Spring build season in Tennessee and Kentucky brings longer days, better weather, and the kind of gusty storms that test a roof. With updates flowing from ASCE 7-22 into local practice, the big takeaway for PBR (Purlin-Bearing Rib) panel roofs is simple: treat the roof edges and corners like the high-stress zones they are. If you plan your screw patterns with that in mind, your PBR roof will stay quiet, tight, and trouble-free.
Why This Matters Now
ASCE 7-22 didn’t rewrite the world for most shops, barns, or barndominiums in our region. What it did do is sharpen the focus on where the wind really pulls the hardest. Corners and perimeters see the highest suction. The open “field” of the roof is calmer by comparison. If you’re installing PBR panels this season, your best return on effort is to dial in fastening and sealing at the edges rather than throwing more screws everywhere.
The 10-second Version of What Changed
Think in three zones: corners, perimeters, and field.
Corners and perimeters carry more wind load, so they typically need a denser screw pattern than the field. Your mapped wind speed in much of Tennessee and Kentucky is still around 115 mph for common building types. The difference in 2025 is how you apply that reality on the roof. Zones matter.
What to Do On a Real PBR Job
Start by marking the zones on your plan or even chalking them on the deck. Then pull the manufacturer’s PBR guide and use the recommended zone-specific screw patterns. Do not average the roof.
If you need a little more capacity at the edges, you have three straightforward levers:
- Add fasteners at corners and perimeters
- Tighten purlin spacing near those edges
- Step up panel gauge on tougher sites.
Keep minimum slope and sidelap sealant in your spec, since wind and water meet at the edges first.
Tennessee / Kentucky Build-Season Notes
Spring storms here bring strong outflow winds that punish corners. That is where vibration, panel flutter, and fastener hole elongation begin if fastening is light. Most projects in our region still use similar basic wind speeds as previous years, so there’s no need to redesign the entire roof. Focus on doing edges right, stock enough screws for the denser patterns, and plan an extra minute per sheet at the corners. Inspectors appreciate a zone sketch and a printed screw schedule from the panel manual. You will, too.
Shortcuts to Avoid
- Same pattern everywhere. Edges need more attention.
- We’ll figure it out onsite. Mark zones before you unload panels and order fasteners accordingly.
- Sealant is optional. It is most important in the same places the wind is strongest.
A smart crew does not do more work. It does the right work in the right places.
Ready for the Build season?
Watson Metals supplies PBR panels, trims, fasteners, and sealants for shops, barns, and barndominiums across Tennessee and Kentucky.
Contact us today to share your plan and location. We will price the full package and include a clean materials list so your crew can focus on edges, corners, and a roof that stays put when the wind shows up.