If you’ve ever tried to cut metal siding, you’ll know how difficult it is. Metal is one of the most durable substances that you can use for roofing, being very durable, waterproof, and made to last for years.
However, to avoid leaks and potential weather damage, you’ll need to make sure that your metal siding fits your roof exactly. You’ll need to make sure that the metal cuts the roofing exactly and that you have everything that you need to keep it secure and firm.
But with corrugated metal, it is not always easy to keep everything straight. The bumps in the sheet metal will trick you into thinking that you are not cutting correctly or that the metal itself is going out of alignment.
Securing large sheets of metal to your workbench is also important for making sure that you have a straight cut.
So what is the best way for cutting your metal siding? How can you best secure your metal to the workbench? What is the best tool to use to measure your metal? How can you cut it quickly and cleanly? What safety equipment should you have for the job?
Well, we’ve got the answers to these questions and a whole lot more, with our handy how-to guide for cutting sheet metal.
Not only will we give you a list of all the tools that you’ll need, but will give you solid advice on how to secure your metal and how to measure your roof so that it is accurate.
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Make Sure Your Sheets Are Facing The Right Way Up
Place your metal sheeting on your workbench with the underside facing up. You’ll need to make sure that your workbench is even, as this will give you a solid base on which to cut your metal siding.
Make sure the flat side is facing you, as the underneath is much easier to cut than the top.
The top side of each of these ridges protrudes up in the air, which makes them a lot more tricky to cut. You’ll want to make sure that these ridges are facing down instead of up. Remember a little tip: make that the ridges look like valleys instead of hills.
Work Out How Many Sheets You Need
Now you’ll need to work out how many sheets that you’ll need to cover your entire roof. Do this by measuring the entire surface area of your roof.
Measure the length and the width of your roof and then you can work out the entire surface area using these measurements.
You can then use this measurement to determine how much metal sheeting that you’ll need. You’ll also need to know how your metal sheeting will fit together, so you’ll need to have an accurate measurement of the overlap.
A good method of finding out exactly how many sheets that you’ll need is by dividing up the surface area of your roof by the number of sheets that you have. This way you can determine exactly how many sheets that you’ll need for the job.
You can also go online and use a roofing calculator that will help you to determine how many roofing sheets that you’ll need.
Because let’s face it, nobody likes doing maths half the time! You can then fit your sheets together and cut them based on the final measurements.
Measure The Edges
You’ll need to measure the sides in order to make marks on where you’ll need to start cutting.
You can use a tape measure to determine the point where you start cutting and to form a guide that will help you to stay in line.
Make sure that you are measuring your roof exactly, as any gaps in between will likely lead to leakages in your roof at a later date.
We would recommend that you do your roof calculations more than once in case you’ve made a mistake.
Which Tools To Use
- Designed for Precision - The ruler has a 4R graduation type with 8ths, 16ths, quick reading 32nds, and 64ths that greatly increase the accuracy...
One of the best tools to use for this job will be the combination square cutting.
This tool will go flush to the side of your metal and provide you with a dead straight vertical line that you can use as a guide to cut through.
If you make a mistake on your roofing cut, that you could see the sides of your panel rusting quite severely, so make sure that you have reliable tools that will give you that precise cut that you need.
Safety Gear
When you are cutting your metal sheeting, you’ll probably be using a metal saw.
With metal, there will always be some flying shards and excessive noise, both of which can be extremely damaging to your eyes, ears, and throat.
Make sure that you are wearing heavy protective goggles that you can use to keep the metal shards out of your eyes. Heavy-duty noise-canceling headphones will also be very important for protecting your ears against damage.
Metal saws can get very loud, so you’ll want to make sure that they don’t give you any permanent hearing loss.
Having safety equipment will also increase your confidence when you are cutting this material. If you are trying to avoid debris flying into your eyes, then you’ll probably not be doing that accurate a job with your cutting.
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Our Final Say
We hope that our list of handy tips has given you a better idea of how you can approach your metal sheeting.
Not only do you need to make sure that you have all the right gear, but accuracy will be the most important thing, especially if you are laying down some roof panels.
