Roofing expense may contribute to about 3% of your overall expenditure but protects the remaining 97%!
Yes, the way you install your roof, lays the groundwork for your structure’s entire future. If installed under expert guidance, it lives longer; if not it may lead to a pre-mature failure! A roof gives protection against all weathers, makes your structure energy efficient, gives comfort while contributing to the overall aesthetics. As the life of any structure depends on its roof – if installed properly it not only enhances beauty, but also helps it to last longer with less maintenance, as compared to poorly installed roofs, thus saving cost in the long term.
Let us see some of the best practices for roof installation:
Before embarking on execution, always think of Safety first
- Prepare for the assembly in advance.
- Understand the structural drawings
- Use safety harness, personal protective equipment’s and smooth sole shoes
Dos
- Cut materials on ground than on any other material where hot particles can fall and cause damage to the finishing of sheets
- Remove all the drill particles, scraps, excess fasteners and pop rivet mandrels from roof to avoid rusting and stains.
- Power saw along with metal cutting blades should be used for thin sheets
- The roof screws should always be placed through the ribs and wall screws should be fixed through pan.
- Use recommended screws/ fasteners of class 3 with EPDM rubber sealing washers
- The air gap towards the left makes sure that water does not travel upward, the groove should be on the inner side.
- Structures like HSS angles, channels and tubes (apart from the zinc coated supporting structure) should always be painted prior to fixing the sheets.
- Use neutral cure silicone rubber sealants.
- Wash the roof with clean water or mild detergent by using soft cloth, mop or soft nylon bristles to avoid swarf stains and rusts.
- Screws should be fixed directly on the supporting members.
- While walking on the roof, keep your weight evenly distributed
- Guard film must be removed after installation
DONT’S
- Don’t keep colour coated sheets in contact with cement, dirt and chemicals like paint or thinner
- Don’t install the roof sheets during rains, sheets get wet and slippery
- Do not use J hooks, carbon washers and stainless-steel screws on the sheets as they might cause damage to the sheets.
- Don’t overdrive or under drive the screw as it leads to water leakage and washer damage.
- Improper contact at the groove portion makes the roofs vulnerable to water leakages, the groove portion should not be on the outer side.
- Don’t leave metal articles on the roof
- Don’t throw bird feed on the sheet, bird dropping can damage the colour of the sheet.
- Don’t use acetic acid-based sealants which liberate aggressive by-products during curing
- Never use abrasive or solvent type cleaners, wire brushes, steel wool, sponge, scorers to clean the roof sheets as it softens the paint film
- Avoid walking on the end lap gutters, single rib and skylight sheets.
While no roof will last forever, you can improve the odds by insisting on installation that observes the best practices along with the authenticity of the manufacturer. It is extremely important to hire a qualified professional who understands one’s requirement and does the job flawlessly.
Tata BlueScope Steel is your roofing expert with years of experience when it comes to supply of superior quality roofing solutions and best-in-class installation practices within the construction industry. You can view a full range of Roofing and Wall Cladding Products, Solutions & Services on the company website.
