Thursday 18 June 2009

Contractors - The Way To Go With Metal Roofing Installations

By Ryan McCall

While the cost of installing a metal roof can seem prohibitively high to some people, there has been a recent trend amongst home DIY enthusiasts of trying to install metal roofing themselves. Essentially, these people are trying to get the durability and energy-efficiency benefits of metal roofing without having to shoulder the cost incurred by hiring a metal roofing contractor.

Now, sure, the mindset is one a lot of people can identify with right now " the economys 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 theyre advertised, clip together easily, either by hand or with a minimal number of tools. The problem that youre likely to run into when trying to use such products is that theyre uniform, designed for a uniform roof-shape.

And uniform is not how youd describe the roofs of most residential buildings. With only an inadequate mix of personal DIY tools not even resembling the specialized efficacy of a metal roofing contractors arsenal, youre going to leave weak spots around irregularities like chimneys, skylights, sidewalls, gables, dormers and unusual angles. Any of these weak spots could be what lets the intrusion of rain, frost and snow into your home, with the long term damage that accompanies them. And so, instead of coming into possession of the roof that could have outlasted your earthly existence, youll find yourself in the unfortunate position of needing to either stage another attempt, or swallowing your pride and calling on the services of, you guessed it, a trained, professional metal roofing contractor.

So, if you dont 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 youve 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 not, you should get at least three metal roofing contractors to quote you for the job. Alternatively, call on your friends and family " youd be surprised how well the concept of six degrees of separation applies when it comes to finding anyone in the building, carpentry or plumbing industries. Its the way the average contractor gets the majority of his work, work hell tend to want to do as well as possible if youre referred by a family member, as hell know hes leaving an impression not just on one person, but on an entire network of potential customers.

The best tool for cutting and shaping metal roofing panels on-site is called a brake, and you need to make absolutely sure that your metal roofing contractor is using one, as without it youll be left with poorly-cut panels and a job that stretches out far longer than it should. The hydraulic powered teeth of the brake cut panels perfectly without deforming their ends, leaving you with the neatest, most aesthetically appealing roof-shaping you could hope for.

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