Can a standing seam metal roof be installed by a DIYer or should it only be tackled be the pro’s only? Now that my roof is sheathed my wife and I are thinking of going with a metal roof instead of the asphalt shingles we currently have. Have any of you guys installed them?
Thanks
There are some instances where multiple minisplits make sense.
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Replies
Grant will give better advice I'm sure , but where will you get the panels from or how will you form them ?
What about the detailing ? Do you have a brake and the tools to close the locks.
Do you have the stagings to access the roof??
I think you just answered my question. Thanks
I wasn't trying to discourage you - just trying to point out some of the stuff required for a successful , long term application
No problem. I'm glad you pointed it out to me.
As Walter already said, there's some specialty tools involved, most of which can be rented or purchased and resold when the job is complete.
Often, when the term "standing seam" is used, "snap lock" is what's being referred to. With true standing seam, the seams are rolled together on the roof with some type of seamer. With snaplock, each panel has a male and female side and they snap together. I've done a little of the snap lock and for the most part find it lacking in some areas, especially when installing on a complex roof. I've also seen many snap lock jobs gone wrong and it's usually lack of experience on the part of the installer.
I'm not trying to dissuade you from trying to DIY, just giving warning that it may not be as simple as it looks. If your roof is not real complex, from what I've gathered from your posts, you ought to be able to pull it off with the right amount of homework. The devil is in the details - initial layout, waste vents, Gas vents, chimneys, valleys, etc.
Give me some more info on what poduct your looking at, roof design, etc. and I can give you more info.
http://www.quittintime.com/ View Image
Thanks Grant. I'll post some pics. later on my roof. My roof is pretty simple. 4/12 Hip roof with a gable on the front side over the entry doorway and small shed roof on the back. No chimney, two valleys where the gable is, one sewage vent and thats about it.
What products do you recommend for a ranch style home down here in Texas?
Talk to local roofing suppliers and maybe lumberyards. See what you can get in 24 gauge (preferable) or 26 gauge 12" snaplock metal. My favorite is Nu-Ray but these products are manufactured and distributed regionally for the most part.
What products do you recommend for a ranch style home down here in Texas?
I'm partial to brake formed roofs over roll formed. The only non-copper material I know of that can be brake formed and soldered is Terne. Any material that you can't solder will have to be caulked at the penetrations.
We've been doing quite a bit of this pre-painted terne:
http://www.follansbeeroofing.com/products/KlassicKolors.aspx
It can be soldered if need be and it has a 30 year Kynar finish on it. Materials run about $225/sq. I believe you can buy pre-formed pans, drip edge, etc. http://www.quittintime.com/ View Image
"The only non-copper material I know of that can be brake formed and soldered is Terne."
But you should mention that there is a bit of an art to soldering Terne -- which I'm sure is second nature to you. But a less skilled practitioner like me can use too much heat and find himself left with virtually unsolderable bare steel. DAMHIKT. ;-)
For us torch-wielding neophytes, copper is worth the extra $$$ IMHO. And besides, it's so perrrty!
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
Putting on metal roofing isn't that hard if you start with a plan and know the details. Can you post some photos of the house so we can see the details? Dormers, valleys, hips, steep areas, etc.
I'll get some pics posted when I get home tonight.
How big a roof? Grant posted a nice photo sequence that got me far enough along the curve for me to do my own small one -- a nice copper top for my wood-fired oven. Only tool I needed to buy was a "Handvil" to hand roll the seams - less than a hundred bucks, IIRC. Of course, the big ticket item you'll be missing is the torch, but you can do without it if you don't mind a bit of coloring on the metal from a flame instead of a tip. You can probably find the post by doing a search of threads from Grant to me.
Here's a few pics of the roof. The first has a nice shot of My Lovely Assistant taking a crack at hand seaming. The second shows pretty much all the tools I used to make the roof, except for a brake I borrowed for the long bends -- you can rent one of these easy enough. Don't have a shot on my PC here of the whole thing done, but you'll get the picture.
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Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
That's nice Mike. My roof is about 60' long by 32'. I own a torch so that would be one less item. I don't know if I have the skill though to do that big of a job.I have never worked with brakes or shears.
Well, brakes are easy -- kinda fun, actually. You make the pans on the ground so it isn't really that hard. Still, hand seaming that much roof could turn into a carreer instead of a project! But for that much area, it may be worth buying a set of seamers and reselling 'em when you're done.
FWIW, a "torch" to a tin knocker is way different from what you or I would call a torch. Years ago, I did some Terne work where I used a lump of copper on a stick heated in a charcoal stove. Now they use a torch where the flame heats a big ol' hunk of copper -- a soldering iron on steroids. They run around $300, but as I said, a regular torch will get the job done -- just not as nice.
Just for fun, take a look over at stortz.com to check out the tools. (Tho' it seems the site is down just now.)
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
I did a standing seam metal roof on my cabin. It was a snap lock version and it's pretty straight forward, especially for somebody who had never installed one before. I think it turned out good and am very happy we did it. Since then we have also done one on my dad's hunting cabin. Here's a couple pics of. And doing a 4/12 pitch would be a snap compared to a 12/12 like our cabin.
Looks good Tubby. I'm still doing some research on this. I'll try to get some pics posted to see what you guys think.
there is a guy where who roll forms the material on site for you.... spits out each piece you need in the color you want... it's snap lock... like a roll form gutter machine...
p
I've had that done. You can't put them up as fast as he rolls them so you're basically just stacking them. One of the outfits that sometimes comes here to roll onsite uses 29ga metal. Their roofs look horrible.
So are you intending to go with a copper or Terne real "standing seam"?
I used Custom Bilt Metals for my house, snap lock, Kynar coated. It takes some practice but if you can read a tape measure, build a paper airplane, and climb a ladder you can put on a snap lock roof. The only really necessary tools are tin snips and a seamer - toolbarn.com has everything you need. You might develop arthritis or carpal tunnel but cold beer bottles work well as a treatment.
The devil is in the details but there are pre-formed pieces for all common roofing scenarios. You can also get sheet stock to match and many companies offer gutter as an integrated component.
Trim and flashing add up quickly in the snap lock systems. I would also be very afraid of anything less than 26ga. I can't recommend CustomBiltMetals.com enough - great product.
There is a very good article in the FineHomebuilding articles that outlines this process. Finding a starting layout and ripping the first and last panels in order to come out looking right are the only really difficult steps.
My roof is posted on my house build thread in the Picture Gallery. I am too lazy to try to fight with this terrible forum software again to post the pics...
Good luck!
We used Custom Bilt on a job and I was not happy with the amount of oil-canning. Since you're in a completely different region you probably got material run on different equipment in a different plant.
Did you spec ribs or striations in the flats? The only issue I had was self-induced and some of my button caps holding the felt telegraphed thru.
Two ribs. The striations looked horrible to me. I don't think it would have made any difference. When you snapped a new panel on it was kicked up off the deck several degrees. You had to push it down and then drive the screws. I attribute that to the shape of the 'female' rib. They could correct it by remaking the die. I have used Nu-Ray and it sits dead flat with two ribs.
I will say that the Custom Bilt rep I dealt with was superb, and they did everything they said they would. I might try them again but I would want samples of the panels up front to check out. We went with them because of the color chosen.
Edited 12/19/2008 1:11 pm by davidmeiland
I used the same thing - two ribs. We noticed that not all panels were exactly the same size. Once in a while our layout wouldn't quite make up.
I was a DYI with metal until I did a few (starting about 1975).
I have done dozens using Snap-Lock from different manufacturers.
No it is not a true standing seam as the copper metal roofers here use. Yes is works (at least here in the PNW) First one I installed is still in service and has never leaked although the paint has faded a considerable amount.
Take care to draw the roof out, measure carefully , tools needed are basic stuff.
Touch up paint from the manufacturer is a must! (Need it to repaint any trimmed or cut pieces. Different manufacturers have different quality materials , and as mentioned there are site rolling machines (some with adjustable widths) available in most markets.
Research it before deciding it is too much for you to do.
Thanks Dt and the rest of you guys also. I think i'm going to hold off for now and just go with the asphalt shingles for now and do more research on what we want and what I can handle.
What do you do when you come to the end of a gable and must cut a sheet? Is there a trim piece for this detail? Just curious.John
Well depends on several factors. New construction I work to ensure the end to end measurements of the roof match or come close to an even ft. dimension. Remodels I find the center of the roof and measure out to the ends and see how 1' increments work.
Some suppliers here will make sheets 11" and 13" wide so you can mix sheets and come up with what you need.
Or lay it out to get the widest piece under 1' as possible and cut the last sheet to fit, then (unless I can sweet talk my HVAC shop into doing it for me on their brake)I use a hand held seaming bender to brake it up into a lip the rake trim snaps over.
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