Compared to shingles or rolled roofing, metal roofing is easy to install, and it can last for 20 decades or more, however it’s susceptible to a flaw which never affects shingles — rust. Most metal roofing is made from galvanized metal or covered to prevent rust from occurring, but standing water and the heat generated by direct sunlight can wear the roof’s safety away. It’s ideal to treat rust before holes or cracks develop, but if you’re too late, you are able to make a productive patch utilizing urethane roofing cement, which stands up nicely to intense sunlight.
Wash the roof with water and detergent, and scrub off any mold which has exploded with a scrub brush. This not only reveals all the rust, it ensures that the repair substances you utilize adhere properly. A pressure washer may help the job go more quickly.
Eliminate any rusted screws or screws with deteriorated washers and then replace them with new ones. If the metal around any fastener has rusted, and a hole has already evolved, fix the rusted hole before forcing the brand new screw.
Eliminate surface rust by scrubbing it with a wire sanding and brush it by 80-grit wet/dry sandpaper. Neutralize the rust that is left by painting the affected area with rust inhibitor.
Fix holes and cracks, such as those around rusted fasteners, with urethane roof cement and steel roofing mesh. Begin by spreading a layer of roof cement with a putty knife which covers the damaged area with a surplus of 1 1/2 inches on all sides. Cut a sheet of steel roofing mesh with tin snips to cover the area.
Spread roof cement on top of the mesh, then cut another bit of mesh, then press it in the repair and coat it with more cement. Smooth and flatten the final layer of cement to make the repair as harmless as possible. Allow the roof cement to dry following the manufacturer’s directions and the weather conditions.
Coat all places you mended, including those to which you applied rust inhibitor, with metal primer. Apply it with a paintbrush.
Paint the roof with paint. The merchandise which are easiest to apply and many effective for galvanized steel, tin and aluminum metal roofs alike are acrylic direct-to-metal coatings, accessible in many building supply outlets. You can use them by brushing or by spraying.
