The primary purpose of our home is to provide safety, privacy, and shelter. The roofs, doors, and walls of our house protect us from not just intruders but also the elements. As such, our roofs and exterior walls are perhaps the parts of our homes that are most exposed to the elements such as the weather and sunlight. Metal has become one of the most popular roofing materials as they’re durable, affordable, and eco-friendly.
Metal roofs are naturally lightweight for structural purposes. However, they aren’t as sturdy as our walls, so they need to be maintained for them to serve their purpose. Although regular annual roof maintenance is recommended, it’s also important for a homeowner to be aware of common metal roof problems that need to be addressed immediately.
Leaks
Leaks are often caused bypoor craftsmanship resulting in gaps where water can leak through. Leaks can build up over time and should be addressed immediately to prevent damage to your home’s ceiling such as wood rot and warping, which could be quite expensive to repair or replace.
Ponding Water
Water that’s collected on the roof can cause a lot of roofing problems such as leaks. The pressure caused by the weight of water ponding can force water to leak through your metal roof. As such, it’s important to regularly check for any water collecting on your roof after a strong storm or typhoon (which could also cause other damages such as blown-off panels and punctures). It’s also recommended for you to regularly clean and maintain your roof gutter to prevent water from pooling on the roof due to blocked roof drainage.
Blown-Off
Just like with leaks, metal roof flashings or panels that are poorly installed. If there are gaps and laps, it can cause parts of your metal roof to get blown off. Although even professionally and properly installed metal roofs are still susceptible to loosening over time, or due to extreme winds. It’s essential for your metal roofs to be correctly installed and inspected upon finishing to avoid blow-offs, and regular maintenance can ensure the structural integrity of your metal roof.
Tears and Punctures
Metal roofs may be durable, but over time, constant stress, foreign objects falling on rooftops, and hard objects getting blown unto or against the roof during a strong storm can cause tears and punctures on the roof and may even result in roof leaks that let water into your home and damage your ceiling. Caulk, a material used to seal seams, joints, and holes, are used to fix tears and punctures. As such, caulking can be a viable and cheap way to fix tears and punctures, but for more extensive damage, you may need to repair or replace the damaged parts of your metal roof.
Conclusion
Regular maintenance is important to keep your metal roof both aesthetically pleasing and functional. But an essential part of maintenance is knowing the common roof problems to identify and fix them upon inspection properly. So the next time you’re doing your routine maintenance, it’s best to watch out for these common problems. Or better yet, you can hire metal roof repair and maintenance contractors to do it for you professionally.