leaking metal roof

[bigballer]

ok so this is not exactly tractor related but i figured i posted enough tractor related questions/responses over the last 5 years i deserve at least one freebie???

last night during a downpour my wife heard a drip and we discovered a leak (dripping from edge of cold air return vent). upon inspection this moring it appears the silicone around the chimney shroud flashing is cracked thus letting the water in. it's getting in between the roofing and the paper (no vapor barrier that i can see) and there is a tear in the paper where the water is exiting into the attic a few feet below the chimney. the flashing seems to be in fair condition so my plan is to remove all the cracked silicone, clean it up and lay down some new.

question is what is the best kind of sealant to use? i found some leakstopper (gardner) which has penetrex in it, also the local hardware store has some henry 208R and some ATCO 1823.. what to use and how to prep surface?

aslo general question: is it normal to install a metal roof without vapor barrier? there are wood furing strips attached to the rafters with 3" spacing between and then it looks like tar paper, then the metal.. there are a ton of nails coming through the furing and not sure why (maybe to hold paper down)??

cheers!

 

[smstonypoint]

K7LN beat me too it. I think you want to use a roofing cement. I've used the Henry brand in a gallon can and in the tube. Regardless of which brand you go with, read the label for application instructions and wear old clothes. It's messy.

Steve

 

[logan97]

Silicone is a good product, but the surface has to be spotless for it to work and it will peal easily. I've used a product by DeWitt's called Wet-Stick asphalt plastic roof cement. It's a black messy tar like product that applies easily on most anything including wet surfaces, and remains fairly flexible. It comes in one gallon cans at hardware stores. Like any other roof sealer, it should be checked every few years. Can't help you on the other items.

if you mix it with white sand it will help it from cracking.

 

[The Haymaker]

if you mix it with white sand it will help it from cracking.

Silicone or Henrys?

 

[EddieWalker]

Silicone is fine for interior applications, but on surfaces like roofs and flashing, it will get hard and crack. It's the wrong material for roofs.

I like Henry on flashing and metal, but you have to know that it is very sticky and messy. It works. It works very well.

To get it off your hands, I like WD-40, then after that, soap and water works.

Like already mentioned, read the labes for what works on metal.

The spacing of the wood, and the fact that you said there are nails sticking through makes me think that they put the metal on over the existing shingles. My guess is the shingles are still there.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[framer]

polyurethane caulking will hold up longer and stretches. About 10.00 a tube
Most metal suppliers recommend it rather than silicon.

 

[inveresk]

I'd run with Framer's recommendation to use polyurethane caulk. Its a great product, high modulus of elasticity plus good life expectancy.

 

[bigballer]

thanks for the responses. i think they used that poly stuff on there because it's very difficult to remove and really hard, almost need a chisel to remove it.

i was at lowes today and they had the henry stuff but given how messy it is i'm thinking the poly might be easier to work with. it looks like we are going to be having a dry stretch here for the next few days so i can get it done right before the rain comes back.

yeah the nails still baffle me i looked up into that tear in the tar paper where the water was coming in and it's metal right on top of it, no shingles in sight...

thanks guys

 

[dcyrilc]

yeah the nails still baffle me i looked up into that tear in the tar paper where the water was coming in and it's metal right on top of it, no shingles in sight...

thanks guys

Sounds like they stripped a shingle roof and then just pounded the nails down, put on new tar paper, and then the steel roof?

Quite the downpoar we had last night. Glad we'll see the sun for a few days.

 

[Danno1]

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When I want a big black mess I use Henry 505 Flashmaster. Trowel it on. It will harden in a year or two. It needs to be put down on a dry surface but can be rained on immediately with no harm done. You can also embed nylon mesh tape into it (it's like sheetrock tape) to help keep it fr cracking.

When I want a clean (almost invisible fix) I use Henry 212. It's clear, comes in a caulking tube, sticks to anything, and stays flexible after it cures. This is what you want when you're sealing two unlike materials. It will stretch to take up the different expansion rates.


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