My brother-in-law has had metal roofing in his driveway for three months and has finally decided to install it. Here’s the problem: He can’t install it himself easily and I live too far away to give any regular help. Is there a way or tip that can get him moving before bad weather in the northeast until I can give him a hand?
Any tips or advice would be appreciated.
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Replies
Can he lean a piece against the house and then get on the roof and pull it up onto the roof? Don't do this on a windy day. And be careful when you do help him metal roofing can take a person's head off if it slides down and lands on him.
Handyman, painter, wood floor refinisher, property maintenance in Tulsa, OK
When I built my barn, and installed the metal roofing, it came in 24' lengths, which is the length of one side. I had myself and 2 of my employee's helping, and it was a blustery day. One time, half way up the ladder, a gust came, and took me right off the ladder while holding onto the panel (sail!!!). I'm 250 lbs.. Not a job for 1 person, IMHO. Plus, two guys screwing instead of one will be much better for alignment purposes.
Jeff
He needs to rig a pulley at the ridge and then reeve a line through it to haul up the sheets of steel. Vice-Grips work very well to grab the sheets, but you must not be shy to crank 'em down tight. The top edge of the sheet where you grab it won't be seen when the job is finished.
Use 1x4 skids or a ladder to get the sheets up over the eaves. Do not stand below your load while you're hauling it. If it slips, it'll kill you. Stand off to one side and don't, as mentioned by others, DON'T do this on a windy day.
Pre-drilling the holes on the ground can really make life a lot easier up on the roof, especially for a guy working alone. Layout the skip sheathing carefully so you can pre-drill and not miss.
Get a nut-driver with a magnetic insert to run in the screws.
Don't forget to run a bead of butyl rubber caulk in each lap between sheets of steel. Use a pneumatic caulking gun to do this.
Chalkline the roof carefully before you send up the first sheet of steel, and make sure you align each sheet to its marks. When you screw the stuff down, the ridges flatten if you over drive the screws. This gives the sheets a nasty tendency to spread unless you watch carefully. If you let this happen, it will throw your whole layout off.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not brought
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foolish men call Justice....
Mattk,
Have your BIL read the manufactures instructions for fastener placement and seam overlap.
Many require screws to go on the flat next to a rib rather than on the rib.
Lay out and squaring the panels to the roof is very important you can't fudge it later.
If the roof is square and the lay out is simple I like to pre drill about 4-5 sheets at a time and send them up. Install them and make sure lay out is keeping true, make adjustments and drill another set.
Screws on the flat can be hidden from view behind the ribs if you plan it that way.
When pre-drilling is not feasible, I have also used a small punch or an awl to make starter holes for screws in odd positions where I can't get behind the drill to start screws.
Keep the surface clean and dry, a little sawdust or dew can real increase the "pucker" factor. Cool sheets of steel can quickly collect condensation as the sun sets in the fall, don't get caught at the peak with no way down. (don't ask how I know)
Good Luck
Garett
I sent mine up on skids. The longest panel I did alone was 14' (and it was not too bad actually.
I had some 18's but didn't want to mess with it alone, seemed much more "whippy" than the 14'
What I did while I was laying them alone and aligning, etc, was took a section of butyl tape and stuck it in the groove of the panel already attached to the roof.
Then laid the next panel onto it. It would hold, but slide just a bit. I would make my alignments, check, recheck, check, recheck (i'm quite anal) and when I was satisfied, I would hold it in place and throw a screw into it.
I didn't do the predrill (our house roof is 70/yo and not fully square. I had to tweak here and there.
What I used was a punch once that panel was tacked. Well actually it was a 3" screw that's used for adhering hurricane panels to your house.
It has a SERIOUSLY strong and sharp point.
I also did my screw layout with a drywall square and a black sharpie. Worked great and I have wonderful screw lines.
Those are all the tips I have for doing it alone.
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WWPD
1. To get it up on the roof, roll each sheet up into a tube and restrain with a bungee cord. Attach vice grips at the overlap at the top end (this maintains the tube shape because it's now secured at 2 points). This way, you don't need "skids" or other means of keeping the sheets from buckling when they're drug up over the eave.
2. Pre-drilling is the only way to go!
3. Absolutely...use a fall restraint harness. Don't ask me why I say that.
4. Chalk line the roof, gable-to-gable, near the peak (maybe a couple inches from the peak), at a consistent dimension from the eave. Mark a corresponding point on each sheet. This allows a lone-worker to maintain a consistent overhang without having to measure it from below.
5. Every brand of steel roofing I've worked with specifies placing screws on the flat...not the rib. I've done lots and never had a leak.
Red Dog
I don't do family inlaw problems.
Besodes, it doesn't seem like that roof metal would be worth much after driving on it all summer.
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but Piffen you are the metal roof guru, that and Piffen screwed of course. at least tell him about drilling the shettes on the ground. help a bruther out.
I know, BB but a diligent use of the search button will turn uip most anything I have to say about metal installs here since I've said it half a dozen times.I'm tired tonight, the wife's been nagging me to get somthing taken care of ( half done now) and this scenario just set me off wrong. Think about it - a guy needs a roof but lets the material set for three months, and isn't going to do much until the inlaw helps him out...so the inlaw is going to give him advice from long distance that he got from a bunch of guy on the web...doesn't really sound like a winning application to me
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I know what you mean, I get that way about rebar and welded wire. you notice I kept quiet last week.