- I get the appeal of “seconds” for sheds and barns, but I’d nudge folks to consider recycled or reclaimed metal panels too.
- Sometimes you can find used panels from demo jobs or salvage yards—usually cheaper than new, and you’re keeping stuff out of the landfill.
- I’ve picked up some old corrugated sheets before that just needed a quick power wash and a bit of straightening. They ended up looking pretty cool on my chicken coop, honestly.
- One thing I’d watch for: older panels might have lead paint or coatings you don’t want to mess with, so a quick check is smart.
- If you’re in a spot where hail or wind is a big deal, I’d lean toward panels with a known history (or at least a decent thickness). Some seconds are super thin and dent if you look at them wrong.
- For anyone thinking about the environmental side, new “green” metal roofing (like panels with high recycled content or cool roof coatings) can be worth the extra up front. My neighbor’s place runs noticeably cooler in summer since they swapped to a reflective metal roof.
- Warranty’s a biggie, yeah, but sometimes local roofers will give you a labor warranty even if the material’s secondhand. Not always, but worth asking around.
- At the end of the day, if it’s just a shed or animal shelter, I’d go for whatever keeps the rain out and doesn’t break the bank. But for anything attached to your house, I’d probably skip seconds and look for something with a bit more traceability... or at least something that won’t make your insurance agent twitchy.
- Just my two cents—sometimes the “green” route is also the cheap one, if you’re willing to hunt around a bit.
I get the point about using reclaimed panels, and I’ve definitely seen some cool projects with old barn tin or salvage yard finds. But I’ll admit, after a couple of headaches, I’m kind of off the idea for anything that needs to last. I tried using some “rescued” sheets on a little mower shed a few years back—looked fine at first, but I ended up chasing leaks for months. Turned out there were pinholes I missed, and patching them was more trouble than it was worth.
Maybe I just had bad luck, but for me, new panels (even seconds) just feel like less of a gamble. At least you know what you’re getting, and you don’t have to stress about hidden rust or weird coatings. Around here (lots of wind), thinner stuff gets noisy and bends in a hurry... so I’d rather pay a bit more for something sturdy, even if it’s not “green.”
That said, if you’re just throwing up a quick chicken coop or wood shed, I totally get the appeal of saving a few bucks and keeping stuff out of the landfill. Just depends how much time you want to spend fixing things later.
At least you know what you’re getting, and you don’t have to stress about hidden rust or weird coatings.
Totally hear you on that—hidden rust is the worst surprise. If you do want to try reclaimed again, I’ve found it helps to lay the panels out in the sun and hose them down first. Sometimes pinholes show up better that way. But yeah, for anything that’s gotta be watertight, I lean toward new or factory seconds too. Salvaged stuff is more for my garden sheds or compost bins these days.
Hidden rust is like the jump scare of roofing, honestly. I tried using reclaimed panels once—thought I was being thrifty, but ended up chasing leaks for weeks. Do you ever run into weird leftover nails or screws stuck in those panels? That’s bitten me before. For anything I actually care about staying dry, I’m with you—new or factory seconds just feels safer. Salvaged stuff is fun, but man, it’s an adventure every time.
Leftover nails and screws are the worst—I've seen panels that looked fine until I started pulling them up and found all kinds of surprises underneath. Ever notice how some reclaimed panels have holes that don't line up with anything you need? Drives me nuts. I get why folks want to save money, but honestly, chasing leaks or patching random holes just isn't worth the hassle for me. Have you ever tried factory seconds from local suppliers? Sometimes you get a weird color, but at least you know what you're dealing with.
