Said It Here

Can you install metal roofing over an uneven or messed up roof?

Installing metal roofing over an irregular or multi-layered structure requires deciding whether to try evening it out over the top of the decking or tear down to the rafters to straighten them. This uncertainty leaves homeowners unsure if they can use exposed fastener panels or if they need to completely rebuild or choose a different material.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    Adding extra 2x4 purlins into dips or over existing layers to try to level the surface.
  2. 2
    installing shingles again
  3. 3
    using peel and stick underlayment like Malarkey Omni Seal

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/Roofing2 people · September 2026 – October 2026

“I'm trying to install exposed fasterner on my roof, replacing shingles, my house has a pitch of what I was told 3:12, the porch attached to the house has a much lower pitch, as seen on the video, it currently has peel and stick and the water drains well”source ↗

“Would i be able to install exposed fastener on that side? Or should I just install shingles again? I know there is standing seam, but that is out of my price range.”source ↗

manuelrios509 · r/Roofing · 6 upvotes

“I am replacing a section of metal roof on a cabin that is kind of a structural mess.”source ↗

“is there any way to even this out, possibly over the top of the decking, or do I need to just bite the bullet and get down to the rafters so I can sister and straighten it out that way?”source ↗

kassadon · r/Roofing · 1 upvotes

Where this came up

r/Roofinghome improvementrenovationroofing

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