The Final Step: Our Metal Roof Installation is Complete

After getting all the plywood up on the roof in the last post, I honestly felt like we had already climbed a mountain. Of course, Lodi did not see it that way. He was already gearing up for the next big push, which was getting the metal roof installed. Why stop and rest when you can keep going, right? The garage addition had been sitting there looking awfully bare with only plywood on top, so watching those stacks of steel finally make their way up the ladder was a sight for sore eyes. This stage felt like the moment when everything finally started coming together and the building stopped looking half finished.

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)

And yes, once again, Lodi tackled most of it like the absolute beast he is while I ran around handling the hundred little things that somehow always need doing. This is where we left off and how we finally got the metal roof installed on our garage addition.

Why We Chose a Metal Roof

After we got the plywood finished, the roof just sat there staring at us, looking a little sad and unfinished. We had talked about different roofing options earlier in the summer, but by the time we reached this point, we already knew we wanted metal. It just felt right for this building. I had actually been talking about it with a friend of mine who owns a roofing company in Tampa, and he kept telling me metal was the way to go if you wanted something that could stand up to all kinds of weather. We get some pretty wild storms out here, so the idea of putting something solid on top that would not give me another thing to worry about sounded pretty good.

I also really like the look of metal roofing. It has this clean, almost crisp appearance that makes even a simple structure feel more put together. When the sunlight hits it, the whole thing brightens up in a way that shingles just do not do. Lodi liked the idea because it meant fewer pieces to haul around and a much quicker install, which I completely understood after watching him muscle those plywood sheets around.

Maintenance played a part too. Once a metal roof is up there and fastened properly, it kind of minds its own business. No curling edges or random repairs every other year. That sounded pretty perfect for a garage that will probably see more projects than I can count.

Preparing the Roof Deck

Once the decision was made and the metal panels were sitting out there waiting for us, the roof deck needed a little attention before anything else could happen. Most of the heavy lifting had already been done in the last stage, but there were still a few things to double check. That plywood had been through a lot already, so we went over everything to make sure the seams were tight and nothing had shifted or settled in a strange way. It is amazing how something can look perfectly fine from the ground and then you get up there and realize a board has a mind of its own.

Lodi climbed up first, of course, because he always does. I followed with whatever tools he yelled down for. It was mostly small stuff, making sure everything felt solid underfoot. With all the heat and weird weather we had earlier in the year, I half expected something to be warped or wonky, but everything was surprisingly level.

Getting the Metal Panels Installed

Once the roof deck was ready, the real fun started. The metal panels had been stacked in the yard for a few days, and every time I walked past them it felt like they were taunting me. They look light until you actually pick one up, and then you realize why people usually recruit a friend or two for this kind of thing. Lodi did not seem bothered by any of that. He just grabbed the first panel and headed up the ladder like it was no big deal.

The first piece is always the one that makes me the most nervous. If that one goes on crooked, everything else wants to follow along. Lodi took his time lining it up, talking to himself the way he does when he is concentrating. I held the bottom so it wouldn’t slide off the edge, and once he was happy with it, he started putting in the screws. There is something really satisfying about the sound of those screws biting into the plywood. It is like the building is finally settling into itself.

After that, the panels went up one by one. It is a bit of a dance, making sure the overlap sits right and the edges lock together the way they are supposed to. I kept handing tools up the ladder, swapping out batteries and digging through the bucket for the right screws. At one point the wind picked up and the whole panel acted like a giant sail, so we had a little moment where both of us just stood there laughing and trying not to get blown off the roof.

Finishing Touches on the Roof

Once all the panels were up, the last part was really just going back over everything and making sure it was all fastened down the way it should be. There were no ridge caps for this part of the roof, so it was mostly a matter of checking rows of screws and making sure every seam sat tight and clean. It was one of the easier parts of the whole project which felt like a small gift after the long day we had up there.

I took a picture after we wiped everything down and it still amazes me how shiny the metal looked. When the light hits it, the whole roof turns into this kind of soft mirror. The trees around the garage were reflecting across the panels and it just looked really sharp. It is funny how something so simple can change the entire look of a building. Before, it felt a little unfinished. After the panels went on, it finally looked like a real roof.

While Lodi was putting in the last screws, I kept checking the edges. A while back my friend in Tampa sent me a link that goes through some common roof leak areas in a pretty simple way, so ever since then I have been a little extra picky about those spots. It paid off here because we caught one screw that needed to be seated better before we climbed down for the day.

The whole thing turned out smoother than I expected. The panels lined up beautifully and by the time we stepped back, the garage had this clean, finished look that made all the earlier work feel worth it.

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)