Cleaning, Repairing & Maintaining Metal Panels

While metal roofs will outlast, outweather and outperform most other types of roofing, they still require a bit of maintenance to extend their useful life.  Here’s some information for homeowners on cleaning, repairing and maintaining metal roofing panels.

Cleaning metal roofs

This is a fairly straightforward job.  The goal is to keep your roof free of large amounts of leaves, twigs, dirt and other debris, all of which can cause erosion over time.  A pressure washer is ideal for this job, although a garden hose with a power nozzle will also work.

Maintaining metal roofs

As with a vehicle, the key to maintenance is periodic inspections that identify problems early, before they get out of hand.  Maintaining your metal roof is primarily about spotting and fixing leaks.

Finding the source of a leak isn’t always easy, because the location of water that results from a leak may not be directly under the compromised area on the roof.  This is because water can travel through the rafters or trusses and make itself known some distance from the leak.

Leaks in metal roofs are often caused by improper installation that could include:

·      Insufficient caulking along seam cavities

·      Lack of additional sealant strips on eave connections and four-way panel overlaps

·      No sealant tape beneath screw holes

·      No caulking between additional trim and the panel undersides

·      Badly installed flashing and joint sealants

Over time, harsh weather also can cause metal roofs to leak due to rust, damaged coating, seam separation, ice dams and damage to the sealant around a fastener.

Repairing metal roofs

Remove rust: Use heavy sandpaper or a wire brush to thoroughly clean off rust.  Apply a rust inhibitor designed for metal roofs.

Replacing fasteners: Inspect for missing or corroded fasteners.  Replace with appropriate fasteners covered with caulk.  When caulk is dry, apply a sealant over it.

Patching holes: Assuming there’s no wide damage, clean the area around the hole.  Scrape off flaking material in the vicinity.  Apply butyl tape around the hole.  Cover hole with galvanized metal that overlaps the hole by a couple inches.  Screw in the patch, making sure to insert screws one or two inches apart into the roofing material but not into the trusses or rafters.  Seal the screws and patch edges with caulk, let it dry, then apply roof coating.

There are many other elements that might be required in repairing a metal roof, including replacing entire panels.  While homeowners who are handy with tools and comfortable with work of this nature can accomplish some roof repair tasks, for extensive, complicated jobs it’s usually best to call in a professional.

By taking the necessary steps to clean, maintain and repair your metal roof, you’ll have strong and secure covering for your home for decades.

Advanced Aluminum of Polk County, Fla., offers the very best in metal roofing and roofing products for homeowners, contractors and distributors in and around the Lakeland, Fla., region.  Get the answers you need about metal roofs by calling (863) 648-5787.