by Jeff Stortz | Jan 10, 2022 | Education, History, Uncategorized
What Happened in 2022? The residential re-roofing sector for metal specifically rose from 12% to 15% in 2020. Homeowners are increasingly choosing to replace their old roofs (often asphalt shingle) with metal. Steel remains the most popular choice for metal roof...
by Tom Stortz | Nov 29, 2021 | Product Reviews
US Metal Roofing out of Holyoke, MA is a family owned business since 1971. They specialize in mechanically locked, double seamed metal roofs in 24 or 26 gauge steel. The owner Keith understands that doing a successful roofing job is doing it once. This is why...
by Jeff Stortz | Nov 23, 2021 | Education, Uncategorized
The Latest in Seaming Products Stortz Tools specializes in getting you the right seamer for your architectural (1″ or 1.5″) panels. Our store has a wide variety of seaming options from manufacturers around the globe. We can help you pick the seamer that...
by Tom Stortz | Nov 9, 2021 | Trip Report
I visited the slate quarry area of New York/Vermont 2 weeks ago and feel it’s important to give a perspective of the slate industry. It’s a 5 hour drive from Philadelphia, PA and the last hour is through small towns, population 2,000, like Argyle and...
by Jeff Stortz | Oct 29, 2021 | Education
In parts 3 & 4, Craig demonstrated how he installed the field panels that intersect with the valley and prepped them to fit the formed valley piece. Next is the actual double seaming that will make the ridge and valley watertight. There is alot of seaming to be...
by Jeff Stortz | Oct 5, 2021 | Education, Uncategorized
Alpine Snow Guards has introduced 2 new “hybrid” guards to their product offering. Complementing their popular products, the new guards aim to ease the disruptive supply chain that is the snow guard industry. If you are struggling to find your Berger...
by Jeff Stortz | Sep 28, 2021 | Education
In parts 1 & 2, Craig showed how to fabricated the valley piece from coil stock and connect the two pieces together at the cross-section. In parts 3 & 4, Craig shows how to prepare the intersecting field panels to seam into the valley. Notice how the panels...
by Jeff Stortz | Sep 16, 2021 | Education
With so many standing seam panel systems available today from various manufacturers, traditional standing seam folding techniques are often substituted for simpler, less skill-based installation methods. In the videos below, Craig Hardin (Hardin Construction)...
by Tom Stortz | Aug 26, 2021 | Education
Roofing is considered the 4th most dangerous job in the United States (Western States Roofing Contractors Association). No one wants to roof forever but when does a roofer decide they’ve worked long enough? When they can no longer climb a ladder? When their...
by Tom Stortz | Aug 25, 2021 | Product Reviews
Among the crucial tools we sell here at John Stortz & Son, which range from power seamers to snow guards, we sell a variety of hand seamers. Basic but essential to the abilities of the sheet metal roofer, hand seamers, seaming pliers and tongs can be used to...
by Tom Stortz | Jul 27, 2021 | Product Reviews
Generally speaking, solder is an alloy which contains tin and lead in varying proportions, occasionally with flux mixed in. While solder has a wide range of commercial and recreational applications, the solder bar stock we sell here is primarily used for sheet metal...
by Jeff Stortz | Jul 21, 2021 | Uncategorized
Anyone Can Solder! VIDEOS TO HELP Soldering is the technique of joining two metals that would not easily fuse together using an alloy. In the sheet metal roofing trade, soldering copper is most commonly thought of. Other materials that are commonly soldered in the...