# Corrugated metal siding/roofing



## Oggie (May 29, 2003)

I need to build a new shed, approx 8x8, to house our water system pressure tank and other misc. stuff. My wife admires an old shed she saw while traveling that was roofed and sided with corrugated steel - the old-fashioned kind with the evenly-spaced "hills and valleys".

I've never worked with this stuff before. Can it be cut with a 7 1/4 circular saw? What about the roof ridge? If I put it over plywood sheeting do I need ventilation? Would that create a great home for mud daubers and rodents? Ant tips on trimming it out?

As you can tell, I don't have much of a clue. But folks have been using this stuff for years and it's on a whole bunch of country outbuildings.

My internet searches for info take me to manufacturers of fancy new steel "roofing and siding systems". I'm just looking for tips on how to put up the ripply silver stuff. Or is it even a good idea?


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

I've seen two sizes of corrugations. The older deep/large (old fashioned) corrugation is still made but I haven't seen it locally for some time. The local hardware/building supply and feed stores locally carry the sheets with smaller corrugations. You can cut it with a circular saw with a special blade that's made for that purpose AND some sort of hearing protection. 

I've never seen it put over plywood but there's no reason it couldn't. Usually it's nailed onto purlins which runs across the rafters. Keep in mind uninsulated metal roofing will sweat. Anything inside will get "rained on" depending on conditions. This is a common situation in metal pole barns. I'm not sure ventilation will completely eliminate the problem. 

If you use the plywood for sheaving that shouldn't be a problem. In that case the corrugated sheets will have a decorative function, still allow you to insulate the building to freeze proof your water system and provide a water proof roof.. I'm not sure ventilation will completely eliminate the problem. For capping the roof there's a ridge piece that's available. There's also all kinds of other trim.


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## rambler (Jan 20, 2004)

Most mass-suppliers around here have gone to galume (sp) metal with a different profile, W shaped or sharper angles & flatter tops....

But the corrigated is still out there.

For cutting you will want a tin snips for trimming, and they make special blades for the saw but you are just as well off using an old dull wood blade _reversed_ on the saw. And yes you need ear protection! And leather gloves to handle the edges. The blades basically melt through the sheet, old backwards wood blade does just as good.

Metal sweats, but using a roof grade plywood for the backing should be all you need for this application. You could cover the plywood with tar paper, but then you need to cover the tar paper with construction paper so the steel isn't in contact with the tar. Perhaps tyvec scrap would work here, but I'm not that modern to know. 

For best construction, screws with the rubber washers is best to hold it down, tho for such a small building a handful of nails with the rubber washers will do just fine no point in over-kill. In the old days there were lead-topped nails instead of the rubber washer.....

Get the ridge caps from the same place you get the panels. It will match the ripple.

There are also strips that can go under the tin to block little critters from getting under the tin, it follows the profile of the ripple. Or some are just sponge material, conforms to the ripple when you nail it down. _However_ in your case that would trap moisture between yout tin & plywood so I would not use these.

--->Paul


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## moopups (May 12, 2002)

Most important is that the fasteners go in to the upper portion of the waves through a pre punched or drilled hole, if put in the bottom is to invite leaks.


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## Virg (Oct 3, 2003)

Don,t build it 8x8. Build it for the size of the metal you buy. When overlapped it usually will be 36", so the shed will be more like 9x9. Varmint proofing is tough.
Moopups, by the way the standard way to fasten 5V metal roofing is in the flat area using screws and washers.


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## dreadstalker (Dec 22, 2004)

until changing jobs i was a foreman with a company that specialized in pole barn style metal clad construction and the manufacturer emphasied to put the hole on the top of the ridge.we used a ring shank nail with a rubber washer.for the water system pressure tank see about installing it in a chest type freezer they are already insulated small enough to be unobtusive(you can heat with a small light bulb if necassary) and best of all you dont need it to run so you can generally pick one up just for hauling it off


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## John Hill (May 12, 2002)

The majority of farm buildings and a good many houses in this country are roofed or even entirely clad in this corrogated galvanised steel. Definitely, the fixers (nails or screws) go in the ridges not the valleys.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

location of the fastener depends on the type of fastener

The correct way to fasten steel panels with nails is to drive the nail through the top of the rib so the washer is compressed securely against the metal. Nail placement must be in the ribs for roofing applications to minimize the potential for roof leaks. Over-driving the nail can split the washer and dimple the metal, causing leaks.

Wood screws with combination metal and neoprene washers should be installed in the flat area of the panel adjacent to the ribs, and tightened such that the washer is compressed. This will ensure a lasting, leak-proof seal.


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## Oggie (May 29, 2003)

Thanks for the advice. It will come in handy when I wrestle with the project later.


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## moopups (May 12, 2002)

Virg, as a past state licensed building contractor and roofing contractor here in Florida, any raised metal roofing material has to be fastened in the upper part of the rises. Fastening in the lower portion is grounds for law suit and/or redoing the job at your own exspence. Your information is standardly wrong for this part of the country. Corrigated roofing metal and 5-v metal are two different items, the post is about corrigated, not 5-v. 5-v is also nailed on the upper areas here to be legal.


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## rambler (Jan 20, 2004)

moopups said:


> Virg, as a past state licensed building contractor and roofing contractor here in Florida, any raised metal roofing material has to be fastened in the upper part of the rises. Fastening in the lower portion is grounds for law suit and/or redoing the job at your own exspence. Your information is standardly wrong for this part of the country. Corrigated roofing metal and 5-v metal are two different items, the post is about corrigated, not 5-v. 5-v is also nailed on the upper areas here to be legal.


I agree with you on standard corrigated. Always nail on the top.

The new styles of metal roofing now have different specs from the manufaturer, and many require fastening in the flats, rather than the tops. Fastening on the tops will deform the metal & allow leaks with their current type of profile.

With any metal roofing, get the specs from the manufaturer & follow it.

I'm sure your state has kept up with the times, & follows the manufaturers installation for a good roof.

--->Paul


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## 65284 (Sep 17, 2003)

Probably the most important thing about using this type of material is to get the framing as square and plumb as possible. And make sure the first piece you put on is started straight. If you don't it will "walk" on you, and you end up with a stepped edge. When you get to the last piece of the wall or roof you can have 2 or 3 or more inch difference between the top and bottom of the sheet. So you have to strip everything off and start over or cut the last piece on an angle which not only looks bad it leaves an entry place for rodents and water.


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