Product Reviews

At a minimum, performing quality work using sheet metal as a roofing material requires two things: experience and the proper tools. With all the proper tools and equipment, but without experience, you’ll have no jumping off point. Likewise, an experience sheet metal roofer without the proper tools is simply a fish out of water. This…

At John Stortz & Son, we provide a wide range of useful tools of immeasurable quality. While a lot of the focus of the tools we sell may appear as though it’s on sheet metal roofing, we actually sell a wide range of other tools, some of which are designated for slate roofers, some of…

Some of the more unique and decorative industrial accessories that we sell here at John Stortz & Son are our metal roofing snow guards – but these interesting fixtures of industrial roofs are nothing but simply decorative. In this article, we’ll plumb their necessity while shedding some light on a few of the different types…

Sheet metal benders are vital tools for sheet metal roofers and other tradesmen. Although there is fair variety in their size, orientation and operation, these tools allow sheet metal roofers to make precise, angled bends in sheet metal that is vital to folding edges and making seams. Many craftsmen will use a metal bending tool…

Every surface has some sort of finish. Some surfaces have finishes that are intentionally applied, like a clear coat, paint, or a rust preventative. In the case of the two latter options, sometimes these remain on longer than desired or need to be removed and replaced from time to time. To do that, or simply…

Tin snips go by quite a few names, including aviation snips and shears. These are a class of sheet metal cutting tools that are highly useful for workers and craftsmen in a number of industries, including but not limited to roofing. So what exactly are they, and why does it matter? What Are They Used…

In this article, we’ll give you a quick look into some of the broader categories of the most important sheet metal tools out there. There are others, but without the ability to finely mark, shape and cut sheet metal with some of these, you won’t have much ability to work with sheet metal otherwise. Investigate…

Metal snow roof guards are often part of a larger snow retention system, oftentimes for slate roofs in addition to metal roofs. Being called metal roof snow guards, the term “metal” may refer not only to the roofing material but also to the material of the type of snow guard itself, as they are frequently…

At John Stortz & Son, we don’t just sell metal cutting tools – we offer the entire kit and kaboodle of carefully crafted, high quality tools for roofers, masons and many other craftsmen. Since 1853, tradesmen around the region and the country have turned to Stortz in order to fill their need for tools for…

Sheet metal pliers are an essential part of any sheet metal roofer’s repertoire of tools, and even the most highly specialized pliers are still highly versatile tools that can be put to work for a wide range of different applications. In the hands of a skilled sheet metal craftsman, metal pliers and tongs can be…