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Improper Installation of Metal Roof

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Guest User
9/8/2004
A contractor just finished installing a ribbed panel metal roof over purlins on my 30' x 70' gambrel roof shop. I was concerned with his method of driving the screws. He chose to ignore my suggestion to drill the holes. (he started them through the metal with a hammer, which, in my opinion created an unecessarily large hole and a dimple nearly as large as the neoprene washer) As I expected, during it's first exposure to rain today, I observed about a dozen drips. I am looking for a published reference that suggests that this is not an accepted method of installing the screws. I believe that this should be a common sense matter, but I need something to back me up if this situation ends up in litigation. I have a significant investment in material and labor and am at a loss as to how it could be remedied other than having new material properly installed. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Allan Reid
Dura-Loc Roofing Systems, Inc.
9/8/2004
You should first contact the manufacturer and get their recommendations. Some vertical rib panels are fastened in the ribs and some in the flat and some both and generally depend on factors of sheet length, pitch, steel thickness, profile and screw type. I can say that most screws are designed to be self drilling so that creating a sart in the metal is not generally necessary. Generally pre drilling is done to keep the fasteners in line especially if it was fastened in the ribs. Check that the screws were not over driven which will misform the rubber seal and cause leaks which would be made worse by dimpling.
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