Well, I've been doing this at the risk of life and limb, to get the grainery back in usable shape. I have one side of the peaked roof almost done. I can't feel my left thumb.

Here's the rub -- the sheets of metal are kinda heavy, and catch the wind, and once I have a hammer in my right hand and a roofing nail (with rubber washers to seal the holes) in my left, well, I'm up there w/o hands! Not to mention, the damn nails won't drive through until I've hit it ten times, and instead they like to bounce.

Then, the more I get on, the less footing I have, and you can probably appreciate my lack of experience by now.

Surely someone has some suggestions, please help before I just burn the building down out of frustration. Thanks.

-- Rachel (rldk@hotmail.com), March 26, 2000

Answers

I forgot to add that I don't have an extension ladder. I built a ladder of wood, and it's nice and heavy, but once I am on the roof, it disappears under the eaves.

-- Rachel (rldk@hotmail.com), March 26, 2000.

Use a 16 penny nail to start your nail holes. I use roofing screws myself,more expensive,but worth it.Good luck and be careful. Daryl

-- Daryll (twincreek@digitalexp.com), March 26, 2000.

Rachel, I hate to say it but you need help. Its a 2 person job.We used screws and a battery operated screw gun . It was much easier .Be carefull.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), March 26, 2000.

Yeee haaaa nothing like steel roofing to add excitement to your life ! I either pre-drill little holes or I carry a center punch and pierce the first layer to perserve my thumb. Old timers say " hit your thumb with the hammer before you go up and get it over with" Screw guns are wonderful but after you buy everything you need--you may as well hire the boys from the tavern to do it and save yourself some money. I have experienced the no footing you spoke of so I used roof jacks and a 2x4 to stand on or built a latter that hung from the peak. it looked like a upside down checkmark. You really need at least one laborer even if he was holding a---"will work for beer sign"!

-- Joel Rosen (Joel681@webtv.net), March 26, 2000.

We've been in the building mode around here for about a year now and I've used alot of metal roofing lately. I learned quickly to hold the nail with a needlenose vise grips. You can smack the nail with alot more confidence thus reducing the number of strikes to get it through the roofing not to mention wear and tear on the other nail (thumb). I was having alot of trouble staying on the roof, was constantly sliding toward the abyss when my wife came up with the idea of using that rubberised fabric thats used to keep throw rugs from sliding. Its a little clunky to keep arranging etc but it works pretty well.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), March 26, 2000.

Rachel: Those who have advised you to get help are right! I've been there, done that and I will tell you that to do that job by yourself is not only difficult, it is #&&^$#@$ dangerous! Done properly, you will need not only the tools mentioned above (the ladder with a hook on the end for the peak is the most essential for safety) but also the help of at least three friends. If there is a possibility of wind, don't try it even with help. When those panels start flying, it is not only expensive, it's potentially fatal! Good luck, John

-- John and Pat James (jjames@n-jcenter.com), March 26, 2000.

You sound like me- if there's no one around I do it myself. But get help if you can. One thing I do to increase my ladder length is get the pickup close to the building. Place the ladder in the box so the bottom end is against the cab wall or a solid side (can't slip out that way.) That gives me several more feet of length and a stable base. LOCK the truck and put the keys, all of them, in your pocket. And set the parking brake and put it in gear for good measure. Good Luck!

-- Peg (jnjohnsn@pressenter.com), March 26, 2000.

We just built a metal barn out of sheet metal. We used maze nails.... they cost a bit more but will go right through. Hope this helps.

Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), March 26, 2000.

You have most of the good answers already. One more thing you might try is a safety line in case you do slip. If you do Make sure you know how to tie so you don't have a slip knot around you. Waist cinchers are not a fun item. Use a harness, you can make one out of rope also if needed. Also, if you tie it off the other side of the building, don't tie it to the car or truck. It is a real pain when some helpful person decides to move the car in the shade for you. Good luck

-- Michael M. McFall (mcfallm@aol.com), March 26, 2000.

Lots of good answers so far. Unfortunately, its sometimes hard having that second person around. I've got a rope that I tie off on the opposite side of the building, throw it over the top and tie onto a ladder. I let it lie on top of the tin support boards. I can use this ladder as a support system while nailing/screwing the sheet metal on. Once I get a sheet nailed/screwed up, I scoot it over and do the next sheet. One thing you might try is punching a hole (or if it's used, find an existing hole)in the metal, and tie some heavy string, or doubled hay string in the hole. At the upper end of the string, tie a hand loop. When monkeying with a sheet of tin, the hand loop is handy for pulling it to the final position. You could also tie the string off on your ladder, while you grab your hammer and nail. I use my leatherman tool to hold the nail. Saves that busted thumb stuff.

If you do have to work solo, have a check in time with spouse or friends. If you don't check in by a certain time, they come looking. My father'd come check on me once a day if he knew I was doing dangerous stuff. He didn't want me laying up on the backside of the barn or house with a broken hip or something. I did fall off the house one day with a bundle of shingles from 16' up, but I was younger then and just bounced instead of breaking something. Good luck...

-- phil briggs (phillipbriggs@thenett.com), March 26, 2000.

I will second the comment on using pliers to hold the nails, at least where you are dealing with double thicknesses of metal at the seams. (still growing back thumbnails myself) To make the rubber backed rug idea a little less awkward, take an old pair of jeans, and sew 'kneepads' of rug backing on them. I would also definitly go with a climbing harness (like the cliff climbers use)

-- Connie (Connie@lunehaven.com), March 26, 2000.

It was singularly pleasant to stop in this forum today and see ten helpful responses. Thanks to all who took the time.

There is no other person to do this job, and if there were, I wouldn't be doing it, that's for sure. I live in the middle of nowhere, and my roofing budget allowed pretty much for the nails, so rather than waiting longer (it's been unroofed for a year) and lamenting about women's vs. men's work, I need to do this.

I finished the one side and began the other yesterday. I will employ some of these techniques now, and the rest should be much easier. Thanks, also, for the concern for my safety. My kids feel the same way.

One more question: after I finish the roof, and I need to put the folded pieces over the apex -- how do you walk on that sheet metal? I will also need to walk around with BlackJack and fill the holes.

-- Rachel (rldk@hotmail.com), March 27, 2000.

Dear Rachel: My husband read your dilemma with me. He said to be sure and tie off to save life and limb. Also our neighbor who use to install metal roofs for a living put chewed gum on his shoes for what it's worth!!!!!! Take care and God Bless.

-- Norma Lucas (trooper806@webtv.net), March 27, 2000.

Use any ol shoe that will lace up tight and have a sticky surface, like running shoes or tennis shoes. Always walk on the rafter support boards. One way of finding the boards is look up and down the tin for the nail heads. If you walk on those areas, the tin is supported from below. Also, if you step directly on the nail heads, it'll give you a little support. Of course, your shoes need to have enough sole on em so that steppin on the nailhead doesn't gouge your foot.

-- phil briggs (phillipbriggs@thenett.com), March 27, 2000.

John, I also figured out to use pliers for this, and they work great.

Rachel, if you really want to use nails instead of screws, you could at least use ONE screw to hold the roofing in place while you fuss arround with the nails. The screws hold better, though.

I've put on a LOT of metal roofs by myself (I'm a builder), and one person can do it, unless it's really windy. Two is nice, though, if you can swing it.

I'm assuming you can walk on the roof sheathing, or purlins, or whatever you've got under the roofing. If so, do what I do. Start at one end, and work your way over to the other end. For the last sheet, if it's too slippery to stand on safely, tie yourself off with a rope attached to something solid on the other side of the house. I personally just hang onto the rope with one hand while screwing on the last piece, but you could set yourself up in a harness if it made you feel more secure.

If you're using pliers to hold the nails so you can smack them nice and hard to get them started, you should probably wear safety glasses, too, as they will fly up pretty hard if you give them a hard, glancing blow.

Another hint: if you're nailing short little nails into something hard, or bouncy, and don't want to get pliers, or don't have access to them for some reason, try holding the nails with your forefinger and middle finger, with the BACK of your fingers DOWN. If you end up blapping your fingers, it won't do nearly as much damage as if you hit your thumbnail.

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), March 29, 2000.

another quick thought, Rachel. As much as possible, put the used roofing up so that any holes are on a ridge, rather than in a valley. The black jack isn't really all that leak proof.

For putting on the ridge cap, you can walk right along the ridge.

But be careful!

If you tie yourself off, make sure the rope isn't long enough to catch you AFTER you've slid over the edge of the roof!

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), March 29, 2000.

Thanks, Joe. I have learned quite alot as I have been going along, and what you described is pretty much what I have been doing lately. Working in vertical sections, peak to overhang, standing on the wood slats until I can reach the ladder wrungs for the last sheet. I was forced to hold the nails between my first two fingers because my thumb hurt too much, but now my pointer finger has a purple nail! It had better rain soon, or I will run out of fingers! But seriously, I have also been using pliers.

It makes me wince just thinking about getting up there, but I decided the minimum amount per day (a pocketful of nails) and it's getting done. I also have several small cuts from the sheet metal on my hands and forearms. Lookin' real classy just in time for Spring.

It wasn't too bad today, the wind really can make it difficult. By the time this is finished, I think I may actually know what I am doing. Thanks for the input, as usual

--Rachel

-- Rachel (rldk@hotmail.com), March 30, 2000.

Rachel, good for you; sounds like you're discipining yourself to do an ugly task gradually, so as not to overtax yourself.

I built my current house two and a half years ago. When I got to the "roofing it" stage, it was windy and rainy as the dickens, so I kept finding other things to do instead of the roof. Days later, it was still raining and blowing. I finally just gave up, and started doing it. What a pain in the kazooie! It took two oor three times longer than normal, but I did get it done. I just figured I'd be soaked and miserable after working all morning, then I'd put on dry clothes and repeat the agony all afternoon. It took two or three weeks, as I recall, to do the whole roof (which was about 5000 square feet counting everything.

I learned later that that December when I'd been roofing had the most rain in one month in history, and one of the days was the most rain in one day, and it was the most rain ever in one year. Great timing, eh?

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), March 30, 2000.

Rachel A trick I have used for placing "stubborn" nails instead of the sometimes clumsy pliers, is to take a block of hardwood slightly less in thickness than the length of your nail , cut a saw kerf one third to one half of the way through which is wide enough to fit the thickness of the nail shank, and use it as a nail grip. You can get a pretty good "wallop" on any nailhead without risk to digits, and it generally prevents bending of the nail as well. It can be a little clumsy at first, but certainly no more so than pliers. One never seems to have enough hands on the roof. Much good advice in these responses about safety, I can add dittoes to all I have read. As an old timer I once knew said "broken limbs can wreck a roof not lay one". Good luck.

-- Daniel Baker (dcbaker@2ki.net), March 31, 2000.

Joe, what a sense of accomplishment you must have when you pull into your driveway. That's wonderful. As to the rainy season, isn't that just the way? When I bought this old farm the bank gave me 90 days to paint the exterior of all the buildings, and wouldn't you know that it rained 48 of those days, and was the rainiest Spring in 17 years! I painted on days that were so cold and overcast that I was fairly certain it would all end up in the grass before dusk. I am sure your home is lovely.

Daniel, human limbs or tree limbs?? I have a half-dead tree threatening to both break, and lay flat, my house roof if it isn't converted to cord wood soon. ha ha ha I will try the suggestion with the wood thing. Thanks

-- Rachel (rldk@hotmail.com), March 31, 2000.