Metal roofing is a great lifetime roofing solution that offers great weather protection, reduces cooling expenses, and most of all – when installed correctly – metal roof will be a beautiful, maintenance-free roof. The most popular type of metal roofing is Standing Seam. In this guide we will walk you through entire process of standing seam roof installation.
Snap-Lock Standing Seam Metal Roof introduces a unique interlocking seam for a true standing seam roof. This roof system offers an intricate interlocking design that provides a positive panel interlock and is quick and easy to install. This roofing system provides a complete weather shield and also adds structural strength to your roof.
Snap-lock system makes roof installation much easier, compared to a traditional mechanical lock, which requires special crimping tools, and a lot of additional labor, which will make the overall cost of metal roof significantly lower.
Please first watch the ATAS Dutch Seam installation video below, to familiarize yourself with the whole standing seam metal roof installation process.
Roof Safety:
Note: Always follow O.S.H.A. safety guidelines, when installing all roofing products.
When working on a standing seam roof, you will realize that the roof is VERY slippery even when it is a walkable roof ( 3-6 roof pitch ), and using fall protection is a must.
Safety suggestions when working on a standing seam metal roof, based on my own experience installing standing seam roofs:
- Wear running shoes/snickers instead of work boots – they have a much better grip to the slipper metal surface.
- Do not take any unnecessary tools with you on a roof – you may have a special box on the roof or on the staging below roof, to keep necessary, but rarely used tools.
- Use soft knee pads – this will protect your knees from burns (in the summer), freezing in the winter, and generally preserve them for a long run – many roofers who neglected to use knee pads, suffer with chronic knee pain.
Below is a short video of a portable roof anchor made specifically for standing seam roofs, and can be mounted to a rib (seam), anywhere on the roof.
Roof preparation – installing underlayment, eave trim, valleys, first field panel and gable trim, etc.:
Installing roof underlayment:
We begin our installation by installing water and ice shields along our eave areas and valley areas as an insurance against leaking caused by an ice built up along the eave line. The use of this product is recommended in areas that have the type of climate where the freeze-thaw situation could exist. After all water and ice shields are done, we install our eave trim. After our eave trim is installed, we would install our gable rake starter cleat.
Next, we would install our underlayment. While roof installation video above, suggests using a 30 lb saturated asphalt felt as a moisture and vapor retarder – we recommend (from years of experience) to use GAF DeckArmor underlayment (or other synthetic underlayment) instead – this will give you an excellent, tear-proof and waterproof deck protection, and will be much easier to install / work with, which will negate the price difference. When using a synthetic roof underlayment, you will also avoid the need for Rosin paper, which will save you time and money.
Please notice that roof underlayment / felt is installed from the bottom of the roof to the top, overlapping the lower course with your first course, overlapping the drip edge or eave trim. Use plastic cap nails for DeckArmor. (the felt is fastened using staples or roofing nails – while video above states to not use plastic cap nails, we’ve always used them and find them to be the best fastener for roofing underlayment – just make sure the nail is sunk all the way, and head is not sticking up).
Installing Eave and Gable trim:
Before the drip edge is installed, it is a good idea to cut and nudge the end of the piece to allow for a fall over around the outside corner for finishing the drip edge. It is also recommended that you allow enough additional length to have an overlap over the pieces of drip edge. The fold over is also recommended at all other inside and outside corners. It is also easier to pre-drill the trim, to aid in the installation of the screws. By making the whole a little larger then the screws, it would allow for expansion. A scratch-all or a hand punch could also be used for this procedure. Spacing for these screws is 2 feet on center maximum. Before the panels are installed the use of a Rosin paper or building paper is recommended. This acts a slip sheet to allow the panels to expand and contract freely, without having the felt stick to the back of the panels. The Rosin paper is installed from eave to ridge to make it easier to walk on during panel installation.
This particular MRD installation will utilize a flat clip that is mostly used with a solid wood substrate. There are different style clips, some with the same profile than in a heavier gauge material, and made out of stainless steel. Some are made out of stainless steel and galvanized steel that are designed to elevate the panel above the substrate, or if it is open framing, above the purlins (horizontal structural member in a roof). This not only elevates the panel but allows you to use Hex head fasteners rather than the pancake head types screws, which must be used with a flat clip. Hex head screws are also easier to drive into the steel perlins. Also, using the raised clip eliminates the need for the rosin paper, and allows for ventilation between the panel and the roof deck.
Squaring the roof / first panel:
Before panel installation can continue, it is necessary to check the squares of the roof. We will accomplish this by using the 3-4-5 triangle method. To do this, we will measure in from the gable starting cleat the width of the panel, plus an additional 3/8 of an inch at the eave, and also at the ridge. We will then snap a line. On that line, we will measure up 4 feet vertically, and we will measure over horizontally 3 feet. That 4 foot mark to the 3 foot mark should have the measurement of exactly 5 feet, which means it would be square. If it is not square, some adjustments need to be made. Adjustments up to 1 and 1.5 inches can be made in the gable trim. Once we are sure that the gable is square, a clip will be fastened 3/8 of an inch from the starter cleat to allow our first panel to be installed without having an exposed fastener. This allows for expansion and contraction of roof panels and trim.
End of part 1
This concluded Part one of our standing seam metal roof installation guide.
See part 2 of this guide – Installing Standing Seam Metal Roof – field panels and valley
Third part of this standing seam metal roof installation guide will cover installing roof trim / finishing installation with ridge and hip caps, and will be posted on our blog in the next few days.
Additional metal roofing information:
Metal Roofing – our complete guide to metal roofing materials – standing seam, metal shingles, corrugated metal roofs, stone-coated steel panels, etc.
Standing seam panels calculator – estimates standing seam panel length and trim for hip and gable roof types.
How to install Standing Seam Metal Roof guide – similar to this guide, takes a deep look at installing Fabral’s version of snap-lock standing seam roof.
Standing seam metal roof – complete guide guide to vertical panel metal roofing – standing seam, corrugated steel roofing, tin roofing, R-panel, V5-crimp, etc.
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