Roofing and Building Project Planning and Preparation

Preparing and Planning your new project

Before you get started, here are few items you may want to consider to help your building process go smoothly.

Safety

Installation of roofing materials can be dangerous. The relative amount of danger is increased by the height from the ground, increasing pitches of the roof slope, inclement weather conditions or other factors. We strongly recommend for anyone installing Ondura and/or TUFTEX, or working on a roof in any manner, to take all precautions possible to ensure your personal safety at all times.

Be sure that ladders and other such devices are safely positioned and properly secured. OSHA recommends the use of a safety harness when applying roofing. Protective eyewear is recommended when applying fasteners or using power tools. ONDURA and TUFTEX may be slippery when wet, dusty, frosty or oily, so please avoid working or walking on the roof if any of these conditions exist. Windy conditions can make the worksite more dangerous, so we recommend that you do not attempts to install the products during window conditions.

Make sure to check with you local community for updated building codes.

Tools Needed

The following tools may be needed during your project build:

Fastener Driver (Hammer or Screwdriver)
Utility Knife
Saw (Hand Saw or Circular Saw)
Measuring Tape or Yardstick
String, Pencil or Marker
Protective Eyewear

Roof Types and Terminology

Commonly used Roof Types:

Shed
Gable
Hip
Gambrel

Roof Terminology:

Eave: Edge of the roof
Ridge: Peak where two opposing roof panels meet
Hip: Features slopes on all four sides

Determining how much material is needed

Roof Area Calculations

Multiply length x width of building; including overhands
Multiply this area x slope factor
- Slope of the roof: The slope of the roof can be calculated from measurements of the rise and run of the roof. The rise if the vertical distance of the ridge above the eave. The run is the horizontal distance of the ridge from the eave. The roof slop is often stated as the inches of vertical rise per 12 inches of horizontal run length.
  - Ex. Slope = amount of rise per run (3in. rise per 12in run = 3:12, minimum slop required: 3:12)