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TOPIC: DIY - Do It Yourself

Novice---but skilled

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I am building an addition and beginning to investigate roofing options. I want to add solar panels in the future. I think I need 16-inch wide flat Galvalume® pans for laminate type systems. I am looking at UNI-SOLAR PVL-136T Thinfilm rooflaminate panels. My real question is can I install a metal roof as a DIY'er. I am an electromechanical technician by trade (high-speed photographic equipment). I do residential home improvement on the side. I have plenty of experience laying foundations and do quite a bit of framing and finishing as well. I have very little experience doing roofing. I have helped lay asphalt shingles before but have avoided doing this because of the heat of working on a roof. This is my house thought that I am interested in improving so I would prefer to do things myself rather than hire a specialized contractor. Specifically,to install a metal roof 1)Do I need a bunch of special tools or a metal forming machine. 2)Do manufacturers give detailed installation instructions when they sell you their products. 3)Have novices had success to your knowledge. 4) Any special considerations while designing trusses...I am planning on a vaulted ceiling on one gable and an attic on the perpendicular gable...5)Any advice on adding solar panels would also be appreciated. 6)How much could I expect to budget for materials for 2300 sq ft of roof roughly?
Guest User

8/31/2006
Metal roofing is not rocket science. The problem most DIY and new contractors have is they try to install it like asphalt shingles. 1) Choose a system first as it will dictate type of tools. For vertical rib you will need a nibbler which can be rented and prepurchase most of your trims already formed. 2) Unfortunately not all manufacturers give detailed instructions. Select a product that carries a product approval which means it has been tested and approved to the building code and typivally comes with good instructions. 3) To be honest we have had excellant success with DIY'ers as they tend to read the instructions and plan the job out properly. 4) This depends on the system selected. Certaily with vertical rib panels less valleys and the proper pitch are important. Make sure you understand the building codes as to ventilation. 5)Again select a system and then contact the soloar supplier to make sure they are compatible. 6) As an association we can not comment on coist. Certainly the better the substrate and the better the coating, the more expensive the product. Also if you are looking for hail tested, fire tested, wind tested etc product you will pay more as well.
Allan Reid
Dura-Loc Roofing Systems, Inc.

9/5/2006
I am a novice DIYer who has recently installed a corragated galavalume roof on my single storey rancher. Overall, I found the learning curve to be quite steep at first, but once I got the hang of the procedures involved it was pretty easy. Basically, laying the sheets on the roof is easy - the trim, flashing and valleys took a bit more work. My house has a pitch of 3/12 & 2/12, 4 valleys, a dormer-type situation and a couple of ridges meeting at 90 degrees. To complicate the situation, I installed 1x3 boards on top of the rafters, then 1x4 boards horizontally to attach the metal roof to. Therefore as you can see it was a bit complicated - but because of my design elements. 1. I just used the 3 types of aviation snips for cutting the roofing. And a cordless drill for the screws. The valley cuts were a bit tricky, but after the first valley I got the hang of it. 2.I found the instructions to be vague and generalized - especially when dealing with dormers and flashing. But I did find the company I bought the metal from - Ideal Roofing's engineers very receptive to phone calls and emails regarding some of the problems I encountered. Also, there are a few websites out there that were very helpful. 6. The metal roof cost me about $150 (Canadian funds) per square to roof my house. This price was for unpainted galavalume and included all of the flashing, trim, valley materials, foam inserts, screws and venting ridge vents. I hope this helps Aivars Berzins
Guest User

9/5/2006
Thanks for the responce but we are not a chat room and need to taliking about price. You should be aware that the Canadian Building code requires that all roofing be tested to a CAN standard. Some type of approval is to be marked on the back of the panel. In Galvalume there are more than one thickness of metalic coating. AZ 150 is recommended as substrate for painted product however for bare it should be AZ 165.
Allan Reid
Dura-Loc Roofing Systems, Inc.

9/6/2006