Metal Roof Repair in Newport News, VA

Why does a dent matter if the roof still keeps water out?

A dent can crack the finish, and a cracked finish lets rust start. A dent across a seam can stop the seam closing properly.

A dent is a sign the finish may have cracked. Once the coating is broken, moisture reaches the bare metal and rust begins. A dent on a seam is more serious, because it can stop the seam closing.

A roofer records each dent with its position and effect. A dent in a flat face may be left, and a dent at a seam is reset or replaced.

• Check the finish at each dent
• A dent on a seam is a leak risk
• Record dents that are left in place

What causes a metal fastener to fail?

Wind lift, thermal movement and fasteners driven too tight or at the wrong angle. Pulled fasteners leave holes that let water in.

Metal panels move with the temperature, and the fasteners move with them. A strong wind can lift a panel enough to pull its screw through the washer. A screw driven too tight cracks the washer.

The repair replaces the failed fastener with the correct length and type, and checks the panel around it.

• Pulled screws are replaced, not re-driven
• Washers checked for cracks
• Failed clips replaced

Patch or replace a metal panel?

A small hole or short split can be patched. A panel split along its length, or dented across a seam, is replaced with the same profile.

A small hole or short split is a sound patch, using the sealant the maker names. A panel split along its length is replaced. Where the profile can no longer be matched, the roofer explains the trade-off in writing.

The roofer states which applies, so the homeowner chooses with the facts.

• Small holes and short splits: patch
• Split panels and seam damage: replace
• Profile mismatch explained before work

What belongs in the metal roof record?

Each panel, seam and fastener by position, the state found, the repair and the material, with photographs before and after.

The record names panels by position, seams by number and fasteners by line. Photographs before and after show what the storm did and what the repair restored.

Keep it with the storm inspection. A metal roof with a documented repair history is easier to insure and to sell.

• Panels and seams named by position
• The material and fastener used
• Photographs before and after

Walking a metal roof safely

A metal roof is walked only when dry, on boots with good grip, with fall protection and with the crew working in pairs.

Metal is slippery when wet and can be slippery when dry at the seams. The roofer walks it only when dry, in boots with good grip, with fall protection and working in pairs, so a slip can be caught.

• Dry roof only
• Boots with good grip
• Fall protection and a second person

Trim and fixings in a storm

Trim, ridge caps and fixings are the parts the wind lifts first, and they are checked from the ground and the edge.

The trim and ridge caps lift first in a storm, and they are checked from the ground and the roof edge. A loose cap is refixed before the next storm, not after it.

• Trim and caps lift first
• Checked from the ground and the edge
• Refixed before the next storm