Standing-seams roofs are made up of many shingles or panels that interlock on the vertical axis, running from the roof's edge to its eaves. The point where two panels interlock (the seam) is raised a little off the flat roof surface, which allows water to run off the roof without any seeping between panels. Based on seemingly simple structural principles, the complexities of installing a standing-seam roof are not to be underestimated, the reason that DIY standing-seam roof installation will seem like a risky proposition to anyone in the know.

Also, should you choose to hire a professional accomplished in the craft of roofing, you're probably not going to find yourself looking at roof installation costs that are anywhere near as expensive as those of ordinary clay or fiber-glass shingle installation. Metal roofs in general and standing-seam roofs in particular are lightweight (between 1 and 2 pounds apiece), making them very easy to move around. They can also be installed over the old roof, which eliminates the time and manpower it might have required to tear the whole previous layer of roof off.

This is why, if you've already got your roofing materials, that trying to do a DIY standing-seam roof installation is going to be so much more trouble than it's really worth. If this sounds like a load of codswallop to you, and you intend to forge on no matter what the challenges, then here's a couple of metal roof installation tips. First off, after everything's been covered with a protective plastic membrane to prevent unexpected water seepage from entering the house, you should put down some roofing paper. Scratch that - lots of roofing paper. In fact, it needs to fill just about every bit of roofscape you can find, including the roof valleys (these are the spaces in between roof surfaces, which often resemble gutters). On top of that you'll need to lay a ridge cap, a preformed cover that fits over the roof's peak. The edges of this will be covered by your shingle, but it rounded apex will still peak out from the shingles, giving the roof it its essential character.

You should find a professional at your local hardware or construction outlet to demonstrate just how to fit the shingles together. The most visually stunning configuration you can arrange panels in is a staggered pattern. You can find panel solutions, such as those made by Permanent Roofing Systems, that take a lot of the guesswork out of this process, as they can pretty much be clipped together by hand. Designed for the construction amateur, these four-way shingles often come pre-assembled in multi-shingle sheets, greatly reducing the labor you'll be required to undertake. Go to permanentroofing.com for a downloadable PDF full of DIY standing seam roof installation tips.

Now, all this is well and good until you realize that your roof isn't regularly shaped. And I'll tell you, most peoples' roofs fall into the category of irregular. Just about everyone's roof has some kinky little feature, like a skylight or a chimney or a dormer, that needs to have pre-made shingles cut in accordance with its shape. Should you attempt to use your regular shingles without consideration for the unique requirements of these areas, you're going to end up with a roof that is either ugly or practically ineffectual. The fact is, the tool for this job is not a saw or a hammer, it's a hydraulic powered shear with teeth sharper than razor blades that trained professionals use to quickly cut standing seam roofing panels to size on site. It's called a brake, and it's the reason you want a pro doing this kind of a job.

That said, there are going to be certain circumstances under which pre-made shingles just won't be enough, and that's when you need to swallow your pride and call in the pros. On roofs with irregularities - things like sidewalls, chimneys, dormers and skylights - standing seam panels will need to be cut to size on-site, which requires the use of a sophisticated piece of machinery called a brake - a hydraulic shear with teeth sharp enough to cut panels to just the right length without damaging their ends. That's one feat it's very difficult for a human saw-wielder to replicate.

If under such circumstances you persist in your DIY efforts, the odds are that patch jobs around irregular areas are either going to look bad or result in your standing-seam roof being compromised, leading to leaking and other forms of weather damage, such as the negative effects that swelling ice can cause when caught between panels. Properly installed standing-seam roofs are subject to warranties of up to fifty years, given the nigh-on invulnerable hardiness of the materials. So don't skimp now - a once-off investment could leave you with a roof that lasts a lifetime.