pole barn steel install

[glennster]

i am replacing two walls inside my morton building. i just picked up the new steel. watching u tube some guys center punch the metal where the fasteners go. ( i am using 2 inch gasketed screws. ). another guy said pre drill. and another said let the screw pierce the metal. any suggestions? also. do you fasten the top first and work your way down so it will lay flat?

 

[glennster]

hers a couple pics.

 

[DoubleO7]

I prefer to center punch it.
We did that on a friends barn.
We used a hunk of 2x4 on edge and jig sawed the rib profile into each end of the panel into it. and the little raised area inbetween the ribs. Then drilled a hole at rib centers and at center between the ribs. Hole sized so that the center punch would slide in.
Made a good jig, kept screws from walking.

 

[Russ from MN]

My wife helps me a lot putting on steel roofing, if we pre-drill she will put a lot of screws in, she has her own drill. If I put up a good scaffold she can reach up quite a ways, but wouldn't be able to push a screw through without the hole.

 

[rustred]

to me i would predrill with 1/8 holes. sometime letting the screw pierce tin the screw will slip and scratch the metal plus u need to put pressure on the screw to get it to pierce. 2 inch screws is a lot of over kill. most are 1/1/4 cause when screwed in a 3/4 inch board they just poke through the other side. last ones i bought were 10 cents each but probably double now. as for tin it would depend how u are installing it. vertical or horizontal. i would think vertical like on the out side.

 

[glennster]

vertical inside walls. the metal was fastened to 2x4s. po hired man backed the grain truck into the wall quite a few times

 

[Hobo,NC]

Its been 20 years time fly's We laid out and pre-drilled multiple sheets at a time...

 

[gmccool]

Predrill multiple sheets and then all your screws are straight.

 

[PJH]

The finished product will look best if all of the screws are in a nice straight row. If they do not align in a straight row, it will be very noticeable and very disappointing. I'm not a carpenter, but I mark the center of the purlins then pop a chalkline on each sheet for each purlin to keep the alignment straight. A center punched hole in the steel makes starting the screws easier, especially for us old guys. When I was young, I used the screw itself to start the holes. Yes, laying flat is important - make a uniform screw pattern to hold the sheets in place then finish up the middles.

 

[PJH]

Agreed - the manufacturer of the metal will recommend one inch of screw into the wood.

 

[mtf]

I learned by watching the Mennonites, to hit the back of the impact with the back of your other fist while starting the screw will pierce the metal almost instantly. Of course they were using brace'n bit.
If you had a horizontal laser line you wouldn't have to mark (and then clean) each sheet. Nathan

 

[Stephen Newell]

It can be done either way but I think it's less work to pre-drill a hole. Have two drills handy to do each function. The screws are self taping however it's like drilling a hole in metal with a very dull drill bit. They don't have the best tip on them.

I don't think it matters which end you start at. Just be very careful to hit the purlin. If you miss it will be a never ending leak you can't fix.

 

[caterpillar guy]

We use 2 inch screws on roofs, and only screw in the top of the ribs. We drill them and use the screw depends on the screws. Some are sharper than others. We have been getting steel roofing from Custom Metal sales in Greenfield IN and the screws there also. Those we just direct screw the points are good and sharp. I also found out from the owner that down there they all screw the steel in the flats. He also told me about most of the guys he sells to up farther north like us put the screws in the top of the ribs. I guess that would not really matter for inside with little wind and water. You could just use short screws and screw flats. IF started with a screw in center top end you could hang several or all of one side than go back and finish them. This would let you be square with the sheets then finish screwing on the wall. Since you could swing them slightly on the top screw. The guys putting steel on my brothers roof would put them down the lap then do the other side so it didn't walk on the roof as it is tightened. I have also used that walk to keep steel square by tightening one side at one end and the opposite at the other. That would help with keeping the steel from working up or down the roof/wall.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

When the amish or(mennonites) built my pole barn in 2 days,
they used pointed self tapping screws. No drilling, no punching holes. I think they attached the top row of screws and then chalk lined where they wanted the screws to go.
All screws were put at the flat part of the siding and roof.

My first pole barn was built with nails.
They punched holes in many sheets at the same time.
They used the top sheet for a pattern.

If you can enlarge this pic you will see they used the flat

of the metal.

 

[MarkB_MI]

Measure where you want the screws to go, and mark the top sheet in the stack with a Sharpie. Then center punch the top sheet, giving it a couple of whacks. The punch will mark about three sheets. CAREFULLY lift each sheet before you take it off the stack to avoid scratching the sheet beneath it. As you work down the stack, re-punch when the punch marks start to fade. It's fast, easy, and the results look good.

 

[moresmoke]

Inside wall I put all the screws on the flat. Less likely to snag if you get up against it and less visible if the rows are not quite straight.

Exterior, I put screws in rib of the overlap, and in the flat for the rest of the sheet. But then we have prairie wind speed to deal with and I dont want to chase steel.

 

[Tony in SD]

Manufacturers recommend screws on flats not ribs. With 26 ga metal, no need to pre drill. I can measure & mark sheets faster by myself than 2 guys can screw them down.
The older heavier ga pole barn built in the 60s, it might be easier & faster to pre drill.

 

[AL Moyer]

Glennster, The screws really should go in the flat, as someone else said, years ago most roof or siding panels where nailed with a ribbed nail that had a rubber washer, which eventually dried out & broke away, leaving a area for leaks, when they started using the self drilling screws, the also used a neoprene sealing washer, & this holds the seal at the screw point, 1 1/4 -3/8 is long enough, 2 is going to sticking through, & you can bet you'll get scrapped by the point sooner or later ! AL

 

[Mark-Mi]

I observed a carpenter hanging steel on the side of a barn. He would put the self piercing screw in the driver against the steel and smack the end of the drill with his bare hand to set the screw and then run it in.

 

[Nebraska Kirk]

(quoted from post at 18:34:19 10/07/22) i am replacing two walls inside my morton building. i just picked up the new steel. watching u tube some guys center punch the metal where the fasteners go. ( i am using 2 inch gasketed screws. ). another guy said pre drill. and another said let the screw pierce the metal. any suggestions? also. do you fasten the top first and work your way down so it will lay flat?

I build pole sheds for a living. We never pre-drill the metal or punch it. it just takes up extra time and time is money. We just let the screw drill through the metal. We have a 20 foot work platform that fits on a Tele handler that we raise up to the wall and then put up the sheets, screwing the top and bottom only as we go until we have on as many sheets as can be reached off the 20 foot platform, then chalk lines for the other screw rows and install the rest of the screws in that section. Then move the platform over and repeat.

 

[caterpillar guy]

We get 24 gauge steel for roofs and the screws don't always like to go through that so we drill them as we go. Right on the roof. We have also found sometimes as it does go through it leaves a sharp tip from the screw in the sheet that will cut the washer on the screw as it tightens in. Drilling eliminated that for us. I think the biggest reason thay advocate the screwing the flats is because that cheap cheesy 29 gauge junk will buckle before the screw can get tight enough to seal if screwed on the rib. The reason we don't use it. Working with 30 foot sheets it will kink very easy if using the 29 junk. 40ft 24 gauge steel will handle much better with no kinking and 3 guys can carry a sheet on edge to place.

 

[Dusty MI]

(quoted from post at 04:34:51 10/09/22) We get 24 gauge steel for roofs and the screws don't always like to go through that so we drill them as we go. Right on the roof. We have also found sometimes as it does go through it leaves a sharp tip from the screw in the sheet that will cut the washer on the screw as it tightens in. Drilling eliminated that for us. I think the biggest reason thay advocate the screwing the flats is because that cheap cheesy 29 gauge junk will buckle before the screw can get tight enough to seal if screwed on the rib. The reason we don't use it. Working with 30 foot sheets it will kink very easy if using the 29 junk. 40ft 24 gauge steel will handle much better with no kinking and 3 guys can carry a sheet on edge to place.

Anyone remember using leadhead nails when putting steel roof on ?

 

[DoubleO7]

(reply to post at 10:45:45 10/09/22)

I have removed some.

You can still buy them new.

 

[Duner Wi]

Yes I do and pound them thru 3 layers at lap joints.