Installing a new metal roof on your home isn’t a small task. You’ll need to have a good understanding of how to cut the metal safely and adequately, as you have just one chance to cut the metal. Mistakes can become costly.
The first thing you’ll need is a good pair of goggles, face masks, and gloves. Metal shards will damage your eyes. As you cut the metal, the edges will be sharp, and they will slice through your hands.
Let’s take a look at a few tools you’ll need to cut metal roofing,
Circular Saw
This is one of the best choices for cutting multiple sheets at one time. Securing these multiple pieces before cutting them will help keep them from moving and cutting them improperly and reducing injury risk.
The ability to cut multiple pieces of the same size metal sheets will help the job move along quicker, but it could be dangerous and costly if misused. The blades tend to wear out quickly, and they are not cheap. They also tend to get very hot, causing metal shards to fly, which can lead to burns and piercing your skin.
The circular saw blade you should be using is a 7-inch steel-tooth or carbide blade that will cut through metal. While carbide blades are on the more expensive side, they will outlast the steel-tooth blade.
Tin snips or shears
Both are going to be an essential tool for cutting the metal sheets by hand. These scissor-like tools will be squeezed together to cut the metals like you would cut paper with scissors.
There are various shears to choose from to cut straight lines, cut metal to your left and your right. Regardless of which one you’ll be using for your specific cut, you must make sure the cuts are smooth to keep the edges from being rigid. Not only will these cause injury, but they will also keep the roofing from being flush against the roof that will eventually lead to leaking.
There is a shears attachment for your drill that will make the entire process faster, but if not used correctly, it will make poor cuts, which leads to improper sealing.
Electric Drill
In order to actually make a cut, you’ll first need to drill a hole for a starting point, called a pilot hole.
Tips for Cutting Metal Safely
This is not something you’ll want to take lightly; working with metal will cause many injuries. These tiny shards of metal flying are hot and sharp and have been known to cause eye injuries, cuts, and burns,
Here are some rules you should be following:
- Read all of the safety precautions on your discs and blades for your circular saw.
- Be sure that you are wearing safety glasses and hearing protection. A full-face shield would be optimal when using a circular.
- Covering all of your body with long sleeves and pants will reduce the risk of burns or injury to any exposed skin.
- Do not touch the metal with your bare hands; wait for the metal cool before touching it.
- Wearing gloves will protect you from sharp edges and from getting burned.
- Secure the metal sheets before cutting.
- Be aware of your surroundings to make sure everyone has cleared the area before cutting.
Rome Roofer is a Georgia roofing company that has over 18 years of experience installing metal roofing. We know just how important your home is to you, and that’s why we install and repair your home’s roof with only the best quality materials.
Give us a call today, and our skilled roofing team can give you a free roof estimate for your metal roof installation.
