If you have a metal roof, one thing is certain: it will eventually start to leak. The average life span is 30 years, but for any roof that long isn’t a guarantee. Many things can happen to cause a metal roof to leak early in its life. Here are just a few:
- Improperly driven roofing screws
- Worn stack flashings (around the pipes that come out of your roof)
- Worn sealants
- Curb flashings (around HVAC units)
- Seams and overlaps in panels
What’s the cause of the leak?
Fixing the leak in your roof depends on finding the cause of the leak. The solution will be much different if it’s an improperly aligned screw than if it’s worn sealant or incorrectly overlapped panels. Depending on the cause of your leak a professional roofer may be able to simply repair it. If not, you may need to replace part – or all – of it.
Repair, restore, or replace?
Problems such as incorrectly installed fasteners are a relatively simple fix. The same goes for most parts that begin to show wear and tear. With regular inspection, many metal roofing problems can be caught early – and repaired easily.
Some more serious issues may require restoration – think of this as a more intensive series of repairs.
Lastly, if problems are allowed to develop without correction, often replacement of the roof is the only solution. Thankfully, there are options available that can basically be installed on top of your existing roof – using the leaking roof as a frame or deck for the new one. This is not as cheap as repair or restoration, but still not as cost prohibitive as installing an entirely new roof from scratch.
Get a Professional Opinion
Whether your roof simply needs a little repair, some moderate restoration, or a full replacement the pros at Nielsen Roofing can help. Our team has 300 combined years of roofing experience. Call us and get the job done right!