Things to Know before Maintenance of your Metal Roof

Before undertaking any maintenance we recommend that you consult a roofing expert about all the safety precautions you should take before climbing onto the roof.

The following steps should be followed carefully when it comes to carrying out metal roof maintenance work:

1. Do not allow different kinds of metal to be touching one another. When different metals touch, chemical reactions can occur and cause the metal to corrode.
2. Be vigilant and make sure the paintwork is always touched up. This will help to prevent rust.
3. As soon as you spot a hole or an open seam, repair it immediately, do not delay!
4. Smaller holes can be covered with either roofing cement, or else the EternaBond tape that was discussed previously. Large holes need to be patched and soldered into place with the same kind of metal as the roof is made from.
5. Any screws that you use must be of the same kind of metal as the roof.
6. When screwing plates or sheets into place, make sure you always use a washer, and install the screw into a raised area rather than low areas as this can lead to water pooling and eventual leaks.
7. Use only non-corrosive metal flux with steel roofs. For copper roofs, acid flux is best.

These are the tools necessary for carrying out metal roofing repairs:

• Galvanized metal
• Screws of the same type of metal as the roof
• Roof coatings such as PVDF
• A putty knife
• Butyl tape or EternaBond tape
• Roofers caulk
• Wire brush
• Snips

Steps to take when patching a hole:

1. Firstly, clean the area around the hole thoroughly, washing away all dust.
2. Cut a good sized piece of galvanized metal that covers the hole easily. You should have a bearing of 2 or 3 inches over the edge of the hole.
3. Tape the galvanized metal sheet into place with the butyl tape.
4. Screw the sheet into the roof, spacing the screws out every 2-3 inches.
5. Seal the edges of the sheet and around the screws with caulk.
6. Finally, cover the new patch with PVDF roof coating.
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