Small House Project: Metal Roof & Structural Siding
- Tara Miller
- Jan 30, 2017
- 3 min read
Siding is complete and only the finishing touches are needed
on our standing seam metal roof.
Now that our roof structure is complete and covered from the elements we can begin on the metal roof and add siding to our small house. We decide one of our splurges would be a standing seam metal roof. We made this decision based on the longevity of metal roofs and the southern coastal style of the metal roof. Through our building supply store, Ace Hardware Social Circle, we worked out the amount of roofing needed and placed our order. The lead time was about 1-1.5 weeks.
Notch cut out for the window. This one was a tight fit.
We also placed our order for siding at the same time and its lead time ranged depending on the siding. Originally we planned on using Louisiana Pacific Smart Siding that was 5/8” thick but the lead time was 3 weeks and we had to order a minimum of 60 sheets though we only needed 50. So we amended our order to the 7/16” thick but that lead time was 6 weeks with a min. order of 80 sheets. So we settled on the 3/8” smart siding which was still structural grade but needed to be doubled nailed* and this made my husband hesitant thinking of all the caulking that would need to be done and we were afraid the nails recommended would not fit our nail gun. But the caulking was not such a big deal since when he finished nailing one sheet up he just ran a line of caulk down the seam (See picture below) and placed the new sheet over it and nailed again. The nails also fit just fine. The only hiccup was because we didn’t use CDX to sheath the house it was helpful to have someone inside the house to be sure the nails always hit a stud. We also found it helpful to first place a 2x4 along the bottom of where each sheet of siding would sit so when hanging a new sheet it would sit on this ledge. This means less hands are needed and that each sheet of siding was straight with the previous. Cutting around windows was not too tricky since most lined up with the edges of the siding but when this was not the case we cut the window holes slightly bigger (this was a good bit of trial and error) and knew that our trim would cover the gaps. We also added a decorative trim border of trim where the first floor siding meets the second floor siding. This join can be disguised with good caulking and paint but I really liked the look of the border trim. Trim will also be used on the corners, where the siding meets the roof and where the siding meets the decks.
You can see the bead of caulk in the red ovals.
When the metal roofing came it, it was delivered by the manufacturers, Georgia Metal. When they arrived they cut all of the pieces on site and stacked them up and gave us the tools we would need to crimp and bend the edges to make a good seal and ensure the water flowed where we wanted. After watching several YouTube videos we were ready to install the roof. We also used a roofing harness since it was getting cold which meant some mornings were icy and the front roof pitch was 7:12. To lay the main roof took about 2 days and that was mostly cutting each end piece to make sure our seams lined up and were placed where we needed them to be. Cutting, caulking, flashing and trimming is still going on since that is more precise and involves more cutting and fitting. The majority of the roof was done in one week.
The front metal roof is installed and we are cutting the back roof pieces.
Next we are working on the porches. There will be 3 total: 1 in front and 2 in the back. We are planning on installing a cable railing to enhance the view and add a modern touch. There will be custom eave brackets and we will be installed up to 4 different widths of trim once we finalize our choices. On the inside we will be starting the plumbing and electrical soon. This will be followed but insulation, a combo of foam and batting. Then we will enclose the walls in a combination of ship lap and paneling which will be painted and staining the floor. So check back for more progress.
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