Performing repairs on your metal roof

27 April 2016
 Categories: Business, Blog

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Metal is a popular roofing material, as it's durable and doesn't require much maintenance in order to stay in good condition. However, metal can, just as any other material, break or get problems. Large problems that require extensive work, such as replacing entire segments of the roof, should only be done by professionals. For smaller issues, however, it's entirely possible to perform metal repairing on your own. In order to take measures against issues with your metal roof, there are a few things you should know about.

Removing rust

Rust is an issue that only occurs with metal as opposed to other roofing materials. Luckily, it's often easily fixed. If you find any rust patches on your roof, make sure to remove them immediately with sand paper especially developed for usage on metal or with steel wool. After you've gotten all the rust off, you should apply a sealant that keeps moisture off the area, preventing the rust from coming back. If you don't have any metal sealant available, you should ask someone at your local hardware store for an appropriate solution. To avoid the patch being noticeable, you also need to apply a top coat of the same colour as the rest of the roof.

Fixing a leak

If you find any leaks in your roof, you need to fix them straight away, as leaking can cause water damage to the rest of your home, which can cause mould and mildew to grow in it. Leaking is most easily solved by applying roof cement to the leak. Make sure you spread the cement evenly so that it doesn't create a bump on your metal roof. Seal it with an appropriate sealant and apply a top coat to make sure nobody notices the mix of materials on your roof. You should also take a look on the ceiling in your attic to see if moisture has been leaking through, as you might have to replace some of the wood if it has become rotten.

Preventive actions

As you're up on your roof looking for things to repair, you could also take some preventive measures to make sure you don't have to do any repairs in the future. Apply sealant to all edges of your roof and between the metal shingles on your roof. If you have a window in your roof, you should also apply sealant around it on the outside, and examine the insulation around it on the inside. Windows are weak spots where moisture can leak in, as it isn't protected by the metal shingles like the rest of your roof.