Getting Metal Panels On Roof

[airman89]

I work alone and I’ve been moving 27ft panels (3ft) up onto the roof (17’ Eave height from ground.) using a scissor lift. I use ratchet straps on each panel to keep it in a circle orientation so it doesn’t get damaged on the scissor lift and I load three of these at a time but it’s a large build and I wanted to see if anyone has ideas to speed things up? Anyone ever seen any ingenious ideas before?

 

[PCustoms]

Funny I was just talking about this tonight...

No forklift/tractor/telehandler I assume?

Can you lean them up and pull them up?

 

[airman89]

Funny I was just talking about this tonight...

No forklift/tractor/telehandler I assume?

Can you lean them up and pull them up?

That’s correct no forklift or telehandler. I do have a tractor with a loader but I haven’t came up with a secure way of lifting them with it.

I tried to lean them up the first day but I had to keep it against the wall and it kept tearing into the house wrap. I was nervous with going this route that the wind would blow them over before I got up there with the scissor lift too.

I may need to bite the bullet and get the telehandler for a few hours to get all the sheets up on the roof. I just hate paying around $500 for a couple hours. This build is all out of pocket..

 

[Old tool guy]

Not sure i would try to rush the job. Those panels can get real floppy at the wrong time, and it would be really unfortunate to kink one.

 

[Codyboy]

How the heck are you rolling them up like a burrito and lifting them onto the lift by yourself?
27 footers?

I have some left over 20s that **** to move just a few feet.
Trying to figure out how you're getting them parallel to the roof after lifting them perpendicular to it?

The guys that did my building had 2 guys on the ground to lift each panel up to 2 guys working the roof. I don't know how long my roof panels are, 40ft wide and 5/12 pitch. Have to probably be 25 maybe 27, idk.

Screw that. More power to ya for doing it yourself.

When I built my small 20x16 , I called calf rope and hired someone to finish the other half.
In my defense it was over 100° and probably 95% humidity. Lol

 

[Gutman]

I feel for you. I'm the same way.

I reroofed my 4 bay carport (48 x 25) using 25 foot panels, and rolled them like you did, securing them with ratchet straps.

I fabricobbled a ladder hoist using a HF hoist, paired with a section of an extension ladder, however, I only lifted one roofing panel at a time as I feared a rogue wind would launch it. I used the hoist to lift all of the plywood for redecking, the underlayment, 2x purlins, and as well as my tools daily.

My roof was only 12 foot high, so I was able to use a single section of the ladder, but I was able to get the platform of the hoist above the eave of the roof, making it easier to offload the panels onto the roof, while on the roof. Because it was low slope (1.5:12), I was able to stack the panels on the roof prior to installing them.

I kept the hoist platform and various bits and pieces because I expect that at some point I'll have to reroof my shop attached to the carport. That roof is 4:12, I think, so the panels won't be quite as long, but I've already started to noodle through how I'm going to attack it.

 

[mngundog]

How the heck are you rolling them up like a burrito and lifting them onto the lift by yourself?
27 footers?

I have some left over 20s that **** to move just a few feet.
Trying to figure out how you're getting them parallel to the roof after lifting them perpendicular to it?

The guys that did my building had 2 guys on the ground to lift each panel up to 2 guys working the roof. I don't know how long my roof panels are, 40ft wide and 5/12 pitch. Have to probably be 25 maybe 27, idk.

Screw that. More power to ya for doing it yourself.

When I built my small 20x16 , I called calf rope and hired someone to finish the other half.
In my defense it was over 100° and probably 95% humidity. Lol

I had a guy put up a pole barn for me, he was like 65 worked alone, took 1 to 2 hour naps during the middle of the day, but after a month it was done at about the half the cost than my Morton and Lester estimates.

 

[airman89]

How the heck are you rolling them up like a burrito and lifting them onto the lift by yourself?
27 footers?

I have some left over 20s that **** to move just a few feet.
Trying to figure out how you're getting them parallel to the roof after lifting them perpendicular to it?

The guys that did my building had 2 guys on the ground to lift each panel up to 2 guys working the roof. I don't know how long my roof panels are, 40ft wide and 5/12 pitch. Have to probably be 25 maybe 27, idk.

Screw that. More power to ya for doing it yourself.

When I built my small 20x16 , I called calf rope and hired someone to finish the other half.
In my defense it was over 100° and probably 95% humidity. Lol

It’s been fun that’s for sure. I should’ve taken a video. About got sliced up a few times now. When I get to the roof I stand on the roof and “yank” them up over the drip edge and walk to where I need it then unstrap it.

I feel for you. I'm the same way.

I reroofed my 4 bay carport (48 x 25) using 25 foot panels, and rolled them like you did, securing them with ratchet straps.

I fabricobbled a ladder hoist using a HF hoist, paired with a section of an extension ladder, however, I only lifted one roofing panel at a time as I feared a rogue wind would launch it. I used the hoist to lift all of the plywood for redecking, the underlayment, 2x purlins, and as well as my tools daily.

My roof was only 12 foot high, so I was able to use a single section of the ladder, but I was able to get the platform of the hoist above the eave of the roof, making it easier to offload the panels onto the roof, while on the roof. Because it was low slope (1.5:12), I was able to stack the panels on the roof prior to installing them.

I kept the hoist platform and various bits and pieces because I expect that at some point I'll have to reroof my shop attached to the carport. That roof is 4:12, I think, so the panels won't be quite as long, but I've already started to noodle through how I'm going to attack it.

It’s nice to save the money if you can step outside of the box and make something. The issue I usually have is that I will make something but spend way too much time thinking about the design of what I’m making and lose that time building.

That’s a good idea I actually started doing something similar but didn’t think it through far enough. I built a 25’ long cradle and rested it up against the roof thinking I could pull the full sheets up with a hoist from the top which would work but once I would get them up to the top of the cradle I would be stuck. The angle to roof would absolutely cause the panel to buckle.. now I think I’m going to put the cradle on the porch pad, load it up with 6-8panels, and build a small 7/8ft lift to load it all onto the scissor lift.

Let’s see how this goes! Lol

 

[jack stand]

For doing it alone, I think you're doing it the only way you can with your available resources. You'll get it done with extra points on your "man card"
Carry on soldier.

 

[JeepYJ]

Can you put some long 2x lumber up against the roof edge like skis and slide the panels up lengthwise? Your tractor maybe can lift them up high enough off the ground to get them above the roof edge?
That’s how I see Amish pole barn builders get roof panels up- just push them lengthwise to a guy on the roof.

 

[Beauregard]

Can you put some long 2x lumber up against the roof edge like skis and slide the panels up lengthwise? Your tractor maybe can lift them up high enough off the ground to get them above the roof edge?
That’s how I see Amish pole barn builders get roof panels up- just push them lengthwise to a guy on the roof.

This.
We placed 2x6s from the roof edge to the ground at a steep angle.
We welded a carabiner to a pair of Vicegrips and attached a rope to the Vicegrips. Clamp the Vicegrips in the middle of the tin. Line up the tin, and place it about 2' up on the 2x6s. The tin was then pulled up the ramp. We got greedy and started lifting two at a time with no problems. The 2x6s are then moved down the line, placing the tin pretty much right where you need it. The tin could be laid out on the ground (if there's no wind!), so you just work your way down the line.
It could be a one-man job, but it's a lot of up and down the ladder.
It wasn't fast, but it wasn't really slow or cumbersome either.
Just a couple of dumb ranchers with no fancy equipment.

 

[Gutman]

The issue I usually have is that I will make something but spend way too much time thinking about the design of what I’m making and lose that time building.

Story of my life. My ADD does not make it better. My only additional comment is it's a great feeling when you finish with the same number/condition of limbs when you're done.

 

[jack stand]

27' long panels!
One man by himself is not going to lean them up against the eave with some makeshift "skis". That is unless he's about 16' tall and could do this with one motion.
Panels much over 14'-16' have to " "rolled" just to move them around on the ground by 1 person. Even with a telehandeler or crane would require a spreader bar of at least 12'-14' to get them to the roof.
2-14' panels would be the way to do this on-site.
Once I strapped 2 long aluminum walk boards ( 20' & 24') to a telehandlers forks to lift up a stack of 23' panels, but there were 4 of us onsite.

 

[PCustoms]

27' long panels!
One man by himself is not going to lean them up against the eave with some makeshift "skis". That is unless he's about 16' tall and could do this with one motion.
Panels much over 14'-16' have to " "rolled" just to move them around on the ground by 1 person. Even with a telehandeler or crane would require a spreader bar of at least 12'-14' to get them to the roof.
2-14' panels would be the way to do this on-site.
Once I strapped 2 long aluminum walk boards ( 20' & 24') to a telehandlers forks to lift up a stack of 23' panels, but there were 4 of us onsite.

Why can't one guy lean them onto the eve, get on the roof and pull them up?

Been several years and I can't recall what length they were (22' I think) and that's all we did.

I took some rough estimates of my saltbox roof and am working on a quote for 32' standing seam panels for the spring. I'll probably cheat and fork the crate to the roof

 

[nadogail]

I think C Clamps, along with the ratchet straps, will be your friends.

 

[jack stand]

Why can't one guy lean them onto the eve, get on the roof and pull them up?

Been several years and I can't recall what length they were (22' I think) and that's all we did.

He probably could if he rolled and strapped them, but then he'd have to plant one end in the ground and "walk" the other end up to the eave. Then he has a long cylinder that could be difficult keep in place until he raced up the ladder.
I'm sure everyone has struggled through the simplest task by themselves. That's the way we are, but just 1 helper makes it 10 times easier.
This is why I think he's going about it the best way he has available with the least chance of damaging his material.
I have not done any meaningful amounts of standing seam, but I would think that it might be a little easier to get it to the roof with it's heavy bends on each side of a much narrower panel. But a "kink" comes so quickly and so do scratches in the finish that may seem minor but in my book it's now a flaw that might not show up in the next year but I look at metal roofing as an almost permanent roof. Even microscopic scratches will be where the beginning of the end will start vs other areas.
I rarely hit "perfection", but I aim for it especially when it comes to things that keep the water out and are hard too correct later.

 

[CraigStu]

Would it be possible to move that lift 90degrees? Could you then drive it so that the end of your 'tubes' overhangs the roof by a foot or two. Thinking it would be easier to pull on the end of a 'tube' than the side of it. Also the 'tubes' would be oriented, so you don't need to swing them 90deg once on the roof.

 

[karoc]

I knew a guy who most of time work by his self, but he had guy he would hire for situation like this to help him for day. In my little world, roofs are two man operation, plus to keep panels from sliding back down. I also know first hand that finding that help could be impossible. Has been for myself

 

[johninct]

This probably won't work for you. We made a flat support frame, about 2/3 length that faced away from our excavator bucket that would get a few sheets to the exact height/angle of the roof and would then pull one at a time into place.

 

[airman89]

This.
We placed 2x6s from the roof edge to the ground at a steep angle.
We welded a carabiner to a pair of Vicegrips and attached a rope to the Vicegrips. Clamp the Vicegrips in the middle of the tin. Line up the tin, and place it about 2' up on the 2x6s. The tin was then pulled up the ramp. We got greedy and started lifting two at a time with no problems. The 2x6s are then moved down the line, placing the tin pretty much right where you need it. The tin could be laid out on the ground (if there's no wind!), so you just work your way down the line.
It could be a one-man job, but it's a lot of up and down the ladder.
It wasn't fast, but it wasn't really slow or cumbersome either.
Just a couple of dumb ranchers with no fancy equipment.

That’s the way to do it. I’m always trying to come up with out of the box ideas. I didn’t get to try this one but when I do our shop roof I probably will.

Story of my life. My ADD does not make it better. My only additional comment is it's a great feeling when you finish with the same number/condition of limbs when you're done.

Tell me about it lol. I suffer the ADD brain too and get very sidetracked. I ended up building a stationary wooden overhead lift with a hand crank and then I built a cradle for the sheets. I loaded the cradle with sheet directly under the crane, then used the crane to lift it up in the air. Backed the scissor lift underneath of it and lowered it onto the scissor lift. The amount of time I spent building it was less than the amount of time it took to use it…. So after all of that I trashed the idea and went back to loading them up like burritos and didn’t look back. I’m 3/4 done with the roof now. I should’ve just stayed with it. My back isn’t happy but the progress is satisfying.

 

[sjvicker]

This is what I did. It worked great and I could do it on my own but was much easier with help

 

[rburke65]

There were 2 of us …. We used a wooden extension ladder ….extended….from gutter to the ground. Laid the panels..?..22’…. On the ladder and pulled them up to pole barn truss n purlins