metal roof

[mocassincreekranch]

I have had 4 skylights in my barn for 12 years and never had a leak. It was the best addition I could have ever added. I have the clear polycarbonite skylights that are clear. I used to have to turn the overhead lights on during the day but not since I installed the skylights. I used 10ft sheets but only have 4 foot of opening. The trick is to make sure you have plenty of material to lap over or go under the roofing and use the seam tap. Used the skylights for Metal Marts. Walk in a barn with skylights and then one without and you will be sold on having skylights in your barn.

 

[inveresk]

Skylights are about the most cost effective way to punch light into a building. I have 4 on our house roof (Velux centre pivot) and 8 (top hung) in the building housing my office and workshop. There's the same standing seam metal roof on both buildings. Provided they're properly detailed and installed, skylights shouldn't be a problem and should give you many years of good service.

 

[rambler]

Typical metal barn tin roof? A 'skylight' would be pretty expensive to flash in. Can be done, but $$$$.

The translucient, or now they have virtually clear, poly panels that match the roof tin are very easy to do, just put in like a piece of roof tin. Simple & cheap.

I hate them tho, as I go to farm auctions, I see the leaks, rust, and replaced with metal patches - they just don't last on the roof. Sun, hail, and tree branches take their toll, in 25 years, you'll have issues. A roof should be good and solid.

You can place a few of these panels up high on the walls. They let in a lot of light, you only need a few 3 foot pieces.Work great, let in a lot more light than you think. On the sidewall, they don't get near the damaging hail & sun, and if they break they don't nearly compromise your building so badly until they are replaced.

--->Paul

 

[inveresk]

Cost of skylights will depend on which metal system, which skylight and size. I used standing seam galvalume roofing by Westform. They, like most manufacturers, make flashing kits for standard 2 x 4' skylights. Kit cost was about $80 per skylight and the roofer took about 2 hours to flash each one in. Skylights cost around $200 each for top hung openers and fixed lights would be cheaper. I did the kerb work on the rafters at 2' centres and the drywall and trim so the cost per skylight was around $400.

Couple shots are attached showing what they look like inside and out.

 

[inveresk]

Shots attached.

 

[mjncad]

Nice conference room you've got there. How is that HP Designjet printer treating you? I had a first generation one of that style and it was a disappointment.

 

[inveresk]

Hi, mjncad
The old designjet 350c I had was something of a monster, slow output and pretty high consumable costs, but the 130nr has performed well. It's fast and ink cartridges last. Only glitch is getting the pc on the network to recognize it so it's USB connected and direct driven by the pc. It would help if it had a wireless card but was easy enough to connect to the macs wirelessly via an airport extreme.

 

[JCB]

Toys,

Don't know where you live. A downside of skylights is snow covered = no light in the winter. I'm sure products are different today (better is debateable). We repaired translucent panels on my dads barn last winter. 30 years old and 4 of 6 translucent panels had failed. The panels were a type of fiberglass material that just crumbled in your hand. Surrounding steel was in fine. We replaced with remaining translucent panels with steel that matched as closely as we could...no easy task.

If either of us were doing building again, we'd go with eave lights. More light, less maintenance.

Joe

 

[mjncad]

Hi, mjncad
The old designjet 350c I had was something of a monster, slow output and pretty high consumable costs, but the 130nr has performed well. It's fast and ink cartridges last. Only glitch is getting the pc on the network to recognize it so it's USB connected and direct driven by the pc. It would help if it had a wireless card but was easy enough to connect to the macs wirelessly via an airport extreme.

Glad to hear HP may have gotten the bugs out of that style DesignJet printer. The one I had before I sent it back was the noisiest thing I'd ever heard, and I could never get it to work right with AutoCAD, which is why I bought it. I'm using a BusinessJet 2800 for its 11x17 capabilities. It's not one of HP's better efforts either; but HP quit making quality products when Carly Fiorina was in charge.

 

[two_bit_score]

Can you go with translucent panels at the top of the wall? This would save the hassles of leaking skylights.

Those are actually much better at letting in usable light from my observation.