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Metal Roof – Rake edge treatment

hoosier | Posted in Construction Techniques on September 12, 2006 04:20am

I’ve posted before regarding my intention to replace my roof shingles with pre-formed standing metal seam.  I’m considering doing the work myself since my roof is fairly simple (no hips or valleys); however, there is a detail that concerns me – The roof is what I’ve heard referred to as “Swiss style.” In other words, it has a flying gable where the rake edge angles outward from the eave to the ridge.

I’ve communicated with a manufacturer’s sales rep and one of their technical people. Both said to treat the rake edge like the eave. That makes since, but since the roof is a little over 46′ in length on the main section, I’m having trouble figuring out how to fold or hem the rake edge.

Take a look at the scale drawing (using 18″ wide panels).  The outer two panels would be about 23′ in length – How would you bend/fold or otherwise put a finished edge on the eave? The sales rep I emailed mentioned using a portable brake – I’ve never used one, but is it feasible to put a fold on a 23′ panel using a brake?

I plan to get back in touch with the technical guy to see what he recommends, but I’m curious about ideas you all have.

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Edited 9/11/2006 9:22 pm ET by Hoosier

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  1. seeyou | Sep 12, 2006 04:44am | #1

    how do you treat the eaves with this product normaly? Do the roof pans fold over a drip edge? What guage is the roof? Exposed fastener or hidden fastener?

    I don't think you can use a portable brake to form the hem on preformed pans. You'll probably need a set of hand tongs and hand fold the hem.

     

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    1. Piffin | Sep 12, 2006 05:25am | #2

      I'd be wrapping it in place too. 

       

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    2. hoosier | Sep 13, 2006 05:20am | #4

      What gauge is the roof? 24 gauge.

      Exposed fastener or hidden fastener? Hidden clips, but exposed screws are called for in the pans at the eave edge.

      How do you treat the eaves with this product normally? Do the roof pans fold over a drip edge? A drip edge goes down first, and then a piece of narrow stock the pan rests on and is screwed into. The end of each pan is folded/hemmed under by 2” or so to form a finished edge. The hemmed panel edge is supposed to overhang the drip edge by about 1 ½”. With the mfr. telling me my gable is an "extension of the eave," I'm picturing a line of exposed screws going up the rake edge.I don't think you can use a portable brake to form the hem on preformed pans. You'll probably need a set of hand tongs and hand fold the hem. – That makes sense to me.  I actually have the bending/folding tool Dave mentioned in his post.  Being a tool junkie, I found one on ebay for less than what the mfr. charges, so I picked it up.  It bends up to 24.” Whether I were to use tongs, or the bending tool I have, I didn’t know how easy or hard it would be to bend a such a long section of metal (~ 23ft) 2 feet at a time.  I guess I would have to make 2 - 3 passes down the edge to get the full hem formed.

      1. davidmeiland | Sep 13, 2006 07:25am | #5

        It's going to be tough to get a nice looking edge using the 24" tool. Really tough.

        I wonder, since you're using a drip edge, if you couldn't just cut the panels so they overhang the angled roof area slightly (1"?) and leave it at that?

      2. User avater
        caveman | Sep 13, 2006 07:37am | #6

        Unless you like the corrugated look, it's gonna take alot more than 2 or 3 passes to hem 23'.  It'll look like Kink City...

        I'd try and fab some type of jig using hardwood, half the length of the stock and just shift it back and forth, folding each half a little bit at a time. Someone like seeyou could probably do a clean job by hand, but for a rookie...your facing a challenge. It's not really hard work, it just takes practice and experience to get a clean detail.

         

        Edited 9/13/2006 12:48 am ET by caveman

      3. catfish | Sep 13, 2006 03:26pm | #7

        On the FL gulf coast, both the eave and rakes have a receiveer for the edges. It is screwed down on the drip, and the vertical seams are cut back to allow the bottom of the panel to slide in.  This is 110 plus mph windload.  That should allow you to minimize the number of exposed fasteners.  Seam tape under the rake panels and sealant in the reciever will complete.

  2. davidmeiland | Sep 12, 2006 09:00am | #3

    A normal roof edge uses what we call 'compensating gable trim' out here. The roof edge is parallel to the panel joints, and the edge of the last panel is bent up at 90 degrees right where the roof sheathing ends, then the gable trim is hooked over that and screwed to the rake rafter.

    In your application that would be a disaster, because all of the water coming down the panels would hit that trim. Sounds like you'd better plan on cutting the panel ends at steep angles to match the angle of the roof edge, then bend them down for a sort of self-edge.

    The guys who did my metal roof had a sort of hand-held brake tool that let them make neat, straight bends. It was basically two pieces of flat stock welded together with a thin spacer between, the whole thing about 3 feet long. They slipped it over the panel edge and swung it up or down to make their bends.

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