Wee Hoose on the Croft

What I did with mine, was stack them all together, and mark out and drill pilot holes through all the sheets in one go in the stack.  That also helped to get all the screws in line.

 

NOTE I found a variation in length between the sheets of up to 10mm. So I made sure all the bottom edges lined up and the variation in length would be hidden under the ridge cap.

 

I used mole grips to tighten any screws that stripped their plastic heads before they were fully home.

 

You will have "fun" fitting the ridge piece. The only way I found was sit astride the roof and work my way along it drilling and fixing as I went.
 

Very trusing of you to pre drill all the holes!

I figured that I wouldn't want to drill without using a punch first, and if I was doing that I might as well bash it a few more times and make the hole that way. I could tell it was time to call it a day when it took 20 blows to knock the punch through though... it had taken five to start with...

 

The ridge is certainly going to be interesting... 

For what it's worth I used self tapping screws with washers on my vertical wavy tin.

You soon learn the trick of starting at the very top of the crest and going easy on the last few revolutions.

Self tapper blasts through the metal...then bites on the batten..then, slowly slowly or you will either trash the washer or worse bend the wriggly tin.

On the roof (using caps) it's much the same....slow down for the last few turns and the lid will snap on perfecto

BTW the self tappers I got from screwfix were as good as a new HSS drill bit!

Edited January 21, 2017 by Tennentslager

Slow going on your own and with no scaffolding... but that the hardest side done! Just need to finish the easy side now...

 

 

Very pleased with your progress old bean...five sheep I counted in that pic, hope they are pleased too?????

Ok so I am no Ed Graves but here's a wee clip... now I just have to work out how to work at this speed without the aid of a timelapse app!

 

 

Nice work. Just shows how much wore work is involved when doing it on your own. ??

The bit I want to know is HOW did you fix the last sheet on each side, with no nice roof to stand on, and no scaffold up the gable end?  45 degree steel roof panels are to steep and slippery to stand on?  I fixed my "last sheet" standing on the scaffold.

 

Also how are you going to fit the ridge piece? I sat astride the roof, shuffling along as I screwed it in. That would be a bit hairy without the satisfaction of some scaffold to catch you if you slipped off, and without scaffold to get on and off at the ends.

 

Fair game for doing it all on your own.
 

Well for starters you need a nice calm day. The wind got up too much today so I still have the final piece to do.

On the side that I have finished, I used a hook made from an offcut of metal strapping, tied to a length of rope which looped around a batten. This could- with some padding to protect the sheet- be hooked onto the bottom edge of the sheet and take its weight, allowing me to draw out the trolley underneath. Then a long stick to prop up the bottom edge of the sheet so I could duck in underneath and remove the two wooden rails. This was the dodgiest bit of all since the sheet is only supported by a hook and a stick, and resting on the ridge. One gust of wind would bring the whole thing down

 

Then a case of putting in all the fixings I could reach, by standing on a ladder at the eaves or one propped against the gable. The final out of reach fixings I had to do by slinging a rope over the ridge and climbing down it.

 

Do I deserve a beer tonight??

I can see the headline. "Skye man decapitated by roofing sheet that came unhooked"  You deserve a beer (I think I need a beer after reading that) A roof ladder would be safer than a rope and a sling.

 

 

Reminds me of my "put a ladder down a well and climb down" episode and how I was told off afterwards about how dangerous that was (not to mention the extension lead and electric drill I took with me)
 

4 hours ago, Crofter said:

 

 

Do I deserve a beer tonight??

Yes!

And another one when you're finished?