Best tools for removing metal roof

[Youngfd]

I have a 24 by 60 shop that I need to remove the metal roof for replacement. I went up and checked and it is nailed on with fairly large ring shank nails. I tried my "cats paw" nail puller and it works on some of the nails, but pulls the heads off others. Any ideas? Slide hammer nail puller? Small grinder and grind off the heads?

 

[PugetDude]

I have a 24 by 60 shop that I need to remove the metal roof for replacement. I went up and checked and it is nailed on with fairly large ring shank nails. I tried my "cats paw" nail puller and it works on some of the nails, but pulls the heads off others. Any ideas? Slide hammer nail puller? Small grinder and grind off the heads?

Sharpen the claws on an old rip hammer, then use another hammer to drive the claws under the nail head- you want them to bite into the shank of the nail. Give it a good yank, if the head pops off you can drive the claws through the old metal to lift it off the nail. Might find that using a 1x wood block under the hammer gives you a better angle to lift the nail- the cat's paw pulls as much sideways as it does vertical...
(Of course you should never hit two hammer heads together so make sure the second hammer has a soft face... )

Good luck.

 

[Firebird 1]

Get a 3' crow bar from hd for 10bucks. if the head pops off the nails, pull them out after the metal is off. I had an employee who lost an eye by hitting one hammer head with another, I also had a piece break off on me lodging a shard into my leg. It happens!

 

[kd3pc]

small hole saw a tad bigger than the screw/nail head....real fast and little danger of flying metal. Just remember to stand beside it when you drill the last hole....

best of luck.

 

[Youngfd]

Hole saw idea sounds safe. Will try that trick first. Thanks!! Jim

 

[Keithinsc]

Years ago I had a job where we tore down about 25 sheds, all 300' long.

We could reach the 1x4 that the sheetmetal was nailed to from the underside.
One guy with an air hammer pushed the nails out about a 1/2".

I was on the roof cutting the heads off with a pair of bolt cutters. Get them all cut and then flip the panel up and onto the ground.

Owner ended up reusing most of the panels, just made sure to place the new nails in the existing holes.

 

[Youngfd]

These nails are buried into the 2 x 6 's below, so no getting to the backside. Great idea if on space sheeting. J

 

[APEowner]

I just pull the roofing off with a big prybar and then either pull the nails or drive them in below the surface.

 

[dynahoe]

small hole saw like they use to drill out spot welds sound sgood

 

[rusty1]

...a good "7" bar works great for me. (smaller crowbar shaped like the number 7.)

 

[raddksn]

I just pull the roofing off with a big prybar and then either pull the nails or drive them in below the surface.

I like this idea!

 

[WVBrady]

...I had an employee who lost an eye by hitting one hammer head with another, I also had a piece break off on me lodging a shard into my leg. It happens!

Hard against hard will give you a shard.

 

[Mikes145]

Deck Wrecker http://www.deckwrecker.com/

I used this to remove all the deck boards on my deck before I put Trex back on. It works pretty good.

 

[Kaizen]

depending on the thickness of the metal and if near the edge like a standing seam roof you could get under the metal and pull it off the nail head. so the nail slips through the metal then just nail it in.
ring shank are great till you have to take one out.

 

[m151dave]

Quickest easiest way to remove a roof in Oklahoma City is called a tornado. They come by about twice a week

 

[Youngfd]

Can you send me a tornado on May 30?��

 

[danfromsyr]

maybe one of these long reach air chisels with a modified head

would sure beat bending over that much.

http://www.harborfreight.com/42-in-long-reach-air-scraper-69236.html

 

[1jjpop]

Years age I removed old tin on a roof ,nails was thru tin & thru 1'' wood , with nails long enough to drive nails back up [ from inside ] & then pull out with a hammer.

 

[Cyberbear]

If you are not trying to save and reuse the sheet metal, many roofers use a flat nose shovel to slide under the roofing, and pry up by pressing shovel handle down for easy leverage and it saves your back from too much stooping. Otherwise, all the other ideas sound good.

 

[gte718p]

 

[over40pirate]

If you have access, how about using a sawzall to cut the nails between the metal and wood?

 

[edcantu9]

Out of curiosity how long did the metal roof last before needing replacement? I see they are starting to pop up more in Iowa.

 

[Damon L.]

I used these to pull the nails removing steel from a shed before. If the head comes out, you can grip the shank with the jaws and pull. Bonus is that you can use the rounded edges as fulcrums. Goes pretty quick.

http://www.acehardware.com/product/...56&cp=2568443.2568450.2628076.2628235.1259472

We also had a modified cat's paw type prybar. Welded a 2" or so long piece of 1/4" pipe perpendicular to the head on the back of it. That acted as a fulcrum causing minimal damage to the steel. When the prybar would pull the head off, revert to the pliers.

 

[Youngfd]

Tried a big bar and other devices and the hole saw is the real trick!! Thanks for the tip. Roof was also nailed incorrectly through the high rib of the metal so it wanted to crush with any prying. J

 

[Beemer533]

Actually, that is generally the correct way to secure that type of metal roofing with nails.

 

[Nor'Easter]

Never in my life have I seen a metal roof fastened with nails.

 

[Beemer533]

Well, most these days are done with screws, but I've run into a lot of older nailed ones..

This post edited by the NSA

 

[scrapdaddy]

Both my shop and barn have nails in the metal roofs and they both leak at the some nails. The metal is fine, just a little faded @ 14 years old.

Anybody know of a good way to stop the leaks?

 

[SARG]

I watched a Morton crew strip a roof from one of their buildings as a warranty replacement. They had cutters that were about five foot long designed the snip the nail heads off.

 

[whyNick?]

Both my shop and barn have nails in the metal roofs and they both leak at the some nails. The metal is fine, just a little faded @ 14 years old.

Anybody know of a good way to stop the leaks?

Pull the nails from the leaky spots and replace them with screws. I do 3 or 4 every year on my barn, eventually I guess it'll be all screws...

 

[SARG]

Both my shop and barn have nails in the metal roofs and they both leak at the some nails. The metal is fine, just a little faded @ 14 years old.

Anybody know of a good way to stop the leaks?

I'm gradually replacing nails with screws as the nails become loose and leak. Eventually I'll have to replace the faded "painted" panels with Galvalume.

 

[mark883]

 

[Bluepine]

Morton Buildings crews use a slide hammer welded to hoof nippers, I copied their tool and have stripped 2 buildings with it. The quick action and impact make the ringshanks come out easy.