Most homeowners don’t give too much thought to their roofs. Many believe they have a good 20 to 40 years before they need to worry about the roof, and who’s to say they’ll even live in the house that long? However, a roof should be on the minds of homeowners who have to endure harsh northern winters.

The fact is a well-maintained roof can indeed last for years. While the roof might not be a purchasing point when someone is buying a home, a faulty and poorly maintained roof can be a deal breaker when it comes time to sell your home. A neglected roof is an eyesore and can depreciate the entire value of a home in the eyes of a purchaser.

So what can you do in order to maintain your roof, and make sure you aren’t shooting yourself in the foot when it comes time to sell your house? Here are some things you can do to avoid these situations:

1. See to it you inspect your roof and attic twice during the year. Do this in the spring and in the fall. This will let you see any internal and external damage that might exist before summer rains and winter snow comes along. It’s best to get these issues fixed when the weather is temperate.

2. Make sure there are no leaves or debris hanging out on your roof. Be especially sure to check out the chimneys or the other structures on the roof, such as the overhangs. Leaves and debris also clogs up rain gutter. If the water builds up in the gutters, then it will damage the roof. So, make sure that all the debris and the leaves are removed completely.

3. Be on the lookout for cracks in the roof, and also lookout for missing tiles or shingles. If you find that anything is cracked or missing, repair these immediately. You can check the roof from the attic space to verify if there is damage in the tiles or shingles. If your attic roof is damp, then this is a sign water is seeping down into the attic roof.

4. While you’re checking for water that has seeped down into the roof, lookout for bulges or un-evenness. These are signs you need to call upon a roof maintenance specialist right away to find out what is going on and getting repairs.

5. Other signs of water seeping into the roof past the shingles or tile is the growth of mold and fungus. If these are allowed to grow, they will infest the home. At an extreme mold and fungus can totally destroy your roof.

6. Make sure there is no snow or ice build up on the roof in the winter. If the snow is allowed to build up past a foot, then it has to be removed. Otherwise, the roof can cave in from the weight of the snow. If you must go on the roof to remove the snow, then simply use a broom. But of course, be extremely careful about walking on the roof, so that you don’t damage it. Ice damming is when ice builds up at the bottom of the roof’s edges. This prevents the proper flow of melted snow water from the roof, so that it can flow into the gutters. If this takes place, increase your attic insulation. Or, you can buy heat strips that get applied above gutter areas. These work by assisting the melting of ice and snow. Then, the melted water can flow through the gutters, instead of clogging the gutters.

Slate roofs are highly durable and last a long time if maintained properly. One drawback with slate is it tends to become very brittle when it’s frigid outside. If you have to remove snow on a slate roof, then hook up a ladder on the side of the house and walk across the ladder. This ensures you aren’t putting too much weight on one area of the roof. Also, wear soft soled shoes whenever walking on slate.

The bottom line is you should make seasonal roof maintenance a part of your household maintenance plan. This will ensure your home is protected by a strong and well maintained roof that protects your house, and makes you home protect its resell value.

Maintaining your gutters and downspouts is essential for every season. In summer, clogged gutters lead to water being dumped on the ground next to your homes foundation, the most common source of leaks. In winter, if melting snow cant drain, it may freeze in the gutters and damage them or cause an ice dam that will harm the roof.

Here are ten steps for cleaning your gutters and downspouts.

Get a Secure Ladder

You’ve got to have secure footing or you should simply call a handyman to do the job.

Enlist Help

Someone to hold the ladder or hand you tools will make the job safer and it will go more quickly. There will be fewer trips up and down the ladder.

Clear the Roof of Debris

If you clear the gutters but leaves and twigs remain on the roof, the gutters will soon be clogged again. Try using a rake. Rake the debris down and off the roof.

Take Extra Care on the Roof

If you decide you need to get on the roof to clear off leaves, use an extension ladder that extends well beyond the roof edge. Never step up or climb onto a roof from a step ladder that doesn’t reach the roof. Make sure you’re wearing sturdy footwear with good treads. Start at the ridge and rake down. Use a broom to push debris in front of you once you get near the edge. Pay attention to cleaning the valleys. Clogs there can cause roof leaks.

Wear Gloves

Aluminum and vinyl gutters and downspouts can be very sharp. A good pair of leather gloves is best.

Use Tools

A small garden trowel works really well for scooping leaves and dirt out of the gutters.

Use a Hose

Once the gutters are mostly clear, use a hose to wash leftover debris from the roof into the gutter and from the gutter into the downspouts.

Clear the Downspouts

If you are concerned that a downspout may be clogged, run a hose down it. If it is filling up rather than draining properly, it might be partially blocked. Use a rake handle and run it from the top down and from the bottom up, if possible. If something like a childs ball is stuck in there, it may require removing the downspout to get it out or replacing it. Properly functioning downspouts are essential for carrying water away from the homes foundation.

Consider adding Extenders to the Downspouts

If the downspouts are dumping water within 6 feet of the house, it might be wise to add extensions to them. These are inexpensive and can be purchased at any home improvement store.

Repair Gutter and Downspout Damage

Once your gutters and downspouts are clean and dry, it’s a good time to look for holes or cracks where water can leak through. Depending on the size of the problem, a section may need to be replaced. If the issue is small, use flashing and/or silicone caulk to cover or seal it.

Clean gutters and downspouts are an important part of your homes protection. These 10 steps for cleaning your gutters and downspouts will help them function as they should throughout every season.

For more information on Roof Repair Guides, Terminology or to find a Roofing Contractor near you, please visit The Roofing Tutor.

Kim Hansen is the Marketing Coordinator for the DIY Reviews website.

Snow guards are a crucial element in protecting your roofs from damage, most especially if you live in a place which experiences snow fall at least once a year. More and more people are beginning to become more aware of the advantages of having such guards installed. When installed in areas such as above entrances and pathways, it can help prevent snow and ice from accumulating and sliding off the roof as a huge mass, hence, preventing unforeseen accidents from happening. If you have good handyman skills, you can actually install these roof guards on your own. Let me share to you some tips to get you started.

1. Plan. The first step in installing roof guards is to plan where they should be placed. Strategic positions such as home entries, above garage doors and pathways are good places to install these guards.

2. Apply the adhesive. Before attaching the guard on the roof, you must first place a ring of silicone on the underside of the roof guard. This silicone caulk provides a seal between the guard and the roof and prevents the materials from reacting with each other. It basically prevents the guards from rotting and discoloring the roof.

3. Secure the snow guards. After you have applied silicone on the underside of the roof guard, you can now position and secure it on the roof. Once you are done, you must secure it using neoprene washed screws. The size of the screw that you will use depends on how big or small your snow guards are. Note that you should use screws and not nails. Nails are a bad choice because it will just cause your guards to rust and eventually fall. However, when using screws, you have to be careful not to over tighten it. If you over tighten the screw, there is a good chance that you’ll damage both the snow guard and your roof. Another tip when securing the guards on your roof is to always screw the snow guard into the rafters of the roof. It wouldn’t be as secure as when you just attach it only to the steel. You have to repeat this process with all of your snow guards.

4. Wait the snow guard adhesive to harden. Once you have attached all of your snow guards on your roof, you have to allow its adhesive to harden. It’s advisable to install roof guards while the weather is still warm, during the summer. As a tip, let the adhesive harden for one day in warm weather or about two weeks in cold weather.

In search for the best roof snow guards? Sno Shield provides the best protection against snow and ice sliding off any metal roof.

The most important factor to consider in building a structure is the material to utilize. Whether it’s a house or building, we need to have an accurate measurement of the entire area. This would help us to correctly purchase the supplies needed, one need to have an accurate calculation of how much of something is required. We have the roof to begin with, and you will learn how to calculate roof area.

Materials needed:

- Tapeline: a material used for measuring the length of something
- Level: it’s a tool used for determining levelness

There are certain steps to be followed in measuring your roof area:

1. Find out the length and the width of the whole area, multiply them both and you will end up with the square footage.

2. Determine the slope of the roof which is expressed in how many inches the roof rises from every horizontal distance. The distance then becomes the rise.

3. Find out the pitch factor from what has been calculated in step number

4. Finally, multiply the sum of step 1 and 3, that becomes the area of your roof.

Finding out the area of your roof can be quite dangerous, be reminded to take proper precautions in performing this activity. If you are a beginner and find it complicated to follow the procedures better seek the help of a professional instead. Also be reminded that in construction everything is measured in square feet (one square is equals to 100 square feet). Therefore divide the total area to 100.

As mentioned earlier take extreme cautions in performing the said method, slipping or falling off the roof can cause serious damage. Stay off the roof at all cost if there is snow or ice; it would be very tricky to keep your balance due to slipperiness.

Climbing and walking on the roof is a serious business and better left with experienced professionals. There is a safer way on wow to calculate roof area. It would be a good idea to make use of area calculators and estimators online it, may not be 100 percent precise, but definitely much safer.

The roof leaks often disturb the integrity of the roof structure to a large extent. Often, the homeowners neglect the signs of leak damage in the form of water molds, moisture spots, stains etc. Long avoiding the issue may take a toll on the strength of your roof. Hence, inspect the hidden sources of leaks and get them fixed as soon as possible.

The most obvious place to locate a roof leak is directly above the leak spot on the wall or the ceiling. Inspect the fixtures lying around the leak area to determine any fault.

Take a look at the interior walls and ceilings to locate the water marks and stains. Presence of such marks may be accredited to a faulty flashing state as well.

If you do not spot any leak signs then the problem could be with your roofing material. The inefficiency of the roofing material results in easy leaks and seepages. You may need to replace your roofing material in order to render a permanent solution to the leak problems. Before commencing the examination, keep in mind that the detected water spot may not be the actual source of leak. Water would have traveled from its origin to appear out of the visible spot.

To render a temporary solution to the leak, grab a drill machine and bore a hole in the leak area. This allows the water to come out easily and hence, prevents the further scattering of water. Remember that the drill machine must be employed only when you want to minimize the roof damage. Make way for a permanent solution once you’ve drilled a hole in the ceiling or wall.

Take a look at the leak area from inside and plan your next course of action. Step on the roof to deal with the source of leak. Do not work on a saturated or wet roof as it may collapse anytime. Take proper safety precautions while working on the roof.

Find out if anything like dust, debris, foreign materials etc. is obstructing the normal downward flow of water. Clean out such objects to allow a normal passage to the water.

Examine metal flashings for corrosion, cracked plumbing vents etc. On the other hand, the flat roofs often need a close and thorough examination to search for damaged or faulty points.

Scott Rodgers is a renowned expert who has been authoring on roofing contents for a long time now. His exemplary guidance has given motivation to a host of workers, ranging from Cedar Hill Roofers to Mount Olive Roofers.

Taking on this sort of task can be daunting, but thoroughly rewarding. This is a brief guide on repairing and replacing your shed or garage roof.

Recommended bicycle store, shed or garage roof materials:

• Bitumenised corrugated sheets and roofing ridge pieces plus 70 mm PVC headed fixing nails. Corrugated bitumenised sheets are supplied in black or green colours to blend into your garden (shed structure), or look ideal on your property’s adjacent garage.
• Wooden purlins size 40mm x 40mm (or similar size) depending on the roof area size. Take advice from your Builders’ or Timber Merchants’ trade counter and use what size the trade recommend.
• Large chipboard or plywood sheets may be needed to support the purlins in your shed or garage roof decking structure. You may also need large timber joists stretched across your single slope, garage roof area, if that is the building plan design you are working with.

Material sizes:

• Bitumenised corrugated sheets @ 2 metres x 950mm wide.
• Bitumenised roof ridge pieces @ 900mm x 500mm wide.
• Corrugated roof sheets must be laid with the tighter weave on the exterior roof surface and the larger dimples on the underside to assist with ventilation.

Power tools:

Power tools often make light work of even the toughest job. Cutting down on the time it takes to complete a job and making your life easier. For this job we recommend the following power tools:

• Circular power saw for cutting to size all bitumenised roof sheets, ridge pieces, wooden purlins and roof joists, or decking plywood or chipboard;
• hammer;
• power drill, driver and drill bits for fixing into place all plywood or chipboard decking and purlins.

Nail fixing:

Your bitumenised corrugated roof sheets are fixed to the purlins placed at 600mm centres on roof pitches of 15 degrees and over, using special 70mm PVC headed roofing nails. Simply hammer them into position and use a tight draw string to follow your nail positioning across the roof and along each of the purlin centres.

With roof pitches less the 15 degrees, (e.g. 10 and upto 15 degrees), purlins should then be positioned at 450mm centres to provide added strength.

Why use bitumenised corrugated sheets?

1. They are very lightweight, robust and easy to handle.
2. Each sheet is quickly fixed to a roof structure using PVC headed nails.
3. The perfect answer for a new or replacement roof for a garden or cycle shed, or garage roof.
4. Both chemical and corrosion resistant.
5. Asbestos free material. Thank goodness.
6. Easy to cut and fix to both garden sheds or a garage roof.
7. Being flexible, they can even be fixed to a slightly uneven roof area as they will bend to accommodate any such variations in the structure.
8. Waterproof and water-tight once nailed into position.
9. They are exceptionally cheap and good value for both DIY enthusiasts wanting to save money, plus tradesmen wanting to stay competitive in the home-owner and business sector marketplaces.

Safety

Covering a roof with corrugated sheets is a two man job (preferably) and you must take every precaution when working. Be sure ladders are fixed rigidly at the top and tied to the building’s sturdy wooden frames. Place a sandbag stopper support at the rear of the ladder’s feet to prevent it from sliding when mounted by a worker.

When working on this type of lightweight roof covering, always use a roof board to spread your weight across multiple roofing purlins and supports. Be sure it has a thick soft cushioning material beneath to avoid any cracking or splitting of the corrugated sheets and crowns.

Never handle roof building or replacement projects using large, bitumenised, corrugated sheets in any high winds as the sheets act like sails in these difficult conditions. It is very dangerous and should not be undertaken even when the wind is only a slight breeze.

Corrugate sheets must be positioned upright to run from the highest to the lowest point and at right angles to each purlin. Never place a corrugated sheet in the horizontal plane across a shed or garage roof structure – It will not function correctly, or dispose of any rainwater easily.

TIPS

1. Do not drill and fix a bitumenised corrugated sheet in the valley of the sheet’s corrugated design – It will invariably leak when it rains. Nail through the top (crown) of each convex curved corrugated ripple using a wooden support beneath the crown when you commence nailing.
2. Do not cut corrugated sheets in the extreme cold – they will split or shatter.
3. If you are erecting a roof cover on a shallow garage roof pitch, be sure it is strong enough to be able to withstand a heavy snowfall in winter. Place and space purlins at 450mm centres.
4. Fix all roof sheets loosely at first and, when happy with their positioning, overlaps and verge overhangs, tighten the fixings but don’t over-tighten them. Corrugated, bitumenised roof sheets do not need holes drilling at first. The nails are driven straight through each bitumenised sheet’s corrugated crown and each hole is sealed by the nail’s PVC head cover.
5. Roof pitches 10 to 15 Degrees
6. All roof support purlins must be positioned at 450 mm centres (or closer) for added strength.
7. Side overlaps of roofing sheets must be 1 full corrugation. Use two corrugations on shallow roof pitches of less than 10 degrees.
8. End overlaps of two roof sheets must be at least 200mm. Use 260mm overlaps on shallow roof pitches of less than 10 degrees.
9. Overlap roof ridge pieces by a minimum of 110mm as you nail each piece to the roof apex purlins and corrugated sheeting already in position beneath.
10. When draining corrugated roof sheets into a rainwater gutter facility, allow at least a 65mm roofing overhang. Do not extend beyond 70mm as strong winds could easily catch under the roof and cause untold damage very quickly.

In buildings where there is the possibility of high humidity (eg. with animals inside plus a concrete floor base), I strongly recommend you put a vapour barrier of bitumen felt beneath the purlins during construction. Make sure it is taut by stapling it tight. Overlaps must be a minimum of 120mm.

Do not put in bitumen felt where livestock can reach and chew it. Alternatively, cut and fix exterior ply beneath the purlins to prevent any condensation penetration.

Cut and place a barge board verge beneath the corrugated roof sheets at each side of the roof where it has a deliberate corrugated overhang. Start the sheet fixing by nailing through the corrugated crowns into the purlins at the edge of the roof and then fold down the corrugation edge onto the barge board along the roof overhang and nail down into position – it will make a perfect finish.

Nail down every crown at the bottom edge of each corrugated sheet leaving a maximum overhang of 70mm for the rainwater gutter.

At each other purlin you only need nail through every other crown point, except also along the roof apex purlin, where you must nail down through each crown point. Be sure to use a taut string nailing guide along every purlin, especially along the roof apex.

Roof pitches 15 degrees and over

• All roof support purlins should be at 600mm centres.
• Side overlaps of each roofing sheet must be 1 full corrugation.
• End overlaps of two roof sheets must be at least 180mm.
• When draining corrugated sheeting into a rainwater gutter facility, allow the same maximum 70mm roofing overhang as already stated.

Side roof overhangs must be must at least one full corrugation and carefully positioned so that rainwater does not run down the side of a shed, garage, building, canopy or carport. It must be no more than 70mm in its roofing extension.

NOTE

You may find some buildings require Planning Consent and structural build programmes that conform to certain new Build Regulations. Be sure to check with the appropriate building professionals first, before going ahead with your roofing construction plans.

Bitumenised corrugated roofing sheets and clear PVCu roofing sheets offer enormous building savings’ potential for DIY enthusiasts, farmers, zoo owners, builders, landscape gardeners, allotment owners, market gardeners, plant breeders, and business trying to erect new storage areas and reduce building capital costs, wherever possible.

Be sure to think how you can build cheaper, by erecting an economical, corrugated, sheet roofing system that will dramatically reduce capital outlay costs and yet still deliver on sturdiness, durability and waterproofing.

Cut down the hassle of this sort of job by making the most of the power tools available to you. Power tools often make light work of even the toughest job. Cutting down on the time it takes to complete a job and making your life easier.

David writes on behalf of Anglia Tool Centre, a leading stockist and supplier of power tools within the UK. Supplying advice, guidance and DIY equipment to home owners, professionals and DIY enthusiasts.

If icicles are beginning to form at the eaves of your roof, you should be really concerned. Pretty as they might look, they are bad news because they’re portents of ice damming happening on the roof, which again isn’t the most useful of phenomena.

Ice damming happens in the winter and is a serious problem as far as the maintenance of roofs goes. They damage the roof in a lot of ways and happen because of the accumulation of a lot of snow on a roof that is not well ventilated.

The formation of ice dams at roof edges can be attributed to the thawing and freezing of snow and water on the roof. Thawing happens because the attic lacking proper ventilation is warm and this water refreezes at cooler parts like the eaves and gutters to which it flows.

Some of the problems you will see a while after ice damming has occurred are ceiling stains that have resulted in the plaster cracking, rotting of the timber rafters and eventually a leaking roof. These are the result of water from the ice dam seeping into the roof.

Another problem is that the insulation of the house will become wet and therefore ineffective. You will then have to keep your heating on all day, wasting a lot of money and energy or suffer the lack of an ambient environment at home.

To avoid the materialization of the issues that ice damming causes, you can remove all the snow that has accumulated on the roof. Do this with utmost care and attention with the help of a rake and a shovel. So not get onto the roof, instead use a ladder.

If you’re trying to get rid of a lot of snow at one you risk your shingles snapping out of place and coming off with the snow. Ice should be pulled down the slope patiently and well. It is not necessary to remove all the snow, as this will just melt along with ice in gutters automatically when it becomes warmer.

The best way to prevent the formation of an ice dam is to make sure your roof is properly ventilated. For every 150 sq ft of the attic floor area, the attic vent should be 1 sq ft. You could also install vent fans that bring in air from the outside to maintain coolness in the attic.

Scott Rodgers is a skilled expert who has been writing on roofing for a while now. His skill has given inspiration to a host of workers, ranging from Inglewood Roofers (Need one? click here!) to Flushing Roofers (Need one? click here!).

Nothing brings more life into your home than natural light and skylights, unlike windows, provide light without taking away any wall space. Skylights can also give a beautiful view of the stars on a clear night; however, if they start to leak it can become pretty messy.

Most of the problems that cause skylights to leak are relatively simple to fix but the most important thing to know about repairing a leaking skylight is how to analyze the problem. If you follow the steps below you will normally find the right solution and it may prevent you from wasting your time making unnecessary repairs.

o Before you get out the ladder and climb on the roof take a look from inside your house. If your skylight is located in a room that is normally damp, such as a bathroom or a kitchen, then the water dripping onto your floor may just be condensation that has built up on the glass. You might be able to make a temperature adjustment that will fix the problem instead of an actual skylight repair.

o If you have a ventilating skylight which can be opened, make sure that it is completely closed shut; even a small opening can allow rain to blow into a room if there is enough wind.

o If the leak occurs in the fall, leaves or branches may be causing water to back up under the shingles. This may also happen in the winter due to ice or snow blocking the downhill flow of water. In either of these cases, clearing off the roof in the area of the skylight will normally resolve the issue.

o If you determine that the problem is not coming from the inside, then it is time to climb up and take a look. The first thing to examine is the skylight pane itself-is it cracked or damaged? Is the seal around the pane missing sections or is it brittle? Next, are there damaged shingles, or have some of the nails that hold down the skylight worked their way up? If one of these problems is present, but not extensive, you will probably be able to make the repairs yourself with a bit of quality roofing caulk.

o After an initial inspection on top of the roof, if you cannot easily locate the problem, then it is likely that the leak is coming from a defect in the metal flashing around the skylight. If this is the case, then there are two options-you can either attempt to caulk everything around the skylight flashing or you can call in a professional. The caulk may provide a temporary solution to the problem but having a professional roofer replace the flashing is the best long-term solution.

When you first discover a leak around your skylight don’t jump to the conclusion that you have to go on the roof with a bucket of tar and cover everything in sight-that usually just makes the situation worse. Most skylight leaks can be easily found and repaired if you take a systematic approach.

In order to learn more about skylights check out our web site, Skylights for Homes. If you are interested in learning about dome skylights we have some in-depth information on the site.

One of the many joys of being a homeowner is installing or maintaining your gutters and downspouts. Well, if you’re looking for some basic tips on how to install rain gutters this article should give you some good pointers.

What Is Your Slope Angle?

The first thing you want to do is find the slope on your eaves. Where does the water flow?

Once you know this aspect, you can take a line-level and stretch it across your eave and mark off the high point on one side and the low point on the other.

You want the slope of the guttering to be 1/4″ – 3/8″ for every 10 feet. Anything less and you run the risk of water not draining properly.

once you have the marks made, you can go back with a chalk line and snap off the reference line.

Cut The Gutters

Use a measuring tape to mark off the desired length of your gutter and mark it off. Be sure to mark it all the way around the outside of the gutter.

Next, cut it off to the right length. There are several ways to go about accomplishing this, but I recommend a good pair of tin snips. Using a saw can be done, but the end result will not be pretty. Wear gloves when working with aluminum gutters because of very sharp edges.

Attach The Guttering

Now it’s time to attach the gutter to your eaves. For this you will use hanging brackets that hold up the rain gutter and screw into the fascia board on the roof.

When attaching the brackets it is recommended to space them out 24″ throughout the length of your gutter and 6″ from the ends.

Downspouts

The final piece on how to install rain gutters will be your downspout. You will need to install a sleeve section to the end of the gutter that will also attach to the downspout.

Take the sleeve and draw an outline around it in your gutter. Next, cut out the hole using a drill to cut out an opening and then a jigsaw to cut out the hole. Take a tube of silicone and seal all the edges around the opening to prevent water leaks.

Screw the pieces together with metal screws and cut the downspout to size. Put on the end caps and seal them with your silicone. You also want to do this in any seams as well.

You can check for leaks by using a water hose and squirting water on your roof.

This was only a brief overview on how to install a rain gutter, but it should give you the help you need to make this task a little more manageable. It’s really not as hard as it may look to install your own gutters and downspouts.

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Corrugated plastic roofing is a long-lasting and low maintenance alternative to a corrugated metal roof. Plastic is much lighter and easier to work with, making it popular with home owners wanting to save money that could be spent hiring professional installation teams. In order to install your plastic roof correctly and prevent leaks, you should follow the instructions below carefully.

Tools and Materials Needed:
Plastic roofing
Roofing fasteners
Silicone sealant
Round molding strips
Corrugated molding strips
Nail Gun with galvanized nails
Saw
Drill
Ladder
Flashing (optional)
Step 1 – Prepare Roof
The roof should have a pitch of at least 1 inch per foot to allow water to drain properly. If your roof has a shallower pitch, you may need to use additional weatherproofing measures. For a secure and attractive finish, you should use molding strips on top of the rafters. Use the rounded molding strips on the vertical rafters and the corrugated ones on the horizontal cross-braces. Attach the moldings using galvanized nails to prevent rusting in case of any leaks. This can be a time-consuming process that is significantly quicker if you use a nail gun.

Step 2 – Cut Roofing to Size
Although plastic roofing is very strong, it is also easy to cut it to your required size. Some types of plastic can be cut using garden shears or scissors but for others, you may need to use a fine-toothed saw. The higher quality plastics will be easier to cut and leave a cleaner line.

Step 3 – Pre-Drill Holes
The installation of the roofing is much easier if you drill the holes for the fasteners in advance. Ideally, you should aim to have the fasteners at the high point of every fourth corrugation. The pre-drilled holes should be between 8 and 10 millimeters in diameter and 2 millimeters wider than the fasteners you are using to allow space for expansion when the roof is exposed to heat. It is easier to drill the holes if you use a stick with a hole drilled in it as a guide and to drill from what will be the underneath of the roof.

Step 4 – Fastening
Use specialist roofing fasteners rather than standard screws to secure the corrugated sheets as they have a waterproof seal underneath the head that prevents leaks. When joining panels, you should use silicone sealant along their vertical length and overlap the sheets by one corrugation. Be sure to use a generous amount of sealant so that there are no gaps and to receive the best performance. Take care to position your ladder securely and not to over-stretch when fastening the corrugated sheets. Ideally, you should have a friend assist you by holding your ladder steady.

Step 5 – Finishing
For an attractive finish and additional weather protection, especially if your plastic roofing adjoins another building, you can use flashing to improve the seal. If you live in an area with a high level of rainfall, it may also be wise to invest in guttering that can be installed after the plastic roof is in place.