by Tom Stortz | Nov 2, 2017 | Education
All architectural metal roofers should have a working knowledge of shrinking and stretching panels. Being able to work on radius framing will increase your overall effectiveness as a roofer and the jobs you feel comfortable bidding. The method and tools described...
by Tom Stortz | Nov 2, 2017 | Education
Karis Roofing is a 90 year old roofing company located here in Philadelphia. It’s fair to say that they have seen a thing or two (cue Farmer’s jingle). Here is a message written by Guy Karis shared in his Trade News about the outlook of Metal Roofing. The...
by Tom Stortz | Sep 26, 2017 | Education
youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G2W2jGzvxg Soldering Step by Step Direction 1) Properly clean all surfaces of dirt, dust or residue that may be built up on the material being soldered. Using a wire brush is sometimes needed to strip any oxidized layers from...
by Tom Stortz | Aug 16, 2017 | Education
Feature image submitted by Igor Akhmatov of IG Great Exteriors How do I choose the right hand seamer for standing seam metal roofing? Ask These Questions Q. What is my mechanically locked profile height and width? A: Your first stage hand seamer needs to be able to...
by Tom Stortz | May 24, 2017 | Education
Standing seam projects require an understanding of how panels lock together. Snap-Lock panels are a more simplified means of standing seam and this post will focus on mechanically locked panels. We will take a closer look at a few ways to achieve a double lock...
by Tom Stortz | May 2, 2017 | Education
Brand New Soldering Tips Available at Stortz Tools Masc Long Life Tips – The Masc Long life soldering tips provide an alternative for any iron that uses a “rodded” tip. It will fit in the Perkeo, Aero, Sievert ESK1-10, and Express 330 Soldering...
by Tom Stortz | Apr 26, 2017 | Education
We created a post that explained how companies marketing synthetic material were naming their product “slate” and how this was not accurate and untrue. This post generated some lively responses that will mostly go unnoticed unless dug up from the comment...
by Tom Stortz | Apr 13, 2017 | Education
Stop Stress Caused by Unsightly Scratches Homeowners can be tough to convince that marks and scratches come with the territory of hand closing panels and fabricating roof systems. No one imagines their newly purchased roof’s seams or eaves looking scratched and worn....
by Tom Stortz | Mar 28, 2017 | Education
Part 1 Note: You can click on the title of each product to go directly to that product page. This feature image is provided by Peter Steetz of Calgary, Canada. Peter does superb sheet metal work in Canada and you can see some of his work on his website. Masc Nibbler ...
by Tom Stortz | Mar 15, 2017 | Education
Please share, comment, and respond if you feel the same way as this post. The industry needs to come together as a whole and the more people who read and comment, the louder the voice. What is Slate? The Slate industry is being picked apart by bigger companies with...
by Tom Stortz | Feb 15, 2017 | Education
Here is the IRE link if you would like to register. Also, the floor plan of exhibiting companies. John Stortz & Son will not be paying for a booth this year. The costs of exhibiting do not meet the payoff especially when considering the foot traffic is down, while...
by Tom Stortz | Jan 5, 2017 | Education
If mechanically locked standing seam is your line of work, and you have panels on top of panels to lock day after day, you need a power seamer. Hand locking will only take you so far and even though the cost of a power seamer may cause some sticker shock, it’s a...
by Tom Stortz | Dec 16, 2016 | Education
Snow Guards Protect People Entry ways, walkways, driveways Parking Spaces Gutters Vent Pipes Roof Mounted Signs Skylights Expensive Landscaping Emergency Exits How Many Snow Guards Will I Need? Determined by: Roof slope, rafter length, climate, roofing material,...
by Tom Stortz | Dec 5, 2016 | Education
This is a post written by Tim Underhill of the National Slate Association In areas where heavy snow is common, a metal snow pan is built into the roof. Snow-retention, for obvious reasons, is regionally influenced. The overall picture is, historically at least, a lot...
by Tom Stortz | Nov 10, 2016 | Education
Whether you have been soldering for quite some time or you’re a complete novice, having a basic understanding of the types of solder commonly used for roofing is important to make sure you achieve your best installation every time. NOTE: This blog can serve as...
by Tom Stortz | Aug 31, 2016 | Education
Are you tired of setting up roof brackets for simple repairs? Let the Slator save you time AND make your life easier. The SLATOR, invented in 2015 by an SRCA member and Stortz client, is a single plane anchoring system designed to support a ladder quickly and easily...
by Tom Stortz | Jun 10, 2016 | Education
1) Snips with non-serrated (smooth) blades should be used when cutting natural metals such as Copper, Zinc, and Aluminum. Serrations in the blades will give the user a bite or grip on the metal when starting a cut. This is advantageous to reduce the snips tendency to...
by Tom Stortz | May 24, 2016 | Education, Product Reviews
Draco is a tool manufacturer in Germany that began in 1951. They produce a wide range of sheet metal cutting shears, bending / crimping hand tools, and larger pan formers and brakes. I was sent a disc with many product videos that I felt were educational and I wanted...
by Tom Stortz | Mar 29, 2016 | Education
Orion Jenkins, from Jenkins Slate Masters, put in a great deal of effort to create the Stortz logo out of slate and copper. This extremely cool time-lapse video shows the process. I welcome anyone who is interested in ornamental slate and sheet metal to contact Orion...
by Tom Stortz | Feb 11, 2016 | Education
If you enjoy ornamental slate work, you should follow Hans Peter-Koennecke on Facebook. He is the head of the Master Roofers school in Cologne, Germany and posts tremendous pictures of awesome roofs and slate art. I’m blown away by the detail of these pieces and...
by Tom Stortz | Jan 25, 2016 | Education
This post will outline a few questions that we get asked on a fairly regular basis. My Express soldering iron is not running as hot, or gas flow seems weak, as it once did, what’s wrong? Most likely, the gas nozzle is clogged. After many months or years of...
by Tom Stortz | Dec 16, 2015 | Education
Metal Roof to Wall Transition – Using an angle bisector to create a “dogs ear” or “bread pan” fold to an exact roof pitch has advantages. No soldered or sealant joint to weaken or leak over time Determining and bending at the correct...
by Tom Stortz | Dec 1, 2015 | Education
Whether you are a home owner looking to solder half round copper gutters or a roofing contractor who solders flat lock every day, you’ll want the right soldering iron for the job. This post will outline some thoughts to consider with regard to the 3 main types...
by Tom Stortz | Oct 27, 2015 | Education
Soldering has been common practice in the metal roofing trade to ensure water tight joints and to strengthen seams. While some purists may frown upon using solder to mend together two pieces of metal, there is one thing for sure…the practice of soldering isn’t going...
by Tom Stortz | Oct 6, 2015 | Education
I googled “how do I become a roofing contractor” and this was the advice of the first option: Instructions Know how to roof. I laughed. I started looking around for trade schools that focused on roofing and, although there were a few,...
by Tom Stortz | Sep 8, 2015 | Education
We field calls from roofers looking to replace the hose of their soldering iron and when they receive it, the fittings don’t connect correctly. How does this happen? It’s important to understand that many irons that are shipped in the United States have...
by Tom Stortz | Aug 19, 2015 | Education
Are you aware that there is an organization dedicated to slate roofing contractors? The SRCA is a non-profit organization that aims to promote slate roofing as a trade. This year is the 10 year anniversary of the group and a conference is being held at Joe Jenkins...
by Tom Stortz | Jun 17, 2015 | Education
Not all metals get along! Metal roof corrosion happens. This idea may be foreign to us guys who don’t recall chemistry class in school, but it is necessary to understand similar vs. dissimilar metals when roofing. Anytime you are selecting metals that are in...
by Tom Stortz | Mar 18, 2015 | Education
Quick facts on oil canning. What is it? Oil canning is a moderate deformation or buckling of sheet material, particularly common with flat sheet metal surfaces. It is seen as waviness in the flat areas of the metal roof or wall material. This phenomenon will seem very...
by Tom Stortz | Feb 16, 2015 | Education
That’s Dan Bilzerain throwing a naked girl off of a roof. Clip here. She ended up breaking her foot and unsuccessfully trying to sue. Why did I post this? The average attention span of a human being is down to 8 seconds. Capturing a person’s attention has...
by Tom Stortz | Jan 22, 2015 | Education
I sent a message to Hans Peter Koennecke asking if I could display pictures from his Master Roofer’s School held in Cologne, Germany. A group of skilled craftsmen gather and produce slate art which is incredible due to the detail and time involved. More...
by Tom Stortz | Dec 11, 2014 | Education
Lap vs Box Joint Hand tongs come in two styles, lap and box joint. The picture below outlines the difference in appearance. Why would you prefer one over the other? A lap joint overlaps itself and then is riveted together. This is a very secure means of...
by Tom Stortz | Nov 4, 2014 | Education
First and foremost, the width of your hand seamer must fit over the width of your profile! If your seam stands 2″ high, there’s a good chance that the width across is not going to be 1/2″ and you are going to need a wider seamer. A common female...
by Tom Stortz | Oct 15, 2014 | Education
Every roof is a chance to express yourself. A chance to show that you care what the future looks like… A lot of the architectural metal roof installations we work with are built to last well through at least one generation. Hell, if done right, copper can last...
by Tom Stortz | Sep 3, 2014 | Education
Are you tired of throwing away and re-purchasing snips every few months? Buy the right pair of snips to begin with and you’ll see more value over the long term. Understanding the factors such as cut, hardness, and blade type will make cutting metal easier,...
by Tom Stortz | Aug 3, 2014 | Education
Most of Europe uses a hook system, where each slate hangs on a hook, to install roofing slate. In the US, the most traditional method is using two nails to secure each slate to the decking. Many people will scoff at the idea of breaking away from...
by Tom Stortz | Jul 10, 2014 | Education
This is Mike of Sheet Metal Workers Local 19 with ACG Roofing of Warminster, PA. He has been a sheet metal worker for over 30 years and is working on a job in Philadelphia, Pa. He is soldering the seams of a copper box gutter on this hospital. He is using is an...
by Tom Stortz | Jun 21, 2014 | Education
Soldering, with regards to roofing, is the process of joining two pieces of metal together using solder to create a leak proof seam. When you get started soldering, it may seem difficult to fill the joints properly while maintaining a degree of professionalism. Gobs...
by Sam Stortz | Aug 2, 2013 | Education
The Express Self Igniting Propane Iron has been our best-selling iron over the years for a number of reasons. The 3 main types of roofing soldering irons are propane, acetylene, and electric. Propane is a more commonplace and stable gas than acetylene and thus less...
