanks for any advice you might have.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

When I did roofing, we had a metal valley beneath the shingles. Then, we would cut the shingles out leaving a portion of the metal valley exposed. Supposedly cleared debris better.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Houses around me are metal valley at least newer ones are (but even the 9-10+ homes in the neighborhood it's metal valley).

 

[mickman1962]

Metal with shingle covering, they took the easy way out

 

[ronandannette]

I work in residential construction - either thing is perfectly serviceable as long as they're lapped properly. From what I can see, that shingle valley is very precisely done. Metal flashings can be an issue because they have to be fastened somehow and if carelessly installed can result in penetrations in the shingles and/or membrane below. I can't really tell from the picture how that one is fastened.

 

[teller80]

I work in residential construction - either thing is perfectly serviceable as long as they're lapped properly. From what I can see, that shingle valley is very precisely done. Metal flashings can be an issue because they have to be fastened somehow and if carelessly installed can result in penetrations in the shingles and/or membrane below. I can't really tell from the picture how that one is fastened.

The images are ones I pulled from a Google search, not the one on my house. I was trying to show what I was talking about in case someone didn't know the difference (I had no clue there was different ways to do a roof valley until a couple months ago when the salesman explained the process to me).

I don't think I can get a good enough picture to post here (unless I stand on a ladder), but I'll try. I appreciate your help, thank you.

 

[ronandannette]

The images are ones I pulled from a Google search, not the one on my house. I was trying to show what I was talking about in case someone didn't know the difference (I had no clue there was different ways to do a roof valley until a couple months ago when the salesman explained the process to me).

I don't think I can get a good enough picture to post here (unless I stand on a ladder), but I'll try. I appreciate your help, thank you.

One thing I would say is don't worry just because the channel is done one particular way or the other. There are lots of different methods of doing things that aren't identical to one another - practices change over time. Older materials and installations that have served perfectly well for decades aren't automatically rendered deficient just because a new innovation is adopted. It may be the case, however, that in your area metal flashing have become the new standard and/or even been incorporated into local building codes. Ask the site supervisor of your roofing crew. Chances are he'd love nothing better than to talk "roofing" with you and can satisfy any questions or concerns you have.

It's common for consumers (who typically don't have a lot of technical knowledge) to be distrustful of contractors. The onus on a consumer is to diligently research the reputation of a contractor and choose one wisely. From there, I urge you to (advisedly) trust the expertise of the people who are, well, experts. You'll have to defer to their knowledge unless you know better yourself and as an industry professional, I'd sincerely say most tradesmen work extremely hard and pride themselves on their workmanship. If at the end of the day you're still concerned, find somebody whose expertise you do know and trust (this is vital!!) to give you their opinion. I would never recommend a 3rd party home inspector - they're far more likely to have questionable and unverifiable credentials and their whole purpose is to find "issues" so you feel like you're getting your money's worth from the inspection. I've seen countless "out-to-lunch" home inspection reports which cause homeowner's a ton of undue anxiety because they don't know any better. (I manage the warranty department for a large, very well-respected home builder and have 30 years industry experience - I could tell you stories!! )

One last though - in your jurisdiction did you need a permit for the roof replacement? Here you wouldn't because it's not a structural or mechanical modification, but if you did, it will require inspection by your municipal authorities. That will give you a measure of peace-of-mind as well. Good luck!

 

[tvguy]

I had to look it up. Shingle valleys are called Closed Valleys. Metal ones are called Open Valleys.
Closed Valleys are cheaper, and some people prefer the look.
https://www.thespruce.com/difference-between-closed-and-open-valleys-2902130

 

[sam_gordon]

The images are ones I pulled from a Google search, not the one on my house. I was trying to show what I was talking about in case someone didn't know the difference (I had no clue there was different ways to do a roof valley until a couple months ago when the salesman explained the process to me).

I don't think I can get a good enough picture to post here (unless I stand on a ladder), but I'll try. I appreciate your help, thank you.

I don't think the second picture you posted (with the metal) is done correctly. If it's done exactly like that on your house, I'd think it needs to be torn out and redone. At issue (in my mind) is the flashing (the metal part) is laid on top of the shingles. That would allow water to get under the flashing, which is what you don't want.

 

[asta]

We have shingle valleys on our roof. Squirrels have chewed holes through the valley in three different places.

 

[ronandannette]

I don't think the second picture you posted (with the metal) is done correctly. If it's done exactly like that on your house, I'd think it needs to be torn out and redone. At issue (in my mind) is the flashing (the metal part) is laid on top of the shingles. That would allow water to get under the flashing, which is what you don't want.

The OP said it wasn't a picture of his house but the more I look at that picture I wonder if it isn't some sort of fabricated aluminum piece that has a flange on both sides under the shingles (which would be appropriately lapped). I can't figure out how it's fastened otherwise.