Stone Coated Roofing

Agnes, a few more thoughts.

I am assuming your company has NOT installed granulated steel products before. If so, you have to buy the appropriate equipment from the manufacturer as regular shears and brakes will be ruined very quickly by the granules on the steel. You will need at least two batten spacers, a panel shear and a steel brake. You will also need to replace the hand snips after every couple of granulated steel jobs.

For installing the battens, we use nail guns, and 18V battery operated circular saws. Each worker should have a chalk-line, hammer, utility knife and hand snips. For driving the screws, we find the 18V makitas to be excellent - light, strong and durable. For cutting the panels, you will need either hand snips or the shear. We do not recommend you cut the metal with the grinder because it leaves an exposed metal edge, and the steel filings left on the roof will rust, marring the visual appearance.

It is really easy to ruin panels unless your installers have taken the courses given by the manufacturer, and PRACTISED cutting the panels. The material is not very forgiving of mistakes, so you really have to get the cut right on the first try. So if your team does not have much experience with the product, make them practice cutting and bending on a sacrificial panel or two before you let them loose on the actual installation. It also take some practice to bend the material without scraping the granules off the surface and leaving it marked.

For estimating material, you really should follow the estimating method suggested by the manufacturer, as the usual method of figuring the area and adjusting with a waste factor can throw you off since the panels are quite large. The method is described in their installation manual.

As with all materials, if your installation crew keeps their brains well oiled and in good working condition (and apply them as necessary on the job), you should have minimal problems. Most water-proofing and flashing methods used with metal roofing will apply to this type of material.

PS: If your guys are not too sure about the measure twice, cut once idea, you could invest in a shingle stretcher machine. :huh: :lol:>>>

Thanks for the details. These are very helpful! >>>

Sorry about the delay, Agnes. Darn computer problems again.

On flat sections, you can get up to 1 square per hour for a two-man team. Laying down the battens is pretty quick, and reasonably straightforward. If you are levelling a deck, or going over composition roofing, then you will probably need the vertical boards as Robby suggests. Hips don't slow you down too much, but valleys are probably the most difficult part of the install of this type of material. So on your average "cut-up" roof, I'd estimate 4-6 manhours per square. At 6 manhours per square, you're looking at 240 manhours, divided by 4 workers, gives you about 60 manhours each, or 7-8 days of work. Once you're experienced, you can probably cut that down to 1-2 manhours per square, but it really depends on the degree of complexity you have to deal with. Obviously, a straight gable-to-gable 4:12 roof with minimal penetrations will be very fast. Put four peaked dormers on the same roof, and you've increased the workload at least four times.

If your team have little experience with steel, you may want to cut your teeth on the steel shingles (granite ridge or equivalent), as they are battenless systems, and be installed almost as fast as asphalt shingles. Edge and valley detail will slow you down even with the metal shingle products. That's just the way it is.>>>

PGRIZ, so how long do you think would it take for an experienced 4 men crew to install 370 square meters (4000 sq ft),

Our Supply mgr used to be a Stonecoat specialist..he says your probaly looking at 2 experience men x 7 day...longer w/o the exp. He says if your roofing over a composition roof...you will need 1 x 4 boards layed vertical with the truss', then the 2 x 2's using the spacer bar.>>>

Looks much better than our asphalt shingle roofs here :-)>>>

Lots of information.. It looks that here the Gerard and Allmet are offered by Metals USA. Decra is their main competition but both Gerard and Decra are owned by the same Fletcher Building in New Zeland. It really is fishy. One of my employees who worked as roofer in Australia told me that they had to tear-off pretty many of those roofs due to their failure in 90's. But I guess they had to do something OK since they are still on the market.>>>

.......it will be perfectly walkable once you start installing the batons>>>

PGRIZ, so how long do you think would it take for an experienced 4 men crew to install 370 square meters (4000 sq ft), hip roof with valleys, on a second storey high building, the roof is nonwalkable? (I understand that first few jobs would go slowly but am looking for some estimates). I do have all the equipment and we start with batten system, shake style and use screws for attachment. Thanks, Agnes >>>

We've done a number of Gerard/Allmet installs. You need to buy the Allmet shear and brake. The 2x2 battens are installed using spacers (for exact spacing of the battens) and nail-guns. The steel panels are installed and screwed down with screws ordered from Allmet. On large, unbroken fields, the installation is very quick, but on the hips, gables, and valleys things slow down. Overall, our labour appears to be about the same as installing aluminum shingles. However, with the first few jobs, take the time to get the details right. You'll pick up the speed once you can get into the flow.>>>

That is helpful. If they stay on the market for 40 years - they might be here for awhile yet. Here Decra and Gerard are one company purchased by US Metals. But it is good to be able to tell the customer that their metal roof has got a chance :-) I was told that in "snow country" you have to use screws instead of nails. That would prolong the installation. >>>

I believe that more important than the product itself is the installation. I have seen so much expensive material wasted due to bad installation. But I also have a trouble telling the customer that his new 30 year architectural shingles will really last for 30 days. Most of the roofs that we tear-off here in Illinois are avarage of 10 years old. About 20% of our customers want something more than that. I do not believe in 50 year warranties since there are rarely companies selling under the same name for 50 years. But if you do good installation, there is stuff out there that can stay on the roof for 50 years (I do not know yet if Stone coated Steel is one of them though). If the cost of material and installation would be twice the price of asphalt shingles - I think it is worth the try. I wonder however if this batten system 2"x2" tkes really only twice the time of install that the asphalt shingles do.>>>

They are light and they interlock. I would say that you could do them for the same as you would a shingles roof; but why would you if you could get more. I would recomend that you hand nail them instead of trying to do it with a gun. Make sure and strike lines, because you are going to have to go over the top of the dormer and since they interlock, you are going to have to be right on. Close is not good. I would use a ring shank nail it it was me. That way they won't be working their way out. Don't nail them down tight. Do nail them in the middle of the slots so that they can move when they have to. Do you do the work yourself? Easy to do, but easy to screw it up. good luck!

Is it just me or does it bother others in here that the new companies will come out with a product like this and give it 50 yr. guarantee when it has only been out for 3 years. When they are install incorrectly and they fail, the company goes out of business and we are left holding the bag. Grrrr.>>>

It seems like it would be the same as the aluminum. I haven't installed the aluminum but I've been to the school for it.>>>

We do aluminum shingles, standing seam panels or plastic slate as an alternative for asphalt shingles. I think these are great products. I do not have an opinion about stone coated steel yet. But the product price is so good right now that we want to give it a try. Manufacturer says that installation is very fast, I am afraid it might be costly and that is why I look for some advise here. >>>

I've never done them but was thinking about adding a line as an high end alternative to shingles. Let me know what you think of the brand you choose.>>>