Dealing with Corrugated Metal Roof Leaks
January 10, 2019 | By Mike Gonet | Filed under: Blog, Metal Roofing
How to Deal with Corrugated Metal Roof Leaks Properly
A corrugated metal roof can make for an acceptable covering for out buildings and barns, but are definitely not the choice of discriminating homeowners. Being made of steel, they’re tough and wind-resistant when installed properly. They come in wide sheets to cover your entire roof with relatively few seams. The installation method is face fastened through the panel with screws and rubber grommets.
However, they’re not immune to damage or leaking. The moment you see a sign of leakage, usually due to failed screws and grommets, call in a professional to handle the repair. The only thing you can DIY for leakage control to prevent further damage is to get out the caulking gun.
If you ask Classic Metal Roofs, here are the things you should consider when you are faced with these problems.
Get Rid of Puddles on the Floor
First of all, wipe any wet spots on the floor to avoid accidents from corrugated metal roof leaks. This is especially important if you have an active family with kids that love to run around the house. Once you find a pond, try to look for others, because your roof could be leaky in many places. Corrugated metal roofs are suited for barns and sheds. These are not metal roofs the last forever.
Collect Trapped Water in the Ceiling
If your ceiling has few to no gaps, the water will pool at its lowest point until the entire thing collapses because of hydrostatic pressure. If you suspect that there’s increasing accumulation of water above your ceiling, remove the liquid to keep it from caving in.
In a level ceiling, the leak is likely pooling at the center. Look for a bulge and punch a hole to allow the liquid to cascade. Any metal roofing installation specialist should advise you to have a large container ready, to avoid flooding your floor. Buckets would suffice, but garbage pails with wheels are better.
Create a Makeshift Drainage System
You can place the container below the “escape route” you created to catch drips of water from the corrugated metal roof leak, but this would require constant supervision because the bucket or garbage pail could overflow in no time. If the rain isn’t stopping, and you can’t afford to watch over the container the whole time, direct the water to the outside instead.
Experienced metal roofing contractors would suggest making a huge funnel to drain non-stop leakage to the outside with ease. You need an empty, one-gallon carton or plastic bottle, duct tape, a garden hose, and ladder.
Connect the hose to the nozzle in a watertight fashion, and then create a bigger opening on the other side to avoid missing a drop. Put it as close to the ceiling as possible to lend the hose a steep pitch as it goes to the nearest window. This makeshift “gutter system” should help keep the leak under control until help arrives.
Classic Metal Roofs can put a permanent fix to your leaky corrugated roof. Don’t go down that road. These metal roofs will not last forever. In fact, one might see leaking within a few short years of installation. For a residential roof that’s engineered for your home to last a lifetime, call us at (866) 660-6668 or use our Free Consultation form to schedule a free estimate for “the best roof under the sun” in any of our southern New England locations, MA CT, RI, and NH. We offer financing to qualified homeowners.
