Roofing system using standing seam joints

DETAILED DESCRIPTION It is thus a principal object of the subject invention to provide a sheet metal roofing assembly which includes a strong and watertight standing seam joint between adjacent roofing panels which doesn't have to be welded or soldered and which is suitable for roofs having little or no slope or pitch.
This object along with other features of the invention is achieved in a sheet metal roof assembly which includes a plurality of roof panels inclined in a generally horizontal plane having vertically extending edge portions.
Each edge portion has edge sections at the ends thereof and the panels are positioned adjacent one another so that an edge portion of one panel abuts the edge portion of the other panel and the edge section of one of the adjacent panels is bent over and overlaps the edge section of the other adjacent panel to define a standing seam joint.
The edge sections are in a press fit contact with each other such that substantially no space exists between the edge sections.
Significantly, a gasket arrangement within the edge section seals the joint in a solderless manner so that a soldered and weld-free standing seam joint results which permits the roofing assembly to be installed for roofs with little pitch, i.
e.
less than 3 to 1.
In accordance with another principal feature of the invention, there is provided a method of closing and sealing a seam between two vertical edge portions of sheet metal roofing panels.
The method comprises the steps of providing a gasket material to at least one portion of one of the vertical panel edge sections and placing the vertical panel portions in substantially abutting adjacent positions to define an elongated direction of the joint.
The panel sections are then folded together transversely to the elongated direction of the joint to define folded end sections at the top of the edge portions and generally distinct unfolded web sections at the bottom of the edge portions.
The standing seam is then closed and sealed by press fitting the folded edge sections together while deforming the gasket material so that no space substantially exists in the edge section