The increasing emphasis on sustainability and building energy performance will drive greater demand for the retrofit of existing buildings. Metals sustainability and performance attributes make it the preferred choice for retrofitting existing roofs. But not all retrofits are the same. Join presenter DJ Highnote and Charlie Smith as they discuss the nuances of retrofitting over various roofing systems and facilitating the installation of photovoltaic systems.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify key structural considerations when deciding to retrofit an existing roof
- Learn how to retrofit over through-fastened panels with standing seam to facilitate the installation of photovoltaic
- Learn about retrofitting over asphalt shingles vs. metal roofing
Presented by and

DJ Highnote
Executive Vice President, Roof Hugger
Born into the metal construction industry, with a grandfather that was a metal building contractor-developer and a father that was a 20 plus year district manager for Varco Pruden. D.J. Highnote’s career started at a young age in the field erecting pre-engineered steel buildings. He spent many years traveling around the country as well as in the Caribbean, constructing everything from shopping centers, structures for oil refineries and numerous metal over metal retro-fits. D.J. holds a Florida class “A” General Contractor’s License. His career with Roof Hugger began in 2013 as an estimator and he has since risen to become their Executive Vice President in charge of all operations. He has also contributed in his role in directing product research, testing and the design of multiple patents for their products. He is connected to the metal industry as the retro-fit committee chair with the Metal Construction Association (MCA), a member of the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) and the Metal Building Contractors and Erectors Association (MBCEA). D.J. recently served on the committee that authored the Retrofit Roofing Video for the Metal Building Institute (MBI) and MBCEA. He is married to Michelle, his wife of 34 years, they have 4 children, 7 grandchildren and loves hunting and fishing in his spare time.

Charlie Smith
McElroy Metals
Throughout Charlie Smith’s career in the metal roofing industry he has been on a passionate mission to expand the use of metal roofing in non-conventional methods. Charlie’s efforts have made him one of the industry’s foremost authorities on recover systems utilizing metal roofing. Charlie holds several patents in the recover field including both metal-over-metal and metal-over-shingle solutions. Charlie co-wrote the two day IIBEC (RCI) Metal Roofing course and is a frequent presenter at IIBEC and other roofing industry events. In 2018, Charlie was presented the “Outstanding Educator Award” from RCI in recognition of continuous delivery of exceptional educational courses.