Fall Protection Anchorage for Metal Roofing

One of the biggest obstacles facing the metal roofer or building maintenance professional is safe access of a metal roof system during and after installation.
For the roofer, there are plenty of anchorage systems that can be used prior to roof panels and flashing being laid in place, but only a handful available after the roof is on and fewer still that can be installed and removed without damaging the paint or penetrating the roof panel.
For the maintenance pro, the challenge is having a permanent system in place that doesn't end up leaking, doesn't require repainting, doesn't rust or corrode and doesn't cost a fortune.
Problems both face: Compliance with OSHA regulations and standard of safety on the job site.
ABS Safety of Kevelaer, Germany, manufacturer of some of the finest fall protection anchorage systems in the world, has developed a complete line of anchorage products designed specifically for metal roofing applications that meets all of these needs at an affordable price.
With both single-user anchorage and continuous life-line anchorage systems available, ABS Safety products provide everything both the roofer and the maintenance pro need:

• Easy to install - no special tools required
• Can be used as temporary & permanent anchorage
• Rust free stainless steel (300 series) hardware and components, with aluminum clamps means low maintenance
• A standard fit for just about every metal roof panel system in the United States
• Tested in accordance with EN 795:2012
• Meets or exceeds:
• OSHA 1926.502
• ANSI Z3591.-2007
• Affordable pricing
• Great customer support

For more information about ABS Safety fall protection anchorage systems for metal roofing, go here:
http://www.rapidmaterials.com/pages/fall-protection-anchorage-systems-for-standing-seam-metal-roofing/?utm_source=blogger
or contact me at 770-405-1060 M-F 8am-5pm or email me at david.trefzger@rapidmaterials.com

The Real Cost of Snow Retention (Snow Guards)

Snow retention is a phrase that gets tossed around in construction and remodeling from time to time. Its a pretty simple concept: a device of some sort is mounted on a roof top to "retain" snow and keep it from sliding off of the roof.
Why go to all of the trouble and expense? Its just snow, right. Light, fluffy stuff?
Well, according to someone measures things like that for a living, the average snowflake weighs in at 0.00042 grams. That's about 0.0000148oz. In other words, it would take 270,270 snowflakes to weigh about as much as the all-beef patty on a McDonald's cheeseburger.
However. (This is a big word when used at the right time)
One cubic foot of snow loosely packed weighs about 15 pounds. Compacted it can weigh 20 pounds or more.
Think about this, a 12" wide, by 12" long by 12" thick slice of snow weighs as much as the average bowling ball. Even more.
Imagine a bowling ball being dropped 10 feet from your roof top and landing on something soft, like your dog or cat. Yuck. Well, fortunately snow tends to break apart a bit when it lands on something, but on the other hand, it also sticks together very well as it begins to slide off of your roof.
Lets put it into perspective. The average American ranch style house has about 3,000 square feet of roof area. lets say for argument's sake the roof in our discussion is a straight gable roof, so we can say half of the roof slopes to one side of the house, and half to the other.
So 1,500 square feet of roof per side. Now add a nice 6" blanket of snow all over than 1,500 square feet of roof. What do you have?
If the snow on your roof is nice and fluffy, you have a mass of snow that weighs 11,250lbs. Which can start sliding at any time. Of course your gutters will stop it from sliding, right? Oh yeah, don't forget about the plumbing vent pipes that sprout out of the roof. They'll help hold it too!
OK, so lets talk about the real cost of snow retention.

The REAL COST of Snow Retention is Not Having Any!

No, your gutters won't hold back the snow if it starts sliding. If you're lucky the damage will only be localized, but in most cases, you're going to have to have your gutters replaced the next spring.
Vent pipes? Eh. These days most are PVC. Which is brittle when cold. Which breaks under loads while cold. Call a plumber. And a roofer to replace the flashing after the plumber is done.
Car parked under the eave of the roof? Uh oh. I wonder if your auto insurance is going to cover the damage caused by an 800 pound chunk of snow falling on your car. Probably not. But the good news is that your homeowners insurance will pay if the snow sliding off of your roof damages your visitor's car. Hopefully nothing will slide off while the Christmas carolers are singing on your front steps. Or the postman is putting your mail through the door-slot. Or...well, you get the idea.

The Good News!

The good news is that you can do something to prevent all of these things from happening. By the way,metal roofing is not the only type of roofing susceptible to snow slide. This can happen on any type of roofing material or any roof. Even more so in northern climates where roofs are steeper. Note that the reason roofs are built steeper in snow country is not so the snow slides off easier, its because its structurally more resistant to heavy snow loads that remain on the roof!
The most important thing you can do is be proactive. Install a snow retention system during the warm dry months. Don't wait until snow is falling!

System Costs.

Depending on the type of snow guard or snow retention system you select, the cost can vary, but usually averages between $7.50 and $15.00 per foot. A premium 3 rail system such as the Syca ornamental snow guards may cost better than $30 per foot, but is ideal for short runs over doorways.
An S-5! Colorgard® system (designed specifically for metal roofs) is pretty darn reasonably. The average cost per foot for residential size projects using this system is around $10.50 per foot (materials only).
Both of these systems are easily installed using common hand-tools, look good and perform great.

How Do You Get Help Deciding What System to Use?

If you have a metal roof and are interested in the Colorgard® system you can use our online system finder to see what parts you will need. We suggest you contact us for assistance in determining the required quantities of parts; we can quickly and easily calculate and price complete systems (including volume discounts) for you in just a few minutes.
For any snow retention snow guard system, we can help. We can explain all of the options. We can tell you what tools you will need and how to install each and every system we sell.
Call us at 770-405-1060, Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm. If we don't answer the phone, we're helping other customers, so leave a message and you will get a call back, usually within the hour. You can also email us at info@rapidmaterials.com.

How to Install a Roof Vent Flashing

So you're installing a metal roof and you need to flash those vent pipes poking out here and there. This basic step by step tutorial shows that it is an easy and relatively painless task!

Step 1: Before you install metal roofing panels

Make sure that the vent pipe is not going to come up in the middle of a roof panel seam. If it is, the best course of action is move the vent pipe over a few inches and try to center it up in the flat of the roof panel. Believe me, it is far less trouble to relocate the vent pipe now than it will be to relocate it later! If you fail to do this, you will have a roof leak that can only be temporarily stopped. The only solution after the metal roof is installed is to remove the roof panels, relocated the vent pipe and reinstall new roof panels.

Step 2: Before you install metal roofing panels

Cut the decking back. You need to have clearance around the vent pipe so that the screws holding the pipe boot down are not fastened into the plywood. The screws should only fasten the pipe boot to the metal roof panel. If you skip this step , thermal movement of the metal roof panel will cause oil-canning (wrinkling) in the roof panel at the very least. Use your pipe boot as a template to decide how big the hole in the plywood needs to be.

Step 3: Install your roof panels

Follow the roof panel manufacturer's recommendations for installation. When you are ready to install the roof panel that straddles the vent pipe, carefully measure the location, mark it on the roof panel and cut a hole large enough to allow at least 1" of clearance around the vent pipe. This will allow the roof panel to expand and contract without damaging the pipe. For very long roof panels (more than 30' in length) you may want to consider elongating the hole.

Step 4: Select and prep the pipe boot (pipe flashing)

Select an appropriately sized EPDM or silicone pipe boot for your vent pipe. DO NOT use the smallest boot available for the pipe you need to flash! The most common pipe sizes are 2-4". A No-3 Pipe will fit all of these, though I would suggest going to a No 4 pipe boot for a 4" pipe. Use one that is barely big enough and you lose all of the extra flexibility you might need to accommodate the roof slope and movement of the roof panels!
Note that for "hot" pipes, such as wood burning stoves and furnaces, you should use silicone pipe boots. EPDM is pretty good for constant temperatures up to around 212° F, and can even withstand temps up to 275° F or so for short periods of time, but these hot temperatures will cause the EPDM to break down prematurely. Silicone pipe boots are good for temperatures up to around 437° continuously!
Once you've selected the right size, cut the boot so that the opening is just a little smaller than the outside diameter of the pipe. this will ensure a snug, watertight fit. You can cut the hole witha razor knife, scissors or even a good pair of aviation snips. Cut the hole to big? Throw the boot away and use another one. You will never get it to seal properly. It is a very good idea to do a trial fit now.
The boot on the left is a standard No 3 pipe flashing. The one on the right is the same boot cut for a 3" diameter pipe.

Step 5: Caulk the base of the boot

Using a high quality roofing sealant, caulk the base. Don't get cheap here. You want to use a sealant that is designed to adhere to the paint, will not degrade over time and is preferably recommended by the metal roof manufacturer.

Step 6: Slide the pipe boot over the pipe

Taking care not to get your sealant all over everything, slide the boot down the pipe to the metal panel.  If the boot is difficult to slide, trying misting the pipe with a soapy water solution. Once you get close to the panel surface, make sure the pipe boot is centered well and then bed it on the panel. If the panel has raised ribs or striations, press the aluminum base around them to get the boot to conform as closely to the shape of the roof panel as possible

Step 7: Fasten the pipe boot to the roof panel

Use screws with bonded EPDM washers. Install the screws with a staggered pattern, in other words, one on one side, go to the opposite side, then somewhere between. Sort of like tightening the lug nuts on your car. Try to keep the screws centered in the aluminum base flange. Take care not to over-tighten them. There isn't really a set number of screws required per pipe flashing, but I recommend a screw spacing of about 1" all of the way around the boot. After the boot is installed, you may also consider running a bead of sealant around the interface between the pipe boot and the roof panel, especially in colder climates where freezing water on the roof is likely.

Step 8: Inspect your work

Step back and admire your work. Seriously, check to make sure that all fasteners are snug (not overtightened), the base flange isn't buckled up. If it looks good, it probably is.
If you have questions about this process, feel free to call us at 770-405-1060 Monday-Friday, 8am to 5pm Eastern time, or email us at tech@rapidmaterials.com. Emails even get answered on the weekends and evenings!

©2015 All artwork and commentary in this blog post is the copyrighted property of the author/illustrator. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.

How to Mount a Satellite Dish (Ro Antyhign Else) On a Metal Roof

I recently spoke with a customer regarding the question: "How do I mount a satellite dish on my metal roof?"

Turns out he had one of the "Dish" companies come out to install his dish and they refused to mount it on his roof because it was metal. He ended up having the dish mounted on a 10 foot tall pole in his yard. Now he has to figure out how to hide it!

Well, the solution to mounting anything to a metal roof is easy, but first a couple of things regarding satellite dish mounting.

I contacted both of the major "Dish" companies here in the US and tried to get an explanation as to why the wouldn't mount a dish on a metal roof. I could get no answer. They simply won't address it. One of the companies actually told me the installer could discuss it with me when he came out to install my new dish!

Well, I did some more research. Spent quite a bit of time on the internet trying to determine why the dish companies won't allow installation on a metal roof and this is what I came up with:

1) Metal roofs are are more slippery than shingle roof and are unsafe for their installers to walk on. Well....

Metal roofs actually tend to be easier to walk on than a shingle roof because they have a uniform smooth surface that rubber soled shoes can grip, while shingle roofs are covered with gravel that is more or less sort of attached to the asphalt part of the shingle.

2) Metal roofs aren't properly grounded and therefore the dish can't be properly grounded.

Why do metal roofs need to be grounded? They don't. No more than any other type of roof. First of all, lightning is no more or less attracted to a metal roof than a clay tile or asphalt shingle roof. Lighting almost always strikes the tallest object in the area, which is usually a tree. If your home is on top of a hill, you really should consider investing in some lightning rods, even if you have a wood shake roof. For more information about lightning and metal roofing read this technical bulletin put out by the Metal Construction Association:
MCA Lightning & Metal Roofing Technical Bulletin

Grounding the dish. The dish companies require that the dish be grounded to the house electrical ground, which is a copper rod driven 6 or 8 feet into the ground. If the dish is mounted on any kind of roof, it has to be attached to this ground rod.

3) Mounting satellite dishes on a metal roof causes them to leak.

It kind of makes sense you know. Then again, doesn't attaching something to any kind of roof with big screws cause the potential for a leak?

Actually, mounting anything to a metal roof can be done without creating the potential for a leak, as long as the right methods and products are used!

The most common type of metal roofing is standing seam.

Standing seam has vertical legs (seams) that fit over a hidden clip, then the panels are locked together to created a water proof roof with no exposed screws (and potential screw hole leaks).

How do you mount something (like a satellite dish) on a standing seam roof without putting a hole in the panel you ask?

S-5! seam clamps.


These are simply aluminum blocks (some are brass for copper roofing) that fit over the roof panel seam and are fastened in place with stainless steel set screws. The set screws won't put a hole in the panel, and the holding power of S-5! seam clamps is tremendous (Several companies are using these things for fall protection, which requires 5,000lbs of resistance).

A couple S-5! clamps are more than adequate to hold that satellite dish in place without damaging the roof, and they cost a heck of a lot less than the pole the installer wants to put in the middle of your yard!

And yes, they also have a solution for screw down roof panels.