The metal tile is perhaps the most popular roofing material to date. They use it for roof sheathing of residential private houses, cottages, garages, industrial premises, etc. Sheets of metal tiles have standard, very convenient sizes, and therefore there is practically no waste during their installation. However, sometimes you still have to cut this material. For example, in order to close the gables. This work should be done, of course, strictly adhering to a certain technology. First of all, the owners of a country house will need to choose the right tool for cutting metal.
What do you need to know about?
A metal tile is made of steel by cold stamping. The thickness of the sheets used in the production can be 0.4-0.6 mm, therefore, in principle, cutting them is not particularly difficult. However, from above and below they are covered with zinc and polymer layers, which provide protection against moisture. In the event that during installation these coatings are damaged, the roof will subsequently begin to rust very quickly. That is why the answer to the question of how to cut a metal tile is so important.
Not every hand tool can be used for cutting this material. For example, a grinder is completely unsuitable for this purpose. This equipment very strongly heats the cut surface, as a result of which the polymer coating of the sheets (and sometimes zinc) simply burns out.
How to cut a metal tile: choose a tool
How to properly cut this roofing material? Manufacturers recommend using only tools such as:
Next, we will examine how each of these tools is used and what advantages and disadvantages it differs in.
Using electric scissors
This tool is the best answer to the question of how to cut metal. Nibblers can be used for cutting steel sheets up to 2 mm thick. That is, in fact, for metal they are just perfect. Their main advantage is that they can cut sheets without bending the edges. That is, there is no need for further processing. Another plus of scissors is ease of use. This tool is small in size and, accordingly, does not weigh too much. Scissors are connected, like any other household power tool, to a 220 V network. All that a home foreman needs to do while working is to carefully guide them along the cutting path.
Mechanical tool
Instead of electric, you can take ordinary cutters for cutting. They are also good for cutting metal tiles. But since working with this hand tool is quite difficult purely physically, it is usually used mainly only for cutting small pieces. The disadvantage of mechanical scissors is the fact that they can leave uneven edges.
The better to cut metal: the use of a jigsaw
This tool is a special file with an electric motor. Its main advantage is the speed of cutting. In addition, not only straight cuts, but also curved can be easily made with a jigsaw. Modern tools of this variety are usually understaffed with a special blower, and therefore very convenient and completely do not spoil the polymer layer. Before starting cutting using an electric jigsaw, the sheet of metal must be fixed so that it holds very tight and does not move. Otherwise, an even cut will not work.
In addition, to work with a metal tile for a jigsaw, you will need to buy a special file with a wave-like divorce and very small teeth. Carry out a cut using this tool as slowly and accurately as possible. Otherwise, you can bend the metal or damage the protective layer mechanically.
Hand tool
Sometimes, for cutting metal tiles, an ordinary manual hacksaw for metal is also used. However, of course, it will be very difficult to cut a large number of sheets with such a tool. Like mechanical scissors, such a tool is usually used only for cutting not too large pieces and in small quantities.
How to cut a circular saw?
A good answer to the question of how to cut metal can be this modern tool. Unlike a grinder, a circular saw provides cold cutting. Consequently, the polymer coating usually remains intact. However, it still warms up the metal a little, and therefore is suitable for cutting metal tiles much less than the same electric shears. High precision cutting with a circular saw can be achieved by using guides from the bars. In order not to wrinkle the sheets, the tool should also be set to the lowest transfer speed.
The main advantage of this equipment is its high degree of reliability. The owners of the country house will need to purchase only one high-quality drive. For cutting metal in an amount sufficient to protect the entire roof, it is quite enough. In the future, it can be applied to other works. Actually, for the metal tile itself, disks are not produced. However, for working with this material, an option designed for cutting aluminum is perfect.
Using a drill
How can you cut metal yet? Sometimes a drill with a special nozzle called a “cricket” is also used for cutting this material. Work in this case is carried out approximately according to the same rules as with the use of die-cutting scissors. Using this nozzle, steel up to 1.5 mm thick can be cut. For roofing sheets this is enough.
The “cricket” for cutting metal tiles allows you to make fairly high-quality cuts, both in a straight line and curved. You can cut holes in the sheets with the same tool. Of course, in terms of ease of use, the cricket is much inferior to electric scissors. However, in the absence of such, he may well pass. Especially if you need to cover the roof is not too large area, and accordingly, you need to cut the sheets in a very small amount.
Using a grinder
This tool for cutting metal, as already mentioned, is not recommended. All manufacturers of roofing steel sheets warn about this. The grinder burns through both the polymer layer and the zinc. In this case, damage appears not only directly in the place of the cut, but also throughout the sheet - due to sparks flying from under the circle. Subsequently, when moisture gets into damaged areas, the steel begins to rust. As a result, the roof loses not only decorativeness, but also most of its protective qualities. At the same time, the owners of the house also lose the guarantee on the roof from the manufacturer. If necessary, it is necessary to repair the roof at your own expense. The fact is that most manufacturers include in the guarantee agreement a clause prohibiting the use of a grinder.
Thus, the grinder is far from the best answer to the question of how to cut metal tiles correctly. However, sometimes it happens that there is no other tool suitable for cutting sheets on the farm. In this situation, many owners of country houses still use the grinder. But in this case, a number of measures are usually taken to minimize the risk of burning polymer and zinc coatings. A grinder is a powerful tool, and therefore with its use it is possible to cut several sheets at once, folding them in a bundle. On top of the first one should lay some old metal sheet or any other material that can prevent sparks from entering the polymer surface.
After the cutting of the metal tile with the grinder is finished, the edges of the roofing material should be processed to protect against corrosion. The best solution would be to use special paint sold with metal tiles for this purpose. You can also go through the cut places with enamel designed for steel and galvanized surfaces.
Thus, we have figured out how to cut a metal tile. It is best to use a jigsaw or electric shears for this. You can also buy a special nozzle for a drill. But in any case, no matter what tool the owners of the country house choose, the work should be done as carefully as possible, not rushing, trying not to wrinkle the sheet and not damage the zinc and polymer layers.