Further Reading

DIY standing-seam metal roof installation - to someone experienced in the industry, odds are these words would sound ludicrous. The fact is, there have been a lot of people trying of late, and a lot of people failing. The motivation of these would-be MacGyvers is obvious enough - they're hoping to make a saving on the metal roofing contractor they won't need to hire, followed by the further savings in terms of electric bills and insurance policies that having a metal roof puts you in for.

Now, sure, the mindset is one a lot of people can identify with right now - the economy's as low as can be and many people have found themselves the victims of retrenchments or big wage cuts. And there are a number of companies that make metal roofing shingles for just this purpose - for the amateur, DIY metal roofing contractor. These panels, as they're advertised, clip together easily, either by hand or with a minimal number of tools. The problem that you're likely to run into when trying to use such products is that they're uniform, designed for a uniform roof-shape.

The thing is, it's the rarest of homes that has a standard roof shape. Most homes have a skylight, chimney, sidewall or dormer up there somewhere, and in all likelihood, without the right reshaping tools, you're going to leave weak spots in the areas where you have to work around these structural irregularities. This means that you could leave yourself open to damage by rain, snow and ice, not just to the external but to the internal structure of the roof too. So your attempt to save money may well incur the need for a serious, expensive repair job that you can ill afford. And this, when a well-installed roof could last you for literally a lifetime. So ask yourself: Is the risk worth taking?

So, if you don't happen to live in a Toblerone- or matchbox-shaped residence, get on the phone to a metal roofing contractor and start haggling. The cost of installing a metal roof once you've laid hands on the requisite parts is not that high, as the labor required is so much less. The job should proceed relatively quickly, and if the contractor charges by the day, so much the better.

If he doesn't, and if he isn't willing to budge from what you take to be an unreasonable price, start shopping. Your first stop should be your family, friends and anyone you know with ties to the construction and renovation industry. Don't be afraid to tap these connections, as with a referral you stand the best chance of getting good service - the contractor is more likely to see you as representative of a body of past or potential customers, and so will be more interested in impressing you with his strong skills and reasonable rates than in taking you for everything that you have.

A 'brake' is the device employed by most residential roofing contractors that need to cut parts to fit the particular angles of a unique roof, and you should determine beyond a shadow of a doubt that your metal roofing contractor intends to use one. If he doesn't, well, a saw in human hands can never approach the efficiency of a hydraulic-powered, jagged-toothed saw, and the job is likely to stretch out far longer than it should, leaving you with shoddy, hand-cut panels and debt you don't deserve.

Learn more about Metal Roof Installation and Metal Roofing Contractors at DurableMetalRoofs.com.