Re-roofing a downtown brick building in metal
Metal Roofs · 6 min read ·
A tall downtown building gets the same metal roof a house does; the difference is access, safety and the edges. In September 2026 we put dark metal on a three-story brick building in downtown Kittanning, working from scaffolding, a boom lift and rope lines.
The building
This was a brick commercial building three stories tall with a steep gable roof, right in downtown Kittanning. The roof had old shingles on it, the eaves had painted wood trim that was weathered and coming apart, and the chimney rose well above the ridge.
None of that is unusual for a downtown block. A lot of older brick buildings in river towns around here look just like it.
Strapping over the existing shingles
We did not tear the old roof off. Wood strapping went on in rows over the existing shingles, which gives the metal a flat, solid surface to fasten to. On a roof that steep and that high, skipping a tear-off also means less debris coming down onto a busy street.
The dark panels then ran from the eave up to the ridge. For a while the photos show both at once: finished metal on one part of the roof, old shingles and fresh strapping still showing on the sections not yet covered.
Getting up there: scaffolding and a boom lift
A ladder does not cut it on a three-story wall. Scaffolding went up along the side walls, and a boom lift let us reach the eaves from below.
The same lift carried a crew member up to the top of the brick chimney. On a house we might work a chimney from the roof itself. Here, the lift was the safer and more practical way to reach it.
Tied off the whole time
On a roof this tall and this steep, the crew stayed tied off on rope lines while they worked. One of the job photos is taken from a harness, looking down the dark metal at the rope hardware with downtown spread out below.
Safety setup takes time at the start of each day. It is part of the job, not an extra, and it is one reason a tall building takes longer than a ranch house with the same square footage of roof.
New soffit and fascia at the eaves
At the eaves we pried off the old painted wood trim and finished the edges with white vented soffit and fascia. From the street, that clean white edge is what people actually notice: dark roof, white trim line, brick below.
We capped the ridge with matching trim and finished the roof edges with trim as well. The full job page has the step-by-step photos.
If you own an older building in town
Downtown jobs need a plan for the sidewalk, the street and the neighbors as much as for the roof. We work out where the lift sits, where scaffolding goes and how materials come in before we start. Check with your borough or township about anything they need for work near the street.
If you have a building in Kittanning, Ford City or another town we cover, call us at 724-954-2329 or use the metal roof quote form. Our note on chimneys and flashing covers the detail work that matters most on brick buildings.
Questions
Can a metal roof go on a three-story commercial building?
Yes. Schaub and Sons installed a dark metal roof on a three-story brick commercial building in downtown Kittanning in September 2026. The crew fastened wood strapping over the existing shingles, ran the metal panels from eave to ridge, worked from scaffolding and a boom lift, and stayed tied off on rope lines the entire time.
Do you have to remove the old shingles before putting metal on a commercial building?
Not always. On the downtown Kittanning brick building, Schaub and Sons left the existing shingles in place and fastened wood strapping in rows over them to give the metal panels a flat, solid surface. Whether the old roofing can stay depends on the condition of the deck underneath, which is checked at the site visit.
What equipment is used to re-roof a tall brick building?
Re-roofing a tall brick building usually takes more than ladders. On a three-story job in downtown Kittanning, Schaub and Sons set scaffolding along the side walls, used a boom lift to reach the eaves and the top of the chimney, and kept every roofer tied off on rope lines while working the steep roof.
Can old wood eave trim be replaced during a metal re-roof?
Yes. During the downtown Kittanning metal re-roof, Schaub and Sons pried off the weathered painted wood trim at the eaves and replaced it with white vented soffit and fascia. Replacing the eave trim while the crew and lift are already on site finishes the roof edge cleanly and avoids a second trip later.
