How To Install Metal Roofing

Metal as roofing material has been highly popular since as far back as the late 1800s and the early 1900s. Those were the days when labor used to be inexpensive and craftsmen were available in abundance. There is also a history of proven performance with metal roofing with evidence of simple flat seam metal roofing being found in buildings dating from 3000 BC.

Metal roofing is an excellent material even for residential buildings, hence its growing popularity. By selecting the correct system, you will get a roof that can last over a lifetime. But, this kind of performance will have to be paid for, because metal roofing is quite pricey. For example, metal roofing can be almost three to four times costlier than, say, roofing made of high quality asphalt shingle.

However, the number of advantages of metal roofing easily offset its higher cost. Apart from its durability, metal roofs are completely fireproof. Hence, if you reside in an area prone to wildfires, one of the best safeguards against a ruinous roof fire caused by a burning ember blown by hot winds will be a metal roof. Plus, these days, metal roofs are made of various types of materials like copper, aluminum, polymer, zinc, tin, and steel that are environmentally friendly and recyclable. Each of these metals provides a distinctive aesthetic touch, and can be designed to suit various styles of roofing. Metal roofs can also be highly wind resistant, when installed properly. Light colored metal roofing can also reduce your costs of cooling by reflecting part of the sun’s rays.

And the best part is that if it is installed properly, a metal roof is not any noisier than any other kind of roofing material. Typically, metal roofing is usually mounted over a solid substrate. In addition, a sound barrier is also provided by the insulation and the attic. If you are thinking of installing a metal roof over the roof you presently have, furring strips can be used to raise it above the existing roof. The air pocket that these furring strips create deadens sound even further.

Well, if you are looking to give your house a distinctive makeover by installing a metal roof, given below are metal roofing installation instructions.

Materials and Tools required for Installing Metal Roofing

First, begin by collecting together the proper materials and tools that you will need. These are:

• A stepladder and an extension ladder
• A measuring tape
• A chalk line, including lots of orange chalk.
• A dependable drill along with three types of bits: a regular bit; a 5/16-inch bit for a screw head; and a ¼-inch screw head bit.
• Screws for the metal roofing: 5/16-inch lap screws made of metal and ¼-inch screws made of wood.
• A heavy-duty hammer and half a pound of 1 ¼ -inch sized roofing nails.
• About 10 pounds of 3-inch long head screws
  
• Snips, used for cutting metal. These look like large scissors and have a straight edge. They are available at regular hardware stores.
• A nail bag made of cloth that you can wear in which you can put the screws while working.

Metal Roof Installation Instructions

• Begin by finding out how much metal roofing material you will require. This can be done by measuring your roof’s height and then adding whatever length of overhang you feel like having, somewhere between 2-4 inches is standard.
• You also need to measure the length of the roof as well as the height on either side to determine the amount of metal edging you will require.
• The roof can be measured by the slope factor method as well as the roof top method. You can measure trim pieces by total length, while square feet measurement is used for shingles. While measuring, ensure including about 3-6 inches of room in order to provide enough airflow space between each layer.
• There are two basic kinds of metal roofing that are suitable for installing on residential homes: One is the R-panel metal roofing, which is available in panel types of sheeting which come with high ridges. You will need 5/16-inch screws in order to install these. The second type is known as the V-crimp roofing, which does not require the use of lap screws for installation, and hence are the simplest to install.
• Before installing new roofing, it is best to remove the old shingles. You can use a roofing shovel or a pitchfork to tear away composite shingles. Then you can create a base for the new roofing by spreading spread roofing felt or 30 lb tarpaper.
• If you have only a single layer of shingles on the roof, you can also use slat board as a base. These are pine wood boards used for building, measuring 1 by 4 inches, which can be fixed over the previous roofing with the help of 3-inch screws. These should be laid lengthwise, every two feet, starting from the bottom up to the top. The new metal roof then can be fixed on top of these boards.
• Once you have the base ready, you can begin installing the metal roof. Begin by installing the metal edging, which will run all around the roof’s perimeter. These can be nailed with 1 ¼-inch size roofing nails.
• If the metal roofing sheets are more than 12 feet in length, you will have to take the help of another person to get them up on the roof. If they measure less than that, all you need to do is lean them against the side of the building, and pull them up as required. You will need to place the sheeting from top to bottom, covering a section of the roof, as explained below:
• Take a single metal sheet. Then using the ¼-inch wood screws made of metal fix the roofing into the wooden slats or bolt down a straight chalk line across the length at every two feet. These will act as your guides since wood screws will be fixed on either side, at a distance of every two feet.
• The exception being for the first sheet, for which you need to fix the screws in at its center as well as the inside edge, at a distance of every two feet. You don’t need to into the outer edge of the metal edging, since you will be fixing trim edging there.
• The next sheet will overlap the initial sheet. If a V-crimp is used, then a single crimp or dip of the top sheet will overlap a crimp of the bottom sheet. If it is an R-panel, one lip or ridge will overlap a ridge of the sheet that has already been fixed in with screws.
• Repeat this process all the way over the roof until you are left with a last sheet. You need to measure the extra amount of space left over which goes past the edge of the roof on the last sheet. Then, cut all the way down, along this row, using the snips. Then fix in the last sheet.
• Then, repeat the process on the other side of the building.
• After all the sheets are placed on either side of the building, you will need to fix in the 5/16 lap screws, if R-panels are used, which are put in at a distance of every four feet, at the place where there is overlapping of two metal sheets.
• Next, the metal trim has to be installed, covering the roof’s sides along the edge, as well as the ridge or top peak of the roof. This will have to be notched in the middle so that it can be bent over the roof’s ridge. The metal trims are fixed at a distance of every two feet with the ¼-inch metal wood screws.
• Closures will also have to be put in if R-panel is being used. These are made of foam rubber, which are available in 3-foot lengths, and are designed according to the holes of the R-panel. These have to be pushed into the openings along the edge of the roofing in order to prevent animals and birds getting inside the ridges. The closures come with glue on their bottom side, which stick and self seal when they are put in.
• Next, the bottom of the sheets can be screwed down. If V-crimp roofing is being used, since no foam closures are involved, they can be screwed down the bottom while the sheets are being installed.
• Then, the ridge will have to be done. If R-panels are used, they come with foam closures just like the bottom closures, the only difference being that this will be used to fill into the gaps on the top of the sheets. Hence, these need to be placed at the ridge on top of the sheets, so that the gaps are filled. Next, screw in the special metal ridge on the ridge using 5/16-inch metal lap screws, either for the V-crimp or the R-panel, at the high point were the R occurs in the R-panel sheets. This has to be done at a distance of every two feet on wither side of the ridge.
• If V-crimp roofing material is used, the ¼-inch metal wood screws have to be used on either side of the Vs, at a high point, although not at the highest point. Again, fix these at a distance of two feet on both sides.

There, with this you are done with installing your metal roofing, and you can sit back and take pleasure in your handiwork.

Note: You need to take proper precautions while attempting to install any kind of roofing. If the building is too steep, or the roof is difficult to walk on due to the angle or pitch of the roof, it is best to take professional help.