Guys, Doug Schmit here, your roofing Bloomington IN expert from Equity Builders, returning with more advice and methods. Today, we'll discuss how to cut metal roofing with you.
We have a huge, beautiful red metal roof behind us. We have a lot of do-it-yourselfers who ask if they can accomplish it on their own all the time.
It appears to be a simple procedure when observed from the outside, and it is. However, you can accomplish it if you study YouTube videos.
There's not a lot of difficulty in installing these sorts of roofs, as long as you understand the ABCS ( basics, balance, compaction, and seal) of what you're doing.
Cutting Metal Roofing Safety
Let me show you how to do it correctly in a few words.
But first…
Let's go through some metal roofing safety precautions.
When you're working with metal, it's quite simple to cut yourself a lot of jagged edges.
So, for sure, you'll need a pair of gloves that do not only impact-resistant but also prevent you from cutting your hands.
When working with metal roofing, you must wear something like this.
I'm going to use only my regular glasses for this.
Of course, you'll also want some safety goggles. When working with any sort of construction, it is usually a good idea to wear safety glasses.
The Best Way to Cut Metal Roofing
When it comes to the best method of metal roofing cutting, one of the most important things you'll need is a good pair of shears that are designed for metal.
Get a pair of stainless steel wire cutters instead of your normal scissors. They work in the same way as scissors, but they can cut through anything from 29 to 26 gauge metal or whatever you're working with, just like your sisters slice through paper.
They also come with a cable attachment for a cordless drill, which is particularly useful and will perform your sniping for you simply by pulling the trigger.
You may cut your round discs. Is there a problem with the metal roofing's curvature or ribs, as it may be difficult to get into some tight spots?
You may discover that you have rot or mold on your chimney, which is frustrating because it makes it difficult for things to be properly closed up.
On a flat roof, you'd have something like this to pop the shingles off of. A boot, for example, comes in various-sized pipes and is used to lift the shingles on a regular shingle roof.
If you're doing a metal roof, you'll notice that there's no way to get the boot to seal around the metal. Because of this, they make boots like this to fit on a metal roof.
It's flexible because it can be cut for various hole sizes for various size pipes.
We can install it in any location on your metal roofing, shape it around the ribs' contour, and make whatever adjustments are needed.
We might as well put a screw every inch or so all the way around, which will compress the rubber boot and prevent it from leaking.
So there are little methods like that, which you'll need to learn a bit about.
If you're going to try it on your own, I'd recommend hiring a professional because leaking the roof is unpleasant and you need to know what you're doing.
We'll get up on the roof and show you how to do this in detail right now.
You can see the bar along here, which is designed to keep your snow and ice from flowing down and tearing off your gutters.
There are three ribs, so I'll demonstrate how the boots look on a real metal roof and how they fit around the ribs.
The Best Way To Cut Corrugated Metal Roofing
Let me show you how to cut corrugated metal roofing the right way.
So I showed you down by the truck how they construct the boots to fit around the pipe, which also conforms to the metal riffing's contours.
You must attach a boot to the rib in such a way that it conforms around the curves of your metal, depending on where your rib is positioned concerning your pipe.
All of these had leaks, which is why they've been repainted. So someone has gone around and caulked the entire perimeter to prevent future problems.
Normally, you don't need to caulk the metal. The metal will fit snugly enough around the boots to keep them waterproof and free of leaks.
Then you've got a nice rubber flange that will seal tightly around your pipe and prevent water from in.
They're made in a variety of sizes, and they also produce huge enormous ones for your solo tubes.
It's the same thing, only with an adjustable flange that will fit around those curves.
How To Cut 29 Gauge Metal Roofing Panels
Okay, now that you're learning how to cut 29-gauge metal roofing panels, there's one thing you should be wary of when using your own.
The metal on this sheet is a 29-gauge, which has been painted. Whatever color you choose, keep in mind that while your circular saw will cut through this metal, it may be a mistake.
You may attach a metal blade to it and chop it with that, but the problem is that your blade's speed will get too fast, causing excessive heat to be generated on this metal, which will damage the paint.
After a few years, you'll have a lot of rust on your metal roof that you don't want.
So, to prevent the heat from reaching optimum levels, use some snips. It's a little slower, but given the scope of your project, it won't add much time to it.
Using your snips, cut off the metal raffling. It will go through it easily.
You may cut circles for your pipes or anything else you wish to cut around for your vents.
Make sure you put on your gloves. If you don't wear any protective gloves, it's quite easy to slice yourself on the metal roofing.
Because it will produce too much heat, you should avoid utilizing a skill saw or any other kind of circular saw with a high speed.
It looks fantastic the day you're done, but after a year or two, you'll notice rust accumulating on it.
Many people make the mistake of thinking that metal roofs are impervious to leaks and damage. But, as we’ve learned from our experience installing these types of roofs, that couldn't be further from the truth. Metal roofing is not immune to wear and tear like other materials like shingle or tile; it requires maintenance just like any other material does to prevent rust and leakage over time.