What Building Owners Must Know About Restoring Metal Roofs

By Evelyn Witterholt. 

When it comes to restoring metal roofing systems, it’s all about paying attention to the small details. 

Metal is a suitable material choice for a roof because of its durability and longevity. But like any roofing system, they are not without their own challenges. Even though they last for decades, they do still need to be restored occasionally. In a recent podcast with Greg Hlavaty, president of Western Colloid, we learned all about what building owners must know when it comes to restoring metal roofs. 

The most common type of buildings that have metal roofs are warehouse and industrial buildings. Metal roofing systems typically have a slope to allow the metal panels to shed water. The panels usually overlap and there are hidden fasteners throughout the roof. Greg explains that the hidden fasteners are sealed with rubber grommets to ensure water does not intrude into the building.  

“As they get older, the rubber washers wear out,” he says. “And they start leaking through those screw holes, through the fasteners. People walking on the panels crimps the metal between joists that puts a bend in the metal where water collects and then finds its way inside.”   

If you find your metal roof has leaks in it, Greg suggests that the first thing you do is find a roofing contractor who knows what they are doing. One thing he notices building owners do when their roof needs repairs is they go to a commercial contractor rather than a metal roofing contractor.  

“Somebody that knows what they're doing in restoring or repairing that roof, that contractor is key to the future performance of the roof,” he says. “You need to know the configurations of these metal roofs and how to attack each one differently. And if they're not attacked properly, you can create more leaks in a roof by doing an improper sealing than what was there before.” 

Listen to the entire podcast to learn more about restoring metal roofs.