This type of clip is fixed in place, does not have a slider, and does not expand or contract with the roof panels. What it is: A fixed clip is exactly what it sounds like: A clip that attaches to the male leg of the panel and is then fastened directly into the substrate or roof deck and is fixed in place. To reiterate, how a clip performs is a direct reflection of how well the manufacturer’s requirements and recommendations are followed by installers. In this section, we’ll dive deeper into the five most common clip categories. That’s partially true, but there are actually numerous different types of clips that work and perform differently. You might see a clip and think it just looks like a piece of metal that, once installed, you’ll never see again. For standing seam applications, we recommend using a system that has a clip interface as well as using a system that has been tested together whenever possible.Ĭheck with the manufacturer or supplier for further information about the engineering associated with the clip(s) you’re interested in.

This will vary by panel system and manufacturer. However, that doesn’t mean that a clip not bearing the UL stamp has not been used in a UL-tested system.īeyond that, often times the clip being used has not been tested within a metal roof assembly, meaning there is not engineering on the clip or the system. On the other hand, there are UL-rated clips, which are used in a UL-rated construction number. Just because a clip is used in engineering, it still has to be installed per the manufacturer’s recommendations or engineering report (i.e., clip spacing, fastener amounts, and types) for the engineering to be valid. What is referred to as an “engineered clip” is a clip specified for use in an engineered metal roofing system, which is tested to follow the strict guidelines and industry standards. We are often asked if clips are engineered, and the answer is: Kind of. Always make sure the clip being used on your roof (or your customer’s roof) adheres to the manufacturer’s recommendations and testing for your roofing type especially in regards to potential dissimilar metals, location (specifically bay, marsh, and other coastal applications), and profile.įor the purposes of this article, we are focusing mainly on clips for standing seam metal roofing systems, but clips can be used as an attachment anchor for various other construction and roofing materials, including:

Or, clips can come in a combination of two different gauges for two-piece clip systems.

Depending on the type of metal panel system, clips can fit a wide variety of metal gauges, usually ranging anywhere between 26 and 18 gauge.

However, stainless steel clips are recommended for use in coastal applications and with zinc and copper panels. Galvalume and galvanized clips tend to be the most widely used in the industry. Clips are sometimes referred to as cleats as well.Ĭlips can come in a variety of metal materials and gauges, including: To begin, let’s define a clip: It’s a concealed anchor that attaches a metal panel to the substrate (roof deck or other material beneath the metal panels) with the use of fasteners.

Metal roof attachment system