Metal roof repair is not as complicated as it is imagined to be. In fact, they are easier to manage than shingle or tiled roofs, which is a good thing because if the roof repair is prolonged then there is potential for greater damage to the building. if you have metal roof, then you must search for a good “Metal roof company near me” and save their contact details for regular inspections and timely repairs to prevent permanent or extensive damage to the walls, windows and doors, woodwork, or floors. Often, water from roof leak can appear anywhere in the structure and not necessarily near the source of the leak. It may run through rafters, trusses or any part of the ceiling and create a moisture barrier before spilling over.

Roof inspections

There are parts of the roof that must be closely monitored for roof leaks such as the side laps, transitions, J-rails, penetrations, sealant, and seams. Be alert for signs of rust and specially check the neoprene washers as they tend to leak when they breakdown. If you see any of these common signs, contact the “roof company near me” for professional inspection.

Common Causes of damage

A common cause for metal roof damage is –

1. Damage from bad weather such as heavy rainfall, hail, snowfall or natural disasters like cyclones or storms
2. Poor installation, which may be observed from following signs –
   1. Absence of caulking sealants and bar in roof seam cavities
   2. Absence of extra sealant strip at four-way panel laps and eave connections
   3. Absence of tape sealant under screw holes
   4. Absence of caulk between extra trim and the underside of roof panels
   5. Improper installation of roof penetrations, joint sealant, or roof panels
3. Age related damage from weathered coating, sealant failure around fastener and ice dams

Metal roof maintenance

It is important to conduct annual roof inspection to check if old coating is weathered and scratched. When it is time to recoat the metal roof, call the “Metal roof company near me” to clean all dirt and loose coating. For metal roof repair, they will repair any surface rust and make needed repairs before painting new coating. New coating will improve emissivity and reflectance of the metal roof for energy efficiency.

Metal roof repair

If you look for what happens in “metal roof repair near me”, here are the most common metal roof repairs – 

• Rust removal – rust removal is done by sanding, scrubbing, or grinding with a wire brush after which some primer or rust inhibitor is applied over the entire area and recoat. 
•  Fasteners – heavily corroded or missing fasteners are replaced with new butyl rubber washer which is then covered with caulk and sealant. Once the sealant is dry and set, it is covered with roof coating.
• Membrane – if there is a small, narrow hole, the area is cleaned and high-quality, aluminum-based roof coating is applied. Once the coating solidifies, the hole is covered with an asphalt-impregnated glass-membrane fabric.
• Patching the holes – the surrounding area of the patch or hole is cleaned and any loose or flaking roof coating is scraped off. A few strips of butyl tape are applied around the perimeter of the patch area and the patches are covered with galvanized metal or metal fiber membrane. The edges of the patch are sealed with caulk and once it dries, it is covered with roof coating.

When the roof is beyond repair due to multiple holes or too much rust or damage to entire section, it is time to approach the “roof company near me”, not for metal roof repair, but for roof replacement.