Anyone ever DIY Metal Roof: Do's or Don'ts?

dladcock · Dec 24, 2013

Today we're having some trees removed around the house. 25 years ago I did a ton of work, new roof, plumbing, Central heating, etc. It's all reaching the end of it's lifespan, so slowly, we're doing the necessary upgrades and replacements.

We wanted to remove the trees before replacing the shingle roof with a metal roof. I'm getting a few estimates for the roof, but am also considering doing the job myself. Metal roofing is certainly not beyond my abilities. It's a simple roof, so there is no particular intimidation.

I'd like to hear from those that have been there-done that, for the skinny before I do something and wish I'd done it different.

Thanks for your insight! :bowdown:

dla

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tornadocaster · Dec 24, 2013

Can you throw up a couple of pic's first?
Cheers!
Gio

383 240z · Dec 24, 2013

I just did my shop roof pretty much by myself. I did have a buddy handing me panels the one day. It was easy work. I put down a grid of yellow pine 1x4's. They went around the perimeter, and along each of the purlins. You can see the pics here:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=210570

Just follow the specs for putting the screws in, don't overtighten them. make sure you use the eave and ridge blocks. Really a simple job if its a simple roof. Keith

Buckgnarly · Dec 24, 2013

If no hips or valleys, easy job. I have done corrugated and standing seam, corrugated being easier but standing seam better IMHO.....but we also see a lot of snow.

PugetDude · Dec 24, 2013

Simple low-slope metal roofs are easy for a DIYer to put up, especially over sheathing.

Here are a few tips- Make sure you get all the right accessories- ridge cap, gable and eave trims, closure strips, color-matched screws for wood/metal and metal/metal, etc.- before you start. Start square and stay square- measure as you go. Make sure you lap away from rather than into the prevailing wind direction. Put up the first sheet to verify square and mark screw locations, pre-drill with an 1/8" bitfor screws, then take it down and pre-drill a stack of like parts. This will save time up on the roof , and make all your screw hole spacing consistent. Nothing looks more amateur than random screws...
You can fudge the laps a few thou as you go to keep everything where you want it- it helps to have someone on the ground eyeing the sheets as they go up- it's easy for them to see if you're getting off kilter and can direct you to nudge a sheet on one end or the other to make it look right.
If you can't order your sheets cut to length, you can trim them with a circular saw; I just use an old fine-tooth carbide blade. (Or use an new blade and you will instantly have an old blade.) You'll also need a good set of tin snips for trim and penetrations. If the roof is too high to reach the sheets from the eaves, have the ground crew attach a padded c-clamp and a rope to help the roofers hoist them up.

Good luck.

Steep slope metal roofs with complicated hips, dormers, etc, are best left to professionals.

dladcock · Dec 24, 2013

This is the info that makes the difference! Here are some walk around pictures of the house, but none are good at describing the roof IMO.

The chimney will go away and the boxing will be addressed to appear better. I would like to adjust the roof line over the patio, making it more in line with the right side roof line.

After the roofing is completed, the next project will be siding. Here's what we have in mind of doing with that, not cheap, but hey, it's the look we want and it's the perfect opportunity to insulate along with installing new vinyl windows.

http://www.oldkentuckylogs.com/

tornadocaster · Dec 24, 2013

looks fairly straight forward. The only tricky part is the skylight. Here is a link to one of the suppliers I use up here. There are some drawings that show all the flashings you will need.
The nice thing is you can split the roof and do a section at a time so its not so overwhelming.
If its a house that you will keep forever i really recommend a hidden fastener system if not the screw-thru roofing is fine. Just make sure the screw you buy have the neoprene washer and not rubber.
Go for it
Cheers
Gio

383 240z · Dec 24, 2013

That place will look awesome after your done. We are looking at those same logs for a section of our place. Looks to be a simple roof, low pitch. I'm sure you can take on this job with great success. Buy one of these:

Very light, strong. Will make running those screws in a real easy job. Keith

dladcock · Dec 24, 2013

383 240z said:
That place will look awesome after your done. We are looking at those same logs for a section of our place. Looks to be a simple roof, low pitch. I'm sure you can take on this job with great success. Buy one of these:

Very light, strong. Will make running those screws in a real easy job. Keith

Keith, Thanks for this feedback. The Logs are a treat for us as we would love a log cabin style house, but this system will scratch that itch with a lot of benefits without having to build a new house.

dladcock · Dec 24, 2013

tornadocaster said:
looks fairly straight forward. The only tricky part is the skylight. Here is a link to one of the suppliers I use up here. There are some drawings that show all the flashings you will need.
The nice thing is you can split the roof and do a section at a time so its not so overwhelming.
If its a house that you will keep forever i really recommend a hidden fastener system if not the screw-thru roofing is fine. Just make sure the screw you buy have the neoprene washer and not rubber.
Go for it
Cheers
Gio

I did forget to mention that the skylight will go away also. I installed that a number of years ago..... and it has never leaked! It does allow a lot of light in this area, however it gets very hot in the Summer when the Sun angle is higher. We usually put a reflective curtain over the screen during Summer months.

As for splitting the roof as you say, that had really not occurred to me. My thought was to do it all in a day type project, as if rain was gonna get me. That wouldn't necessarily be the case with a metal roof retrofit.

Good thought, THANKS!

dladcock · Dec 24, 2013

PugetDude said:
Simple low-slope metal roofs are easy for a DIYer to put up, especially over sheathing.

Here are a few tips- Make sure you get all the right accessories- ridge cap, gable and eave trims, closure strips, color-matched screws for wood/metal and metal/metal, etc.- before you start. Start square and stay square- measure as you go. Make sure you lap away from rather than into the prevailing wind direction. Put up the first sheet to verify square and mark screw locations, pre-drill with an 1/8" bitfor screws, then take it down and pre-drill a stack of like parts. This will save time up on the roof , and make all your screw hole spacing consistent. Nothing looks more amateur than random screws...
You can fudge the laps a few thou as you go to keep everything where you want it- it helps to have someone on the ground eyeing the sheets as they go up- it's easy for them to see if you're getting off kilter and can direct you to nudge a sheet on one end or the other to make it look right.
If you can't order your sheets cut to length, you can trim them with a circular saw; I just use an old fine-tooth carbide blade. (Or use an new blade and you will instantly have an old blade.) You'll also need a good set of tin snips for trim and penetrations. If the roof is too high to reach the sheets from the eaves, have the ground crew attach a padded c-clamp and a rope to help the roofers hoist them up.

Good luck.

Steep slope metal roofs with complicated hips, dormers, etc, are best left to professionals.

Well, that's a pretty concise explanation of the process as I understand it thus far. Handling the panels for square and pre-drilling are excellent points. I do not foresee me ever doing more than one, maybe two metal roofing jobs, but knowing how to do them correctly and efficiently is worth more to me for the shear satisfaction factor.

Thanks for your time!

dla

Jim_No_Garage · Dec 24, 2013

Nice place you have there. The only POSSIBLE issue I see is the package unit under the eave. If you get any snow the snow pack might slide off and come crashing down on it - damaging it.

I'm not familiar with the weather patterns of North Carolina to know if that's an issue or not. I've seem some web shots of some catastrophic damage to package units in commercial sites that didn't factor in an avalanche from the roof.

Cheers

Jim

AZ Pete · Dec 24, 2013

Do not scratch the paint or coating on the metal roofing. Read the product warranty, and any installation instructions that the manufacturer provides to assure that they will back the finish for the full warranted period.

ADSR · Dec 24, 2013

That's an easy one. I would use a snap-lock hidden fastener system. I just did one on my barn and addition and it worked out very well. The exposed fastener system can leak and over a few years the grommets dry out and back off letting water in.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=snap...mIKQDQ&ved=0CGgQsAQ&biw=1680&bih=958#imgdii=_

rlitman · Dec 24, 2013

I did corrugated plastic roof on a few sheds. The mechanics is similar to corrugated metal.

One thing I learned from reading the manufacturer's instructions was that you should drill slightly over-sized holes for the fasteners. If you use self-drilling fasteners, the end up tight in the sheet, and expansion/contraction of the sheet at different rates to the roof structure (because it can get very hot in the sun) can cause it to warp. A little space around the screws lets things shift just enough to be fine.

As said above, just tighten the screws until the neoprene touches. You don't want it mushrooming way out.

Anyway, I was just roofing a shed. In a house, I'd absolutely think about the hidden fastener system. It is more expensive, but much better.

kbs2244 · Dec 24, 2013

You have to be square.
The panels are and the ridges do not allow fudging.

ADSR · Dec 24, 2013

kbs2244 said:
You have to be square.
The panels are and the ridges do not allow fudging.

Yeah, but if the roof is out to begin with, there's only so much you can do. If it's that bad, it's better to be parallel so at least the start and end cuts look good with the capping.

rodm1 · Dec 24, 2013

I found a die grinder with cutting disk works best for cross cuts and an air hammer works well for ripping the sheets.

phartman · Dec 24, 2013

1) Wear a safety belt at all times. Thank goodness I did that....

2) Take a liter bottle of Coke or Pepsi. Shake it up, and spray all over the panels you've laid down. Now you can walk on them without slipping so easily. First time it rains the sticky residue is washed away.

3) ANY sawdust on the metal panels makes the roof extremely slippery. WEAR A SAFETY BELT!!!!

tornadocaster · Dec 24, 2013

Also spray down your roof even with a pressure washer especially if you are cutting metal up on the roof. The saw dust or any havings wil start rusting immediately and stick to the paint and rust thru.
Btw the link I forgot earlier ishttp://westform.com/flashings.php?s1=general&s2=general_flashings
Cheers
Gio

dave from downunder · Dec 24, 2013

I once had a tin roof and the best advice i can offer is, never get up there with smooth soled shoes, and secondly a wet roof is like ice, i know that because i nearly fell off mine.
Only the screws stopped me going over the edge.

dladcock · Dec 24, 2013

tornadocaster said:
Also spray down your roof even with a pressure washer especially if you are cutting metal up on the roof. The saw dust or any havings wil start rusting immediately and stick to the paint and rust thru.
Btw the link I forgot earlier ishttp://westform.com/flashings.php?s1=general&s2=general_flashings
Cheers
Gio

Gio, I've found that to be true. The first dew that hits the chips will oxidize instantly. Thanks for that link. I had found several like this, but this one by far has more profiles than I have seen.

phartman said:
1) Wear a safety belt at all times. Thank goodness I did that....

2) Take a liter bottle of Coke or Pepsi. Shake it up, and spray all over the panels you've laid down. Now you can walk on them without slipping so easily. First time it rains the sticky residue is washed away.

3) ANY sawdust on the metal panels makes the roof extremely slippery. WEAR A SAFETY BELT!!!!

For real? Pepsi? I drink Coke. I could walk on Pepsi. I used to work in a grocery store, the Chip vendors would sometime spew competitors potato chip displays with cola. It made a sticky mess and customers wouldn't buy the product. The bags would stick to your hands. Have any idea how far a 12oz beer will spread? It goes on forever and you could glue carpet down with the mess. So, what you're saying has merit.

I recently had to climb on the shop roof. It's 5V tin and I couldn't turn loose of the eave to work. Borrowed a safety belt and Prusik, changed shoe type and ran up and down the roof like a squirrel. Bought my own belt and gear, so I'm good to go on that front.

lessersivad · Dec 24, 2013

I did the roof on my garage (24x28) this past summer.

It had (has) OSB and shingles. The 1st place I contacted said to simply lay a strip of foam type membrain down spaced at 2' then lay the metal over that, screwing into the OSB and it should be fine. SHOULD being the key word for me, I asked about screwing down 2x4's @ 2' then the metal. They said it would probably be a waste of money. Again another key word PROBABLY.

I decided I only wanted to do the job once if possible so I used deck screws to attach the 2x4's thru the OSB into the trusses, then the metal went over that.

So in my opinion if the house simply has OSB sheathing over the roof trusses I would suggest running at least 1x3 or 1x4 to fastened the metal to.

I measured from eave to peak then divided the distance. Made a pair of "story sticks" to get the spacing for the 2x4's and got those fastened down.

Then I measured the center to center distance of the 2x4's in multiple locations to double check.

Took the measurements and pre-drilled all the sheets in 1 stack.

It actually took longer to do all the layout work then to fasten down the metal.

Hope this helps.

dladcock · Dec 24, 2013

dave from downunder said:
I once had a tin roof and the best advice i can offer is, never get up there with smooth soled shoes, and secondly a wet roof is like ice, i know that because i nearly fell off mine.
Only the screws stopped me going over the edge.

Since we are on this topic, Shoes are one of the most important tools/safety devices when working on tin. Like I was saying, I couldn't work for fear of falling or sliding off the shop roof. The shoes made all the difference and the safety belt gave me confidence.

I once watched a crew install a metal roof on a barn. Those guys looked like spider men. They used old sofa foam cushions and would run and take flying jumps on the cushions. They stuck like fly paper to the metal. I guess the foam created enough surface tension to prevent sliding. Me, I haven't been interested enough to explore the technique.

dla

dladcock · Dec 24, 2013

lessersivad said:
I did the roof on my garage (24x28) this past summer.

It had (has) OSB and shingles. The 1st place I contacted said to simply lay a strip of foam type membrain down spaced at 2' then lay the metal over that, screwing into the OSB and it should be fine. SHOULD being the key word for me, I asked about screwing down 2x4's @ 2' then the metal. They said it would probably be a waste of money. Again another key word PROBABLY.

I decided I only wanted to do the job once if possible so I used deck screws to attach the 2x4's thru the OSB into the trusses, then the metal went over that.

So in my opinion if the house simply has OSB sheathing over the roof trusses I would suggest running at least 1x3 or 1x4 to fastened the metal to.

I measured from eave to peak then divided the distance. Made a pair of "story sticks" to get the spacing for the 2x4's and got those fastened down.

Then I measured the center to center distance of the 2x4's in multiple locations to double check.

Took the measurements and pre-drilled all the sheets in 1 stack.

It actually took longer to do all the layout work then to fasten down the metal.

Hope this helps.

O.K., I follow what you're saying here. My plan right now is to remove the shingle roof and install a weatherproof membrane, furring strips then the metal.

I do need to look deeper into the in's and out's regarding condensate and ventilation under the metal. This is one area that's still unclear.

dla

cj7365 · Dec 24, 2013

Installed this about 3 years ago, I went with standing seam, which means you cannot see any of the fasteners, this was installed over OSB, I did put a TITANIUM underlayment.

Agree with everyone else this stuff is slippery, I did not have an issue with it being wet, I live in the dersert, but make sure you sweep all the metal particles off everyday, or they will rust.

Its nice to know I wont be up there every other year replace blown away shingles, we get winds here up to 50 m.p.h

ADSR · Dec 24, 2013

cj7365 said:
Installed this about 3 years ago, I went with standing seam, which means you cannot see any of the fasteners, this was installed over OSB, I did put a TITANIUM underlayment.

Agree with everyone else this stuff is slippery, I did not have an issue with it being wet, I live in the dersert, but make sure you sweep all the metal particles off everyday, or they will rust.

Its nice to know I wont be up there every other year replace blown away shingles, we get winds here up to 50 m.p.h

Great job! It looks really good. Is this a snap together with a rubber hammer? Or did you rent the machine that rides the rib?

cj7365 · Dec 24, 2013

these slide together, no machine to ride the rib, I ordered the roof from a local company

here is their website, it has a lot of pictures, FAQ maybe will give you some good ideas

my metal building for my shop has the conventional method of installation where the fastners are exposed

http://www.muellerinc.com/metal-roofing

Firebrand · Dec 27, 2013

I recovered my garage roof with a metal product from ABC (American Building Components) called their 'SL-16' which is a standing seam product secured with sealed screws. The most important part of installation revolves around two points: 1. Smooth surface underneath the product. 2. First panel installed is the most critical as it MUST be straight as the whole rest of the roof depends on it! I spent about an hour setting my first piece along the gable end of my roof section, which is over 64' long by the ridge, but broken up with a 14' dormer and a joint with the main part of my house. No way to do it with a laser; we just had to keep trying positions by eye which meant walking out away from the building and staring back at it. It was hard to judge the whole 60'+ roof by just ONE panel, but it did make all the difference in the world with the rest of the installation. Oh, and the building's street-facing eave has a wicked swoop to it so there's no real square to base this piece on either!

BTW, this was a 12/12 pitch as well so safety lines were rigged up and over the ridge back down to parked tractors even though we worked from foam-covered ladders anchored by JD tractor wheel weights from the street side.

Having the proper cutting tools are a must but the critical thing is making it all look great BEFORE you set that first piece!

We get tons of snow here in New Hampshire and it just hits a critical load/mass/temperature and whoosh! Down it comes! Love this product!!

Tucko · Dec 27, 2013

kbs2244 said:
You have to be square.
The panels are and the ridges do not allow fudging.

NEVER assume the premade panels are square. I've installed premade metal panels that were out of square in only 36" of length. You can imagine what a pain it was to install 3/4 of a mile worth of them.....

PugetDude · Dec 27, 2013

Tucko said:
NEVER assume the premade panels are square. I've installed premade metal panels that were out of square in only 36" of length. You can imagine what a pain it was to install 3/4 of a mile worth of them.....

Who supplied you with out of square panels?

hickfied · Dec 27, 2013

Well used tennis shoes work great for walking on the tin.

Most times there will still be lubricant or at the very least dew on the metal when you start to install. Be careful!

You can leave the shingle roof on and run 1x4s aross the roof spaced on 2 foot centers.

When starting your first sheet, get it to look perpendicular to the roof line, and line it up and down by the bottom of the roof. Don't worry if it isn't square to the edge of the roof, that is what the end cap is for.

Use your tape and measure across the sheets you have laid every 4-5 sheets at the top and bottom to make sure you are running straight. You can fudge each sheet around 1/4-1/2" by pushing down or pulling up on the sheet before screwing.

Make sure you line each sheet up at the bottom, it doesnt matter what the top edge looks like, that is what the ridge cap is for.

Run j channel on the bottom 1x4 to cover the exposed edge.

Check with the manufacture for correct screw patterns. If you do not screw it correctly it will not be warranted if it blows off. Same with screw length.

If your roof is wavy, you can build the 1x4s up by sticking smaller peices of 1x4 under it in the lows to male the metal appear flat when it is installed.

inphx · Dec 28, 2013

I wish to add some questions to the thread since I’m also undertaking a DIY reroof.
Let’s say I measure a panel length needs to be 23’, I am getting an 8” ridge cap.. at the lower end by eave I guess I’m using tin snips and folding over the edge 1” of every panel . Do you pros get **** about it now being 23’ and 1” to order – or simply known that you have 8” ridge cap so you can have about 4” of sins to hide.

brownbagg · Dec 28, 2013

i did mine, it was real easy

DONT- tennis shoes and chalk line

DO-
if you doing the screw down type. stack all you tin on the ground. line up the edge and drill your pilot holes. that way all you screws will be in a line, its real easy to get off line on the roof ad then it looks like chits

metaleltr · Dec 28, 2013

Get a good screw pouch and a good cordless drill. A magnetic nutdriver is a lifesaver. Wear leather gloves. Measure multiple times. If you measure well you can order everything to length and not have to cut the lengths.
We got our panels from Menards.
The panels come in crates made from 2x6 and 2x4. You will be charged for these, it may make more sense to keep them for other projects. They also came in handy for getting the panels on the roof. Here in Ohio we were constantly fighting the wind getting the panels on the roof. We leaned 3 2x6s on the edge of the roof the we used quick grip clamps with ropes tied to them to get the panels up on the roof. In our garage which has 12ft ceilings we ended up borrowing a tractor to get the last few panels up in the roof.

brownbagg · Dec 28, 2013

you don't have to do furing strips, just tarpaper the plywood and attact directly to it. some places don't recommend furing strips due to high wind getting under the eaves

Doug B · Dec 29, 2013

As an aside, can anyone recommend a good book for detailing metal roofs? Hips,vallleys ,chinmey flashing,penetrations,etc.? I know the manufacturers provide pre-bent profiles,but I'm looking more for site bent flashing details.

cwlo · Dec 29, 2013

One question: Can you walk on the roof after its installed without denting it? Lets say I wanted to place a ladder on the roof to access a part above. Could this be done without damaging the roof?

Thanks,

Chris

cbacres · Dec 29, 2013

Invest in the better screws. I like the Zak head brand, they are a larger head, it a excellent screw. You can set the torque on some of the screw guns to set rubber evenly throughout the roof.

theoldwizard1 · Dec 29, 2013

A little moisture (dew) and those metal panels are as slick as ****.

Get a proper safety harness, rope and anchor.

Anyone ever DIY Metal Roof: Do's or Don'ts?

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