Standing Seam Roofing
Our standing seam roof is the patented ZEUS-Shield metal roof system. It has no fasteners through the panel face — panels are held by concealed clips under a raised, mechanically folded seam, so there are no screw holes in the surface water runs across, and nothing on the roof to back out, rust, or need re-tightening.
It is available on any Northcraft building — commercial, agricultural or residential — and it is covered by our 50-Year Paint Warranty.
How the system works
Concealed fasteners
Clips are fastened to the purlin and then folded into the seam. Nothing penetrates the weather surface, so the most common failure point on a metal roof simply is not there.
Floating clips
ZEUS-Shield clips allow 3″ of panel movement, so expansion and contraction is absorbed by the system rather than resisted by the fasteners.
Mechanically seamed
The seam is closed on site with an electrical seamer, locking adjacent panels into a continuous run that sheds water at the seam instead of relying on sealant at a screw head.
Three panel profiles
Which one is right depends on your roof pitch and whether the roof is part of what people see.
ZS-T24
24″ panel
Built predominantly for low-pitch roofs, up to 3:12. The widest panel of the three, so the fewest seams, and the usual choice for commercial and agricultural roofs where a through-fastened panel would be a leak risk.
ZS-A16
16″ architectural panel
Architectural series for steeper single- or double-sloped rectangular roof areas. A narrower panel and a tighter shadow line, for roofs that are part of the elevation people actually look at.
ZS-A18
18″ architectural panel
Architectural series for steeper single- or double-sloped rectangular roof areas, with fewer seams than the 16″ on larger roof planes.
Two seams, chosen by wind zone
Roofs are engineered in zones. The field of the roof carries the least uplift, and the perimeter and corners carry substantially more — so the seam is matched to the load, and the whole roof can still be completed with the same seaming method, without changing purlin spacing or panel thickness, or adding clips over the seam.
TripLok™ seam
Allowable uplift: 48 psf*
The standard seam. It is seamed along its full length with an electrical seamer, using a 360° + 90° seam geometry that structurally isolates the seam from severe wind loading.
QuadLok™ seam
Allowable uplift: 63 psf*, or 97 psf over 2′6″ purlin spacing
For extreme high-wind regions such as coastal areas. It is applied to the roof zones that carry the highest wind loads, using an electrical seamer, and meets Zone III uplift loads without exterior clamps or brackets.
* With a 24-gauge panel over 5′0″ purlin spacing. Loads are generated from ASTM E1592 testing and include a 1.65 safety factor per Corps of Engineers 07416. They have not been increased by the 33% some codes allow when wind load controls. We run the calculation for your exact site before you commit.
Standing seam vs. exposed fastener
Both are real roofs and we will quote either. The honest difference is where the maintenance lives.
| Standing seam | Exposed fastener | |
|---|---|---|
| Fasteners in the weather surface | None | Thousands, each with a washer |
| Thermal movement | Absorbed by floating clips | Resisted by the fasteners |
| Low-slope suitability | Designed for it | Limited |
| Recurring maintenance | Minimal | Periodic fastener inspection and replacement |
| Up-front cost | Higher | Lower |
Tested and listed
The ZEUS-Shield system has been tested and certified by independent testing agencies and laboratories.
Listings and tests
- • Underwriters Laboratories UL-90 Classification, Construction No. 506
- • Factory Mutual Class 1-90 and 1-165 Listing
- • Corps of Engineers CEGS 07416 uplift test
- • ASTM E1592 uplift test — three tests each span, each gauge
- • ASTM E1680 air infiltration
- • ASTM E1646 water leakage
Results
- • Air infiltration, 24″ panels: 0.0005 CFM per sq ft
- • Air infiltration, 16″ panels: 0.005 CFM per sq ft
- • Water leakage, 16″, 18″ and 24″ panels: none at 12 psf
UltraRidge™ ridge cap
The ridge is a common leak point on standing seam roofs, because the roof moves with temperature and a fixed ridge detail does not. UltraRidge™ is a stationary ridge cap: the roof panels float underneath the ridge flashing, sealed by a flexible silicone membrane that keeps the ridge watertight through that movement and stands up to UV exposure. It is designed for 6″ of thermal movement — 3″ uphill and 3″ downhill.
TRINAR® Cool Chemistry® finish
ZEUS-Shield roof panels are finished in TRINAR® (KYNAR 500® / HYLAR 5000®) with the Cool Chemistry® Series — ceramic infrared-reflective pigments that reflect infrared energy while still absorbing visible light. The panels stay cooler in the sun, including in darker colours, so less heat is transferred into the building below.
Your standing seam roof is covered by our 50-Year Paint Warranty.
50-Year Paint Warranty, 50-Year Rust Perforation Warranty, 60-Year Structural Warranty, and Lifetime Warranty on Hardware — all transferable to the next property owner.
All four coverages are Limited warranties. See our warranty disclaimer for the full terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ZEUS-Shield?
The standing seam roof system we supply. It is a patented metal roof system made up of three panel profiles, two seam types and the UltraRidge ridge cap, and it holds UL-90 and Factory Mutual listings. When we quote a standing seam roof, this is the system on the building.
What actually makes a standing seam roof different?
Where the fasteners are. A through-fastened roof is screwed straight through the face of the panel, so every screw is a hole in your roof sealed by a rubber washer. A standing seam roof is held by concealed clips under the seam, so nothing penetrates the panel surface. That single difference is why standing seam outlasts exposed-fastener roofing on the same building.
Why do the panels need to move?
Steel expands and contracts with temperature, and a long roof run moves a meaningful amount between a January night and a July afternoon. ZEUS-Shield clips allow 3 inches of panel movement while the clip stays fixed to the structure, and the UltraRidge ridge cap is designed for 6 inches. A roof pinned at every point fights itself instead, which is what elongates screw holes and works fasteners loose over time.
Can I put a standing seam roof on a low-pitch building?
Yes, and it is usually the right answer. The ZS-T24 panel is built predominantly for low-pitch roofs up to 3:12, which is exactly where through-fastened panels struggle, because water moves slowly and sits at every penetration. Tell us your pitch when you ask for a quote and we will specify the correct profile rather than defaulting to one.
Will it hold up in high wind?
That is an engineering question with a real answer, not a yes. Uplift resistance depends on the seam, clip spacing and purlin spacing, and what your building needs depends on your wind zone and exposure. The standard TripLok seam is rated for 48 psf of allowable uplift, and the QuadLok seam used in coastal and other extreme high-wind regions for 63 psf, both with a 24-gauge panel over 5-foot purlin spacing. We run the calculation for your site before you put money down, and the drawings we send are stamped for your state.
Does a standing seam roof cost more?
Up front, yes - more material in the seam, more labour, and a clip system instead of screws. Over the life of the building it is usually the cheaper roof, because the maintenance item on an exposed-fastener roof is the fasteners themselves, and there can be thousands of them. Ask us to price both on your building and compare the numbers rather than the generalisation.
Is a metal roof noisy in the rain?
Not on a finished building. The noise people remember comes from a bare panel over open framing with nothing between. On an insulated building with a finished ceiling, a standing seam roof is no louder than asphalt shingle - and the insulation is going in anyway.
Get a standing seam roof priced on your building
Tell us the size, the pitch and where you are building. We will specify the right profile and seam for your slope and wind zone and send the price in writing.
- No obligation — we’ll send the price, not a salesperson to your door.
- Engineered drawings stamped for your state.
- 60-Year Limited Structural, 50-Year Limited Paint, 50-Year Limited Rust Perforation, and Lifetime Limited Hardware warranties.
- Delivered nationwide, all 50 states.