Metal roofing systems have been around for many years. Their life expectancy is second to none. Some flat seamed metal roof systems have been in place for many years and, with regular maintenance, continue to provide excellent protection to the buildings that they cover. With this type of life expectancy, it would be assumed that metal roof systems would be the natural choice for most homeowners and building owners.
However, there are many metal roof systems that continue to give homeowners and building owners trouble year after year to the point where they must be replaced. The reason for this is that the original installation of the roof system was not completed properly by the installer. The general field of the metal roof system is acceptable, but the details required to be installed were not delivered with a high degree of quality.
Once a metal roof system is installed and the details are used to finish the roof, the ability to disassemble a small portion of the roof to correct a deficiency is very difficult when compared to a conventional shingle or slate roof system. There are several different reasons for this. One of these reasons is that a single wrong cut to a metal panel may require that entire panel to be replaced. In comparison, if a shingle is not properly installed it is more simple to remove a single shingle than an entire metal panel.
In addition, the removal and replacement of a metal panel can be quickly noticed due to color fading after the new metal panel is installed. The existing metal panels will fade after time when exposed to ultraviolet light. The new panel will not be faded and will not match in exact color as the existing metal panels.
Since metal roof systems cannot be easily disassembled and repaired, metal roof repairs using brush grade sealant and reinforcing fabric are normally used to address metal roof system deficiencies. These repairs will be shorter in life span than the metal panels they are repairing. Through expansion and contraction and other factors the life expectancy of the brush grade sealant repairs will be much less than the remaining roof area and the repairs will be a constant headache.
The devil truly is in the details. If the metal roof system is installed properly from the beginning, the life expectancy of the metal roof system is second to none. If details are not properly addressed, the life expectancy of the same metal roof system will be second to all.
Photo © www.istockphoto.com/titine974 Metal roof system on home.