Improper roof on residential house

Jessy, ideally a residential metal roof is installed with a vapor barrier. I find it hard to believe that for 15 years the roof preformed and now it is failing. An improperly designed and/or installed roof would have problems within the first year of installation. Not knowing the geometry of your roof there might other reasons why you have stains on the ceiling. Check to see if you have pipe penetrations up slope from the stained area. You might have a condensation issue. Make sure you are using bathroom fans, if there is any. The condensation problem might be solved with additional ventilation, a balanced system is critical to reduce the condensation. Send us photos and we might be able to provide some better assitance.

I purchased my home in August 2011. Before purchase I had a house inspector check out the house (house was built in 1997), and he stated the metal roof looked good and all the fasteners appeared to be attached correctly, etc. However, now barely 6 months after purchase of the home, the roof is leaking (currently water spots on the ceiling inside in two different rooms). I had roofers come out to look at the roof and they said the roof is awful, that there is no subfloor/decking, no felt/tar paper or underlayment barrier, and the joists are on 4 foot spans instead of 2 foot spans like they should be. They also found multiple places where when screwing down the metal panels the installer had missed and left the open screw holes. The original installer also used very thin panels that were not meant for residential use, and the panels are not interlocked, they are screwed together, and are coming apart. This roofers recommendation was to completely re-do the roof. Take off all the old panels, add in the extra rafters to make it 2 foot spans like it should be, then deck and felt the roof, and then put on new residential panels. Ballpark estimate: $12,000-$13,000. I had a second roofer come out to look at the roof also. They looked at the outside, then had their guys get on the roof and measure the roof. Then he opened the attic access panel and just looked up in the hole from the ground (never actually went in the attic). This roofers recommendation was to re-do the roof. However, this roofer said they wouldn't bother with the decking and felting, instead they would add in a couple of extra cross boards (not sure what they are called - the long boards that span the length of the roof over the trusses). Then they would put new residential (R-panels) on with a vapor barrier under them. Ballpark estimate: waiting on a call back from this roofer with estimate. My question: What is the proper installation for a metal roof on a home (residential building)? Is it possible to repair the current roof, or better to replace it? If I need to replace it, what is the best option both for the life of the home and financially?

This is a picture of the framing and roof in my attached shop/garage, but it looks the same in the attic (same roof).

View of 2nd leak inside. This is on the back wall of the house in one of the bedrooms. It is in the original house/roof, not the addition.

I just uploaded some pictures, I believe they are waiting to be approved and posted. Hopefully they will help. Thanks for your assistance! Right before I noticed the leaks for the first time, we had two days of storms and heavy rain. During these storms there was high wind and the rain was blowing sideways. It blew in the door to my office (master bedroom) and flooded part of the floor also. I told all of this to both roofers and to the insurance adjustor that came out to look at my office floor and the roof. Both roofers said the problems with the roof were due to poor workmanship/installation, and the insurance adjustor said they will not pay anything to repair the leaks or repair the roof since it was due to poor workmanship/installation, which is not covered under my policy. If he could say for certain the problems were caused to blowing rain or high winds, then they would be covered. I was not happy when he left. I was also trying to figure out how the roof could have been ok since it was put on in 1997 and now is leaking, but they are claiming it is poor workmanship/installation. Didn't make sense to me either, but so far all three "professionals" I've had look at it are telling me the same thing.

Thanks Todd. On the ridge vent, don't the ridges in the panels (where the ridges are raised where the roof meets the house and those channels are open) provide the intake for it? Also, during the storms we had with the high wind, there was rain blowing in under the ridge vent. In my shop you could stand under the ridge vent and get sprinkled on, which had to be doing the same thing in my attic, which I'm sure is a big part of why the insulation was wet. However, when I told this to the roofers, they both basically said that there isn't really anything you can do about it blowing in under the ridge vent, and just suggested the decking/sheathing and felt paper....which I didn't see how it would help the insulation from getting wet from the ridge vent even if it was done.

Great advice from Dick. Building codes and manufacturer instructions do allow many metal roofs to be installed without decking. However, personally I am often not a fan of it because it does increase the potential for condensation issues. Avoiding condensation is achieved through a vapor barrier as Dick pointed out, plus good ventilation. I agree with Dick that you may be experiencing condensation issues, or possibly broken down sealant ... or possible damage from foot traffic or hail since the roof is not on solid decking.

Most ridge vents, either by their design, perforated holes, screening material, or filter media, have some sort of method of blocking water from having a real clear shot to the interior of your home and attic. One product you may want to look into which probably could be added now is ProfileVent.

Keep us posted. We like to see happy endings from time to time.