Soldering Technique – Stitching

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 the metal.
2) Using an acid brush, apply your flux to the seam.  Solder will only adhere to the fluxed metal.
3) Pre-tin your soldering iron/tip with a thin layer of solder.  This will help the solder flow freely into your joint.
4) Carefully solder your seam.  Patience and controlling your heat supplied is often the trick to sweating a joint.
5) You’ll notice Rob goes back over the joints after they’ve been sweat in with a “stitching” or “lacing” technique. This purely aesthetic and can be described as the persons who is soldering signature.
6) Wipe down your seam with a damp rag after it is completed. Soapy water works well to clean the surface.  Be sure to clean the whole seam to remove any excess flux.

Note: Safety precautions should always be a top priority when soldering.  Having water & and even an extinguisher nearby is good practice.

What Roof Areas Need To Be Soldered?

Frequently soldered areas of a roof include soil pipes, chimney flashings, protrusions or seams in a valley, gussets, or diverter areas.  All of these are spots that have high potential to leak or have water buildup.

Safety Concerns

Fire is a major concern when soldering metal roofs.  Using an “open flame” torch is generally frowned upon in the industry as it increases potential for a fire.  Enclosed flame torches like Express or Sievert brands lessen the risk and direct the heat source away from the roofs surface.  Always have a fire extinguisher accessible on site, and give a 30 minute fire watch once completed. Other risks include skin burns and inhaling toxic chemicals.

Is Soldering Necessary?

Soldering can be a controversial topic as many age old European details look for folding techniques that require no solder. Even still, soldering is an efficient, quick method of creating water tight seams.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fkYJpiCAyY]