Standard Standing Seam Roofing Tools

Professional metal roofers know that being prepared with all the best tools will help them complete a standing seam metal roofing project faster and more efficiently.  If you are about to dive into a metal roof installation, it's a good idea to make a checklist ahead of time to ensure that you have all of the standard standing seam tools for metal roofers before you begin.

A lack of preparation with the wrong tools may delay the completion of your project when you need to run to the store or wait for a tool to ship.

Here are some of the standard standing seam metal roofing tools that you will need for your metal roofing installation.

Metal Snips

Metal snips are a metal cutting tool that is key to cutting and shaping the metal that you will be using for your standing seam metal roof installation. Metal roofing experts, Exterior Pro Roofing, recommend Malco Max2000 snips because they are easy on the hand and they make the cutting of metal roof panels super smooth.

As The Roofer's Guide to Metal Snips explains, most metal snips are color-coded for the cut orientation. Red tin snips are best for right-hand users to cut straight and to the left. Green metal snips are preferred for lefties to cut straight and to the right. Finally, yellow metal snips simply cut straight.

When you cut metal with tin snips that are cheaper or lower quality, you run the risk of destroying your metal roof panels in the process of manipulation and this will cost you more in the long run while delaying completion. The cutting of metal panels is one of the trickier aspects of the job, so make sure you are prepared with quality metal snips.

Seaming Pliers

Seaming pliers are another common tool necessary in manipulating the metal materials used to construct your standing seam roof. Seaming pliers bend, grip, or fold small pieces or sections of the sheet metal that you will use for your metal roofing panels. Seaming pliers are primarily used to create a seam in each metal panel so they can be joined together.

Hand Seamers

Hand seamers are similarly used to bend and fold sheet metal, as well as, smooth and flatten wrinkles or bends. Hand seamers can create sharp angles and they come in many different lengths and depths depending on the materials that you are using and the shape you are aiming for.

Many professional metal roofing contractors prefer hand seamers to mechanical seamers because they have more control. If you are a roofer who prefers manual work that allows for personal craftsmanship, then hand seamers are much better than an electric seaming tool.

Driver Bits

You will need driver bits for your impact driver to secure metal fastening and metal connections on your standing seam roof. Exterior Pro Roofing experts explain that you should have four drive bits and a drill bit. These bits include a number 2 square-head clip screw, a T25 wood screw, a quarter-inch nut driver, a five-sixteenths nut driver, and a chuck with an eighth-inch drill bit.

They also offer a bonus metal roofing tool tip by suggesting you get a cordless drill with a clip so that you can easily hook the impact drill to your belt and move freely across the metal roofing job site.

Rivet Tools and Rivets

A rivet tool or rivet gun is another one of the standard tools for metal roof projects. Rivet tools are used to secure rivets into place to connect metal to metal like flashings to pipe penetrations and the base of the roof.

Butyl Tape

Butyl tape is used for tightly sealing and securing the metal panels of a standing seam roof. Butyl tape provided a tight seal so it is also used to secure the base of a pipe boot or flashing to the metal roof panel.

Caulking Sealants and A Sealant Gun

Caulking sealants are used for metal roof sealing in gutters, vents, flashings, and skylights. Gun grade sealants will prevent leaks and water damage that can destroy a building and a sealing gun will help you make a more precise bead of sealant.

Thin beads of sealant are best for keeping a clean aesthetic on your metal roof and without a caulking gun you can end up with a sticky mess. Caulking guns allow you to apply a perfect line of caulking sealant to a metal pipe penetration to secure a pipe boot so no water will get in and destroy your work.

There are a wide variety of brands for all of these standard standing seam metal roofing tools, but it is always best to prioritize quality. It is also important to note that all of the tools that you will need for your metal roofing project are not listed here, but these are some of the most necessary standard standing seam tools.

Contact us today with questions and supply requests for your standing seam metal roofing project.