DIY standing-seam metal roof installation " to someone experienced in the industry, odds are these words would sound ludicrous. The fact is, there have been a lot of people trying of late, and a lot of people failing. The motivation of these would-be MacGyvers is obvious enough " theyre hoping to make a saving on the metal roofing contractor they wont need to hire, followed by the further savings in terms of electric bills and insurance policies that having a metal roof puts you in for.
So were in a recession, and so things are a bit tight for everyone right about now. Retrenchments and salary cuts are the norm, not the exception, and people are trying to find any way they can to lessen the often expensive business of living. The fact is that you stand to lose a lot more than you stand to gain by adopting this strategy. Sure, there are companies around that make metal panels specifically targeted at these would-be home improvement gurus, standard-shaped panels that clip together by hand, say the advertisements. However, the thing youre apt to discover is that standard-shaped is not that great a predicate when youre trying to cover a building of anything but the most uniform shape.
And uniform is not how youd describe the roofs of most residential buildings. With only an inadequate mix of personal DIY tools not even resembling the specialized efficacy of a metal roofing contractors arsenal, youre going to leave weak spots around irregularities like chimneys, skylights, sidewalls, gables, dormers and unusual angles. Any of these weak spots could be what lets the intrusion of rain, frost and snow into your home, with the long term damage that accompanies them. And so, instead of coming into possession of the roof that could have outlasted your earthly existence, youll find yourself in the unfortunate position of needing to either stage another attempt, or swallowing your pride and calling on the services of, you guessed it, a trained, professional metal roofing contractor.
So, if you dont happen to live in a Toblerone- or matchbox-shaped residence, get on the phone to a metal roofing contractor and start haggling. The cost of installing a metal roof once youve laid hands on the requisite parts is not that high, as the labor required is so much less. The job should proceed relatively quickly, and if the contractor charges by the day, so much the better.
If not, you should get at least three metal roofing contractors to quote you for the job. Alternatively, call on your friends and family " youd be surprised how well the concept of six degrees of separation applies when it comes to finding anyone in the building, carpentry or plumbing industries. Its the way the average contractor gets the majority of his work, work hell tend to want to do as well as possible if youre referred by a family member, as hell know hes leaving an impression not just on one person, but on an entire network of potential customers.
If your contractor does try to charge you the same rate, you should probably seek quotes from numerous metal roofing contractors, or better yet, ask around amongst your friends and family for referrals. This is how most contractors get business, and knowing that youre tied to a network of past and potentially future clients will make that contractor much more eager to please with quick service delivery.