Leaking metal roof(s)

[getut]

My tractor shed and barn both have metal roofs that are leaking. The barn is leaking pretty badly and will have to have something done relatively soon. I'm not planning on doing much to the siding or roofs of these until spring, but figured I'd ask for recommendations before hand incase the best option turns out to be expensive. Would you guys recommend just caulking visible holes then painting with something, or coating the whole thing with a thick roof coating of some sorts, or the third option... replacement.

Both structures were built about 20 years ago by the previous owners of our land. The metal roofs leak mostly around nails that have popped up, but there are a very few places that are actual holes half the size of your pinky fingernail and rust stains on the bottom side where it has been leaking and condensing on the bottom then running to the low edge.

I'm spending time off and on all winter getting the drainage around the barn corrected and want to do something to the roof in spring. Currently the land on all sides of the dirt floored barn is higher than the floor of the barn itself. All the water runs INTO the barn. I have no choice but backfill a large portion of the barn to get it draining outward. I currently can't tell how much of the water in the barn is from water running in at ground level or coming through the roof.

 

[Boondox]

Nail holes where they missed the joists...or nails that popped out of the wood? If the latter, I've had great results pulling the nails out the rest of the way and replacing them with those metal roofing screws that have the rubber grommet at the base.

Pete

 

[ByronBob]

Coating it seems to be a good way to plug small holes that you mention. My friend has a garage like your roof and he coated it with good success

 

[getut]

Boondox: It is mostly nails that have backed out just enough that the lead heads are letting water in. There are a few good sized holes that I can't really pinpoint the cause (they don't seem to be caused by rust) and are out in the middle of a bay.

ByronBob: Any idea what he coated it with?

 

[Holzster]

go to google & search for "metal roof coating" i did & found a LOT of products out there.

 

[GerardC]

<font color="blue"> It is mostly nails that have backed out just enough that the lead heads are letting water in. </font>

A quick fix would be to just pound the nails back in and put some silicone on the heads and the area(s) around them. G

 

[rambler]

Quick fix:

Pound nails back down, seal holes with silicone product.

Nails _will_ come back out again......

Better fix:

Replace loose nails with roof screws (have rubber washer). Seal holes with a paintable silicon sealer (there are different types, check what you use works with the paint/ sealer you put over it). Paint roof with a good aluminumn roof paint.

This paint has a black oil & real aluminumn particiles in it, looks black in the pail, needs to be well stirred. The aluminumn floats on the oil a bit & it seals & lasts well - a really good one will actually scratch black for a few weeks, but come back the next day & the scratch has disappeared.... It is not terribly thick tho, does not fill any real holes.

There are thicker roof patch 'paints' but they don't seem to last very long, mostly for mobile homes I think? I would consider the one's I've seen a 'temp' deal, and then you have big chunks of peeling thick paint to deal with. Perhaps there are better ones than I've seen.

--->Paul

 

[SPIKER]

there are alum roof paints that work rather well, I have metal house roof (standing metal seam) built in the 1800's. painted it again about 2~3 yrs back, (first coat it had since we bought it some 18 yrs back.) they also have a roof patch tape (about 4' wide with heavy black putty type sealant for the adheasive.) I patched the trailing edge of the roof here with it works well.


anyhow they have fiber filled paint which leaves a rougher appearance and absorbs more hole filling punishment. popped nails was my enimie too, and had to hammer back in a bunch and added more nailes mainly form high winds wipping the roofing. screws are better in my case the roof is pretty bad shape and will be there untill after I sell...

Markm /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[LarryD]

<font color="blue"> There are a few good sized holes that I can't really pinpoint the cause (they don't seem to be caused by rust) and are out in the middle of a bay. </font>

Maybe the previous owner had a pigeon problem /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I made a roof for my hay storage from recycled metal roofing and put silicone caulk over the existing holes, some about the size of my pinky finger. It has held up for the past year. I just used a little soapy water to clean around the hole before I caulked it.