Tuftex Paneling Install Help

Ok, ok... so maybe I will go with the closures for the added 'tightness' of the hole rig.
That poses another question that maybe someone can help with.
Do you attache the closures to the purlins first? How are they attached?
 
SunTuf panels (which sound pretty much exactly like what you've got, just a different name) come with plastic (not foam!) spacers, and without them our roof panels would NOT have worked at all. Those spacers took up a lot of the load.

Our directions said to attach the foam/plastic things to the purlins with nails (we used #10 screws), using every other 'valley'. Then you go and attach the roof panels themselves to the spacers with hex screws or similar -- on the peaks. Though there was at least one corner where we had to attach the roof panels directly to the valley as well, for extra strength.

Our entire structure is 7' long and we used 4 2x8 8' rafters, cut on the diagonal. For 9', depending on whether you have to plan for wind and/or snow and so on (we did), you may want to use as many as 6-7 rafters, I give you that # based on how well our roof turned out.

HTH,

Whitewater
 
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They may formerly have only made the hard plastic spacers, I dunno, but for at least the past several years they've made foam ones too. Honest, it's what i used. In fact I called the company's customer support to find out whether I should use the hard plastic or foam ones -- it seemed odd that they sold both but gave no indication which you should use when -- and the person I ended up talking to said that, you know what, it doesn't really matter, either way will work fine
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So I used the foam ones (cheaper). They really do work fine!
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enggass -- you nail or screw the purlins onto the rafters first. Then you put the filler strips on the purlins -- the hard plastic ones are meant to be screwed on, but the foam ones can just be slipped under the roofing panel once you've got the roofing panel onto the purlins and they will stay there pretty well just by friction. YOu've already predrilled the holes into the roofing panels -- check mfr instructions, there is a particular hole diameter you have to predrill, to allow ease for thermal movement of the roofing panels. So you put the roofing panel up there where it belongs, stuff the foam filler strips underneath (unless you've already screwed hard plastic ones on), and then screw thru the holes, thru the foam strip, into the purlin. Making sure to only just begin to compress the roofing-screw's neoprene washer.

It is actually really easy. You just have to follow the mfr's directions, b/c if you don't, those roofing panels will REALLY not last.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat
 
We haven't used a silicone seal *yet* . . . supposedly this weekend (beginning soon, as a matter of fact!) is supposed to be REALLY stormy so I guess this will be a road test to see whether we need it or not. Our panels fit pretty tightly together, so we decided to not mess with caulk for right now. If we get leaks, we will re-assess!

As for foam, the reason I was surprised is because here, the only store in town that sold the panels at all ONLY had the plastic fillers for sale, they didn't even offer the foam. So I bought what they had!


Whitewater

Reason For Edit: I did not include a very important word! It's in now
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You do not need silicone seal at all, and indeed I am not sure whether that is ok to use on this product (there are a lot of things you shouldn't use on it b/c of damaging the UV-protective coating). Truly, don't
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Good luck, have fun,

Pat
 
Tuftex Paneling Instruction say to 'fill all side laps and end laps with a Silicone Seal'. Does this NOT mean where they overlap...?
 
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Huh, ok then, certainly I'd go with their instructions
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- they don't say that at ALL for the Suntuf I used (different brand, same product).

Yup, they evidently do want you to run a bead of silicone seal down where the panels overlap.

Standing corrected, although also slightly puzzled
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,

Pat
 

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