Preventing Rust on Metal Roofs: What Roofers Do
September 26, 2019 | By Mike Gonet | Filed under: Blog, Metal Roofing
Metal roofing is a great solution for the replacement of temporary roofing material such as asphalt shingles and cedar roofs. Some metals such as steel, galvalume, and galvanized roofing materials are prone to rust when exposed to moisture. Preventing rust is understandably a big concern for homeowners considering metal roofing. The good news is, metal roofing companies like Classic Metal Roofs offer options like aluminum, zinc, and copper that don’t rust at all.
Preventing Rust on Steel Metal Roofs
On its own, steel in any form is not naturally resistant to rust. There are manufacturing methods that attempt to prevent corrosion from taking over, through. This is what roofers do to try to keep rust at bay.
When Steel is Used…
Roofers coat the base metal with anti-rust or anti-corrosive coatings.
Galvanized metal is steel roofing coated with a thin layer of zinc oxide. Galvalume products are steel panels coated with a corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy.
No one can prevent steel from rusting. That’s why roofing manufactures that use steel in their roofing products don’t offer a warranty against rust. They can’t. They try to mitigate the issue by saying their coatings (many of them use kynar) will protect the product and its warranty not to fade for about 30-35 years. Many steel roofs are warrantied for 60 years, but they DO NOT say nor do they warrant that the roof won’t rust. They can’t because it ultimately will. We have seen steel roofs with rust in as little as 3 years from the time it was installed.
Dealing with Rust?
If you’re already dealing with rust, don’t worry. Contact the guy or company that installed the roof, if he or they are still in business and they should be able to scrape, sand or grind off the rust and repaint the surface. If your metal roof is too rusted, a replacement may be a more practical choice for you. If you are deciding on a new roof, maybe you should just stay clear of these types of metal roofs.
With over 16 years of industry experience, Classic Metal Roofs has the expertise you’re looking for to guarantee you make the most of your metal roofing investment. To learn more about the quality metal roofing options we carry and what we can do for you, simply watch our educational video series on metal roofing.
