Further Reading

If you're seriously considering a DIY standing-seam roof installation, you'd best bone up on your general knowledge regarding what is undoubtedly a great roofing solution. While successful amateur installations are not unheard of, your surest bet is to seek the help of a professional. Standing-seam roofs are made of numerous interlocking panels, which run vertically from the ridge, or edge, of the roof to its apex at the eave. The seam where any two panels interlock is raised just above the surface of the roof, allowing water to run off the roof without it dripping in between the panels. This simple structure belies numerous details of installation that, if not properly attended to, can lessen the efficacy and lifespan of the roof.

That said, metal roofing panels are generally much easier to move around than traditional clay or fiber-glass shingles. Weighing in at only one to two pounds apiece, their portability makes the logistics of lugging them onto a rooftop much simpler, so your contractor's unlikely to charge you the same rates he would for a more challenging job. You can also forego the need to tear the old roofing off, as installing a standing seam roof over the old roof is no more difficult than normal installation.

Properly installed, standing seam roofs are watertight, immune to the forces of wind and hail, fire retardant and require virtually zero maintenance aside from the odd hose-down every year or so. Indeed, they so improve the safety of your home that many insurance companies are willing to cut large amounts of money off the cost of their policies for homes with metal roofs.

If you're intent on going through with your DIY standing-seam roof installation, however, here's a few tips. You'll probably want to lay down some kind of waterproof plastic membrane over the existing roof structure, followed by a good layer of roofing paper which will ensure that water stands no chance of making it through and into your home. Don't neglect to fill in the roof's valleys (the spaces between roof surfaces). Then you'll need to cover the roof's peak with a preformed ridge-cap, which you'll need to get made to order unless you really intend to go into the roofing business professionally.

If your roof is irregularly constructed - with features like skylights, dormers or chimneys - then you need to reconsider what your goal is in doing this job on your own. In such cases, pre-made shingles just aren't going to be enough to cover the entire roof surface. The irregular areas are going to require custom-cut shingles, and working with a saw and some chalk just isn't going to be enough. What's needed is hydraulic shear called a break, a portable device used by professionals to shape standing-seam panels on-site, a feat that would take a human ten times as long to replicate.

Should you attempt to do the job yourself, the most likely result will be a standing seam roof that either looks slapped together or else is easily damaged by leaking or swelling ice caught between panels. This is when the cost of DIY standing-seam roof installation can actually outstrip that of professionals - because you'll probably need to redo the entire job at some point.

If under such circumstances you persist in your DIY efforts, the odds are that patch jobs around irregular areas are either going to look bad or result in your standing-seam roof being compromised, leading to leaking and other forms of weather damage, such as the negative effects that swelling ice can cause when caught between panels. Properly installed standing-seam roofs are subject to warranties of up to fifty years, given the nigh-on invulnerable hardiness of the materials. So don't skimp now - a once-off investment could leave you with a roof that lasts a lifetime.

For more interesting articles on DIY Standing-Seam Roof Installation check out www.DurableMetalRoofs.com