Using A Steel Roofing Square

When framing a roof whether metal shingled or shaked it must be square.

Using a steel roofing square.

Step 1 work out the ratio of the roof. For example you may find a ratio which says 8 16. When covering the roof with plywood or metal sheets it s necessary to fit the materials to the rafters exactly. Rafters are the structural components that provide support for the weight of the roof.

Generally the roofing square is a flat l shaped steel or aluminium tool that has two components. Squaring metal roofs is relatively easy and required for proper installation. Before you can use the roofing square you need to work out the ratio of the roof pitch. In most american states it is standard to express the pitch of the roof as a ratio so you should be able to locate it on blueprints and plans.

The standard two foot framing square also referred to as a carpenter s square and historically as a steel square is an l shaped tool that is used to mark angles for cuts used in building framing particularly roof rafters stair stringers and many other cuts or angles other than 90.