How to Install Metal Roofing

Metal as roofing material has been highly popular since the late 1800s - early 1900s. Those were the days when labor used to be inexpensive and craftsmen were available in abundance. Historical evidences vouch for the existence of simple flat seam metal roofing in buildings dating back to 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 for a lifetime. But, this kind of performance will have to be paid for because the cost to install roofing is quite expensive. For example, metal roofing can be almost three to four times costlier than, say, high quality asphalt shingle roofing.

However, the number of advantages of metal roofing easily offset its high 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 burning embers scattered by the wind 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 provide 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 roofing can also reduce your costs of cooling by reflecting part of the sun's rays.

The best part is that if it is installed properly, a metal roof is not noisier than other kinds 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 a Metal Roof

First, begin by collecting 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.
• 5/16-inch lap screws made of metal and ¼-inch screws made of wood for the metal roofing.
• A heavy-duty hammer and half a pound of 1¼-inch long roofing nails.
• About 10 pounds of 3-inch long 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 to carry 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 the length of the 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 using either the slope factor method or the rooftop 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 between each layer in order to have enough airflow space.
• There are different kinds of metal roofs, of which two are suitable for installing on residential homes. These include the R-panel, which is available in panel types of sheeting with high ridges. You will need 5/16-inch screws to install these sheets. 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. Make sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions related to the type and length of screws to use to attach corrugated metal to wood.
• Before installing new roofing, you need to decide if you are going to tear-off the existing roof or will install the new roof above the existing one. If the roof has one layer of asphalt shingles, and the roof deck is in good condition, you can continue installing the metal roofing over it. In case there are two or more layers of roofing shingles and you think your old roof is not in a good condition, you need to tear it down first. Install a breathable roofing as the underlayment before placing the metal sheets.
• If the roof deck is not made of plywood but boards, you may find spaces between the boards. In this case, you need to get a ¾-inch thick plywood and install it all over the roof deck. This will help in covering the spaces and avoid the roofing nails from being driven into the empty spaces, thus helping in securing your metal sheets properly.
• The underlayment is a very important part of any roof. You need to install an underlayment that breathes. By this I mean, it should be such that it does not allow any type of moisture to get trapped. If it does trap moisture, the deck boards will rot. The underlayment should be such that it allows moisture to evaporate.
• Install your underlayment from bottom-up and keep a six-inch overlap above and below each row. Stretch the underlayment properly and avoid wrinkling the material. Those who live in regions that receive snow fall should install one row of Ice-and-Water. Install it on the eaves and the valley of the roof. You can then continue to install the underlayment over the next row.
• 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 1¼-inch long 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. You will need to place the sheeting from top to bottom, covering a section of the roof, as explained below.
• Draw a a straight chalk line across the length of the wooden slats. Take a single metal sheet. Then using the ¼-inch metal screws used for wood, fix the roofing onto both the edges of the wooden slats. Each screw should be at a distance of two feet from each other.
• However, only for the first sheet, you need to fix the screws at the center as well as the inside edge at a distance of two feet. Using screws for the outer edge of the metal edging will not be necessary since you will be fixing the trim edging there.
• The next sheet will overlap with the first 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 with a ridge of the sheet that has already been fixed with screws.
• Repeat this process all over the roof until you are left with the last sheet. You need to measure the extent beyond the edge of the roof that the last sheet has to cover. Then, cut the sheet accordingly with the snips. Then fix the last sheet.
• Repeat the process on the other side of the building.
• After all the sheets are placed on either side of the roof, you will need to fix in the 5/16 lap screws. If R-panels are used, the screws need to be at a distance of every four feet, at the juncture where two metal sheets overlap.
• Next, the metal trim has to be installed, covering the roof's sides along the edge, as well as the ridge or 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 ¼-inch metal wood screws.
• Closures will also have to be put in if R-panels are being used. These are made of foam rubber and are usually in 3 feet long 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 from getting inside the ridges. The closures come with glue on their bottom side, which stick and self-seal themselves.
• Next, the bottom of the sheets can be screwed down. If V-crimp roofing is being used, they can be screwed in while the sheets are being installed, since no foam closures are involved.
• Next, 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 in the gaps on top of the sheets. Screw in the special metal ridge using 5/16-inch metal lap screws, for both V-crimp and R-panel. For the latter, lap screws have to be screwed in 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, 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 exercise caution 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.