DIY tin roof repair

The metal roof is famous for its durability, but even in its case, repair work is indispensable. Such negative factors as precipitation, sudden temperature fluctuations or carelessness when clearing snow with shovels do not in the best way affect the integrity of the metal roof.

Deterioration in roof performance, such as leaks, may be due to:

• violations that were committed during the installation of a metal roof or roofing cake;
• extreme weather conditions such as hurricane winds;
• accidental mechanical damage, say, falling of a tree on the roof;
• wear and tear of the roofing.

For metal roofs, the following damage is more typical:

• cracks and other damage on the roof, which most often appear due to a violation of the technology of the steel roofing device, emergency mechanical damage or settlement of the house.
• peeling of the protective polymer coating. Although such a defect does not immediately lead to leaks, the destroyed protective layer is covered with rust spots that corrode the metal;
• leaks in roof junctions, for example, adjoining vertical surfaces and other joints of coatings. The reason for such a defect may be a mistake made when installing a metal roof, or aging of the coating.

The repair of a metal roof is preceded by an assessment of its condition. To begin with, the roof is inspected from the inside to assess the condition of the rafters, lathing and flooring of the attic. Then they begin to inspect the outer coating, in particular, the places of abutment of metal sheets and other roofing assemblies. Inspection allows you to determine what kind of metal roof repairs to be done:

Repair of metal roofs, as a rule, is done in winter or autumn, when other options for restoration work are not possible;

• current. It implies the planned restoration of the damaged part of the metal coating, if its area does not exceed 40% of the entire roof;
• capital. Dismantle the steel roof in large areas and replace the old material with a new one. It is possible to replace the entire roof covering, as well as the rafter system.

If the roof inspection reveals defects in the gutter or wall groove, the restoration work begins from these places. The next section in order is cornice overhangs. Further, gradually moving from the lower surfaces of the slopes, the rest of the roof is restored in order.

At the final stage, ventilation and chimney pipes, all kinds of junctions and overhangs of gables are restored. Let's consider how you can fix some minor defects:

• Gutter elements have a much lower slope than metal roofing. Thus, these parts are particularly prone to corrosion. This is why sometimes the best solution is to replace them entirely.
• The replacement of trays and gutters is accompanied by the device of an extension to the roofing row covering, since it is not possible to connect new or cut gutters or gutters with an ordinary strip to the old folds. The ends of the paintings on the ordinary cover of the extension are cut off exactly along the line of the next batten.
• If the eaves are damaged, then first you need to completely dismantle the drainage system. This is due to the fact that in the process of repair work it is necessary to straighten the bent sections along the bottom of the slopes, to align the overhang line, as well as the places where the overhang is attached to crutches.And to do this without dismantling the brackets and trays will not work.

Metal roof repair technology depends on the degree of damage. If there are too many fistulas or holes in ordinary stripes, then whole sheets or pictures must be replaced. If they are concentrated only locally, then they replace only the damaged area, capturing the full width of the strip.

• To cut out an area with defects, you first need to open the ridges.
• Then both edges are wrapped under the recumbent seam connection in the direction of the water flow. Remove the damaged part of the sheet, and replace. The metal patch is first attached to the edges of the ordinary strip, and then with the ridges. Lathing elements are used for the transverse connection. The place of fixing the new clamps coincides with the old one. All joints and ridges exposed during the repair work must be straightened, smeared with mastics and sealed.
• Repair of abutments is reduced to complete or partial replacement of aprons, which are damaged. In some cases, it may be necessary to replace part of the damaged wood slats with new ones, pre-treated with an antiseptic.

The main "evil" that threatens metal roofs is most likely leaks. Water entering a living room can cause a lot of harm: spoil the interior decoration, promote the formation of mold and mildew. Leakage can be caused by mechanical damage, as well as through corrosion, unsealed technical holes, for example, for an antenna or leaking folds.

It takes a sunny day and two workers (in the attic and on the roof) to accurately determine the leaking area.

One of the workers carefully examines the roof from the attic side. Finding rotten rafters, smudges on metal sheets or a rusty stain, he taps the area, and the one who is at the top traces it with chalk on the outer surface to determine the size of the area to be repaired.

The problem area during the repair is painted over, waterproofed or patched.

Let's analyze each of the methods separately.

Patches are installed directly on damaged areas of the coating. There are several options for patches, but whichever one is chosen, first of all, it is necessary to clean up the damaged area and around it with a metal brush, the patch itself should be larger than the area of ​​the area to be restored.

• Galvanized iron is often used for patching. It is attached, for example, to roofing screws, a suitable sealant or other. A sealant applied around the perimeter of the patch will help improve its reliability.

1. The galvanized patch should be at least 100mm larger than the damaged area.
2. An alloy of lead and zinc or cadmium is applied to the damaged area, as well as to the patch). The patch is then soldered to the roof surface using a powerful soldering iron.
3. When the solder hardens, the excess must be removed with a file.
4. After completing the repair of the steel roof, it must be painted over.

If the roof has a complex relief, or the coating is not reliable enough, then elastic materials are suitable for the patch. It can be fiberglass, bitumen-polymer waterproofing materials, for example, roofing felt or ordinary burlap.

• Before installing the patch, heated bitumen mastic is applied to the cleaned metal surface. After the coating has dried, a burlap of the required size is glued onto it, which is previously smeared with hot mastic. For greater security, you can lay a second layer of burlap. Then the patch is finally coated with hot mastic.

Another option is also possible.

Instead of bituminous mastic, you can use a thickened red lead paint. After caulking, the hole is dried for two to three days. For patching, you need to prepare a special mixture of thick grated red lead for iron and natural drying oil.

A patch of the required size made of some dense fabric is kept in this mixture for about 10-15 minutes, squeezed out and placed in the place that was previously smeared with red lead putty. Then it is well smoothed with hands or using a stiff brush.

Bituminous rubber and polyurethane sealants have a long service life. They are used to seal leaking folds, joints, abutments. Sealants can be applied both around the perimeter and over the applied patches, or simply on steel sheets as an independent insulating layer.

The use of overlaid materials allows you to completely cover the roofing sheets, joints and abutments. However, good sealing performance requires some skill in working with a high-temperature gas burner.

The metal is cleaned of rust, then the surface is primed. Painting is carried out in a double layer of metal enamel. The protective layer charged in this way is sufficiently corrosion-resistant. High-quality painting will extend the life of the metal roof by five years.

Note that this method is also partially suitable for dealing with leaks. Paint that has penetrated into cracks and small cracks, after drying, becomes an obstacle in the path of water.

This type of roof repair is characterized by a complete replacement of the coating. Repairs are performed in the following sequence:

• dismantle the roof. To do this, either unscrew the screws or unbend the folds;
• make troubleshooting of the filmed material. This will allow in some cases to reuse well-preserved pieces, which are previously cleaned and cut off the attachment points.

• dismantle the roofing cake;
• inspect the rafter system and, if necessary, repair;
• wooden structural elements are treated with fire retardants and antiseptics;
• the roofing cake is reassembled taking into account the ventilation gaps between the layers;
• a new roof covering is laid and the gutter system is restored:
• at the end of the overhaul, the necessary accessories are installed - fences, snow holders, etc.

Do-it-yourself repair of a galvanized roof is a more time-consuming process than repairing a roof covered with another material. If, during operation, gaps have formed between the sheets, then it is necessary to clean the joints from rust deposits and solder them. If the metal roof is completely unusable, then a major repair will have to be performed, with a complete replacement of the coating.

Roofing iron is another type of rigid roof that is widely used in the construction of country houses. It has the most venerable age - it has been used for more than one century. But, of course, modern roofing iron is drastically different from the material originally used. Moreover, every decade, more and more improved varieties of it appear on the construction market. It is recommended to cover the roof with roofing iron only when the slope is 15-30 °.

Currently, the most demanded materials of this type are galvanized sheet steel and corrugated board (multilayer material based on polymer coated steel). In summer cottage construction, it is usually sheet metal that is used. This material is very reliable and relatively inexpensive.

The cost of roofing from sheet iron is less than from metal. At the same time, it cannot be said that such a roof looks worse.

And in terms of durability, with good care, an iron roof is in no way inferior to a metal roof.

A major overhaul of a sheet metal roof may not be required until several decades after installation. Local repair of a metal roof is usually reduced to the elimination of local damage.This article discusses both types of repair work, since the owners of a country house with a roofing material or slate roof over time may have a desire to change the old roof to an iron one.

Timely measures taken for preventive local repair of the iron roof will help extend its durability and postpone the need for repair. The main point of prevention is the protection of the roof surface from corrosion, which inevitably occurs under the influence of precipitation. For this purpose, the roof is painted with a special anti-corrosion paint. However, you should be aware that not all paint is suitable for repairing galvanized metal roofs.

The fact is that the properties of galvanized metal differ from ordinary ones. If painted with a simple oil or alkyd paint, it will react with zinc, causing it to peel off quickly. A coating of such paint will last no longer than one season. Therefore, for the repair of a galvanized roof, it is necessary to choose paints with greater adhesion and elasticity. These include, for example, acrylic primer-enamel or other options with similar characteristics. They are more expensive than conventional paints, but they fully pay for themselves. Better to spend one time on expensive high-quality paint than repainting the roof or patching new holes in it every year.

When you paint a roof that is no longer new, you first need to assess its condition and repair the existing damage. If there is rust on the surface, it must be washed off with kerosene and then cleaned up with sandpaper.

Perhaps, during the operation of the roof, gaps have formed between the sheets at their junctions. In this case, to repair the iron roof, the joints are cleaned of rust in the same way, then wiped with a solution of zinc chloride using a regular paint brush. After that, the joints are sealed with a powerful soldering iron. Excess cooled solder is removed with a file.

In the event of cracks and gaps in the old roof, they are sealed with patches, which are cut out of a new sheet of galvanized steel with roofing scissors. The size of the patch for repairing a metal roof on each side should be 10-15 cm larger than the size of the damaged section of the roof. We will fix it by soldering or using some kind of glue or sealant. You should consult your hardware store about which glue is best for galvanized metal.

If, for some reason, you did not have a spare sheet of roofing iron at hand for patches, it can be successfully replaced by fiberglass or a high-quality roofing material - such patches are also attached with a sealant and serve no worse than metal ones.

After all defects are eliminated during the repair of the iron roof with their own hands, they begin to paint. The entire surface of the roof is thoroughly cleaned of dirt and old paint using a brush with iron bristles or special liquid agents. Then the roof is washed with water, allowed to dry and covered with 2-3 layers of protective paint. When repairing a galvanized roof, it is most convenient to apply paint with a spray gun, but if it is not available, you can use a roller or a large fly brush.

It should be noted that the process of overhauling an old galvanized iron roof is quite laborious compared to laying any other roofing material. If you do not have the skills to work with sheet metal, it is better to entrust this work to professionals. If you feel confident in your abilities, use a few guidelines.

Roofing iron is not very heavy, therefore, as in the case of metal tiles, a thinned wooden lathing with a step of 20-30 cm is suitable here. A waterproofing layer of roofing felt, roofing felt or some other insulating material is placed on the lathing.

When using sheet metal in the course of repairing a metal roof, it is desirable to minimize the number of joints on the roof, since joints are a potential area for leaks and damage. Guided by this rule, the size of the sheets is selected. If the length of the slope is small, it is advisable to use sheets of the same length. With a long slope length, the sheets are chosen in such a way that the number of horizontal rows is the smallest (as in the case of metal tiles).

There are two methods for stacking sheet metal. The first, and the simplest, is overlapping. Sheets begin to be laid from the eaves. They are attached to the crate using roofing screws with a rubber gasket under the head. Each next sheet is laid with an overlap on the previous one, the width of the overlap is 5-10 cm. For the reliability of the joint, the overlap is coated with a sealant and laid with a thin rubber tape.

A more complex method of roofing iron flooring in the overhaul of an old galvanized steel roof is folding. This method provides the highest roof tightness. Folding is the fastening of adjacent sheets to each other due to the bent edges in a special way. There are 4 types of folds: single recumbent, single standing, double recumbent and double standing.

Reclining folds are made at the junction of sheets horizontally (parallel to the cornice), and standing folds at the junction vertically (along the slope). Double folds are more reliable.

Let's consider the folding technology using the example of a single standing seam.

The edge of one sheet is folded up at a right angle by 3 cm. The edge of the second is similar, but by 7 cm. The sheets are connected and the larger edge is folded into the smaller one. This operation is done with all the sheets while still on the ground. Then the sheets are unhooked and lifted onto the roof. There they fasten them with self-tapping screws to the crate and interlock with a prepared fold. Then the seam is sealed with a mallet and hammer. Folding requires some experience, therefore, when laying roofing iron with your own hands, the first method is usually chosen.

Garage roof repair. Types of roofs and roofing materials. Flat and inclined single-slope structures. Solid roofing materials

It is useful to learn how to make repairs to the garage roof with your own hands, or you will have to call for help from specialists whose services you need to pay for. And I must say, it costs a lot of money, if, of course, you are dealing with professionals.

Any person who owns a country house, summer cottage or just the aforementioned garage can face a roof repair - sooner or later the roof may leak, and if measures are not taken in time, the room will begin to leak. Therefore, we suggest that you understand the main roofing materials, methods of their installation, as well as the possibility of cases of local replacement of the coating.

Repair of the iron roof of the gable roof

Note. In small architectural structures - small houses, cottages, summer cottages and garages, gable or pitched roofs are usually made, although you can also find structures of the hip or four-pitched type.
Nevertheless, local repair of the roof almost does not depend on the complexity of the structure, since only a certain area is subject to replacement.

Types of roofs for summer cottages and country houses

You may need the following types of repairs:

• filling the damaged area with hot tar to create the tightness of the coating;
• installation of a patch made of soft roofing materials, for example, on top of the old roofing material in a certain area, you can lay several strips of new material, but it is also sometimes fixed with resin;
• replacement of solid roofing materials in a specific area: slate, corrugated board, tiles;
• in addition, it can be repair of a seam roof, which is already somewhat more difficult and requires certain skills of a tinsmith.

Much also depends on the structural features of the building:

• for example, if this is a collective garage, then in most cases, these are soft materials on a bitumen basis (the same roofing material), since no one will cover their part of the building with more expensive material;
• but if it is a separate garage, cottage, cottage or house, then more durable materials of a solid type are already used, the same slate, corrugated board or tiles of different kinds (ceramic, metal, bituminous);
• the treatment of the roof with hot tar for sealing is usually done only on sloped or flat roofs - on gable and complex structures, the impermeability of the coating is achieved due to the overlap of the roofing elements on top of each other.

Sealing point damage

Even if you fix the leaks yourself, an estimate for roof repairs will not hurt you. So you can not only determine what materials you need, but also buy them in advance so that no force majeure circumstances arise during work.

Climb up and walk along the roof, identifying visually damaged places - it is not difficult to do this, since these are ordinary ruptures or holes in the roofing material. If there are not very many of them, then you do not have to cover the entire roof or its separate section - you can just get by with small patches.

Fill the damaged area with tar

At the place of damage, cut the roofing material in the form of an envelope to make four triangles, and bend them along the sides to clean out the debris that got inside. Then pour melted tar into it.

Next, lower the triangles back, and from above you also fill this place with resin so that the seams are not visible (as in the top photo). If the hole was large, then additionally glue a piece of roofing material on top and also cover it with resin.

Recommendation. If you need to patch one or two damage, then you don't need a lot of resin for that.
Therefore, you can melt a piece in a bucket right on the roof by heating it with a blowtorch.

It is very easy to repair and build a roof on a flat roof with roofing felt. To do this, you will need a certain number of rolls (it must be calculated for the covered area) and tar. However, it is already better to melt it on the ground, and then lift it in a bucket with a rope.

First, remove all debris from the roof, including the old coating if it is torn. Then pour melted tar in sections, so that there is enough for the width of the roll or for two widths, if possible.

Next, simply roll out the rolls on the roof so that they overlap each other, that is, they overlap. And the joints must be covered with resin to prevent precipitation from flowing.

Installation of hardfaced soft coating

Nowadays, there is a worthy replacement for roofing material - these are soft deposited coatings on a bitumen basis, the strength of which is much higher. Consequently, when using them, the service life of the structure is significantly increased.

They have several layers and can be made on the basis of:

The material is glued to the sub-base with bitumen when heated, as shown in the top photo. Such coatings may differ from each other, but the milestones at the bottom of them have a fusible film intended for installation (for gluing) - sometimes it can be sprinkled with quartz sand.

The quality of such coatings mostly depends on the mixture of bitumen with polymers - this layer is located in the middle of the sheet, between its protective, top layer and the base - the fusible film, which was discussed above. The mixture may differ slightly in its composition, since it can be oxidized bitumen, as well as the same bitumen, but already with the addition of polymers.

You will understand the difference right away - firstly, if there are no polymers, then the cost of the material is much lower, and, secondly, during operation it is not able to retain heat, and also loses its elasticity at low temperatures.

Note. One of the worst enemies of soft surfaces is precipitation in the form of snow.
The fact is that such a roof, as a rule, is made on pitched and flat roofs, where the snow begins to melt, then freezes and this cycle repeats.
And this is far from the best effect on the integrity of the coating.
Therefore, snow from such roofs should be removed even before the onset of a thaw.

Replacing a broken slate with a new one

But to repair the roof of a summer cottage, house or cottage, most likely, you will need solid roofing materials. If this is slate, then you are very lucky - it is very easy to replace it, unlike a seam covering.

In order to replace one slate, you first need to remove it. And for this you have to “disturb all the sheets that adjoin it, that is, overlapping it and located under its edge. At least these are three sheets - the top, bottom and one of the side ones, which is on top and covers the neighboring overlap with its wave.

The most important thing in this case is to carefully remove the nails so as not to damage the good (whole) material. And it is sometimes very difficult to perform such an operation, since the nails are rusty, and you will simply have nowhere to rest with a nail puller.

Therefore, the most convenient option in such situations is to cut off the nail heads with a grinder, if you have the opportunity to pull it out onto the roof by connecting it through an extension cord. The nails left without heads can subsequently be simply bent under the wave, resting against them with something flat, for example, a chisel or an old chisel (just hammer a new nail nearby - this will not cause any problems).

Note. We do not even mention the replacement of materials such as metal tiles or corrugated board, since they practically do not need to be replaced.
But if you still have to do this, then the principle is the same as for slate, only the process itself is much simpler.

So, if your roof is covered with sheet metal and you need to repair the roof of a cottage (house, summer cottage, garage), then everything is much more complicated here, since you have to unclench the folds in order to dismantle the old covering. And then compress them again.

Unclenching the fold is also not easy, perhaps even more difficult than rolling it up. The fact is that this will have to be done carefully, with a chisel, in order to then level the edge of the strip remaining on the roof for further use.

As a rule, a complex tool is not needed here - such a strip is leveled with two hammers. In addition, for replacement, it is very important to correctly measure the dimensions of the sheet so that it fits right into the seat - otherwise, its roll-up will be of poor quality.

Repair of a galvanized roof - the seam is rolled up with a roof frame

There are three main types of folds:

1. recumbent;
2. standing corner (L-shaped);
3. just standing.

So for roofing work, as a rule, the third, standing version of the castle is used. It is strong enough, tough and will not let moisture through either from the rain or from the melting snow mass.

Therefore, after dismantling and leveling the edges of the material remaining on the roof, the replacement is carefully fed up and laid. The difficulty lies in the fact that such strips have the full length of the slope, and they must be fed so that they do not bend.

The lock is rolled up with a roofing frame, although there is also an automatic and semi-automatic folding tool for this. And it is best to use a universal frame to close the fold.