How to Install a Metal Roof
Metal roofing is an increasingly popular material used to protect homes. Unlike what other people think, metal roofing is not noisier than normal roofing materials, nor does it make your home more likely to attract lightning. If you’re interested in getting a metal roof for your house, here’s how to install one.
Materials
Measuring tape
Drill bit with 1/3 inch screw head bit, 5/16 screw head bit and standard Phillip’s bit
Orange chalk
Extension ladder
Hammer
1/2 pound of 1 1/4 roofing nails
Metal roofing screws, including 1/4 inch wood screws and 5/16 metal lap screws
10 pounds Phillip head screws, three inches long
Metal cutting scissors
Cloth nail bag
Roofing shovel
Roofing felt
Metal roofing
Foam rubber
Procedure
Measure to determine how much metal roofing is needed. Measure the height of your roof and add at least two inches of overhang. Measure the length and the height of all sides of your roof as well.
roof installation
Go to a local roofing supply house and have them provide the roofing material in the required measurements.
You can use two kinds of metal roofing to install. One is the R-panel metal roofing, which has high ridges and uses 5/16 lap screws to install. The other is the V-crimp roofing, which does not require lap screws to be installed. The V-crimp roofing is generally easier to install.
Remove old shingles, if you have any, using a roofing shovel.
Lay down roofing felt as base.
Lay down the metal edging first. It should run throughout the perimeter of the roof, and nailed in using the 1 1/4 inch roofing nails.
Pull up the metal roofing with the help of your friend, and start on the right side if you are right-sided, left side if you are left-sided. If your measurements are correct, the whole section should cover one section of the roof perfectly.
Use the 1/4 inch metal wood screws to screw the roofing into the wood slats. You can also have the help of a chalk guide, as you need to put in the screws every two feet on both sides, except for the first sheet, as you need to put the screws in the center and the inside edge of the sheet.
For a V-crimp roofing, have the next metal sheet overlap the first sheet. One crimp above should overlap another crimp underneath. Do this until you reach your last sheet.
Once you’ve installed the last sheet, measure out the extra space over the edge of the roof. Mark it and use your tin snips to cut it off. Screw in the sheet and do the same for the other edge.
Put in the lap screws if it is the R-panel. 5/16 lap screws should be used every four feet where the two metal sheets overlap.
Put the metal trim on top. Notch it in the middle to bend it easily. It should be covering the sides of the roof at the edge, as well as the top peak.
Put foam rubber made especially to follow the design of R-panel holes and push them up into the openings against the edges. The glue will self seal itself in. If you’re using V-crimp, there’s no need to do this.
Do the ridges with the R-panel by using foam enclosures to fill in the gaps at the top of the sheets. Use the special metal ridge for R-panel or V-crimp to screw it in either side. This should be at the high points where the R occurs in the R-panel, and installed with the 5/16 lap screw. Do this every two feet on both sides.
For the V-crimp, use 1/4 inch metal wood screws on either side to the highest point. Do this on two feet on each side.