Commercial Metal Roofing: A Complete Maintenance Guide

Metal roofs are quite popular today because they are known to last over 50 years. However, you should never take their longevity for granted since routine maintenance is important. When your metal roof is poorly maintained, it will deteriorate much faster compared to those that get regular maintenance and care. Whether you already have or want to switch to a metal roof for your home or commercial property, read on to see why routine maintenance is important.

Why Maintenance is Crucial for a Commercial Metal Roof

Extends the Life of the Roof

Routine cleaning will elongate the lifespan of your metal roofing. Periodic maintenance maintains the integrity of the metal panels and eliminates any particles found on the surface that may degrade the substrate or paint system.

Removes Elements Stuck on Your Roof’s Surface

Regularly cleaning your roof helps to remove elements that may be stuck on the surface, such as leaves, small sticks, pollen, water stains, airborne dirt, spore deposits, rust stains, mold, mildew, and more. These elements can trigger premature degradation of the metal roof.

Maintains the Aesthetics of Your Roof

Cleaning the roof at least once every year will keep dirt and other elements from making the roof appear moldy, dirty, and discoloured. Furthermore, a clean roof boosts your structure’s aesthetics, allowing it to look its best while providing unbeatable protection.

Avoids Costly Issues

Routine roof maintenance can prevent expensive repair issues such as scratching, degradation, corrosion, dents, and leaks that may damage property. You can prevent these issues by arranging for a roof inspection with expert roofers.

15 Tips to Maintain Your Metal Roofing

To ensure your metal roof is in good condition, you should inspect it at least once a year. Although commercial property owners can maintain their metal roofs themselves, it is always best to hire professionals as they have the necessary safety and work equipment. Here are a few metal roof maintenance tips to ensure your roofing lasts forever.

Clean Off the Metal Panels: Metal roofs can be washed using water and mild soap. Just wet a clean microfiber cloth in the bucket of water and wipe the metal panels. You can then rinse off the soap using a garden hose. Working with an expert roofing company will ensure your metal panels are cleaned properly.

Keep Snow and Ice Off the Roof: You can use a long-handled broom or brush to sweep snow off your metal roof after a winter storm. Avoid using metal tools or equipment when cleaning, as they will damage the roof’s protective coating.

Clean The Gutters and Drains: Sticks, leaves, and other elements can get stuck in your gutters, resulting in clogging and pooling of water. You can prevent debris buildup by installing gutter guards, using a ladder to clean clogged gutters, or hiring a cleaning company. Maintaining your gutters and drains is important because excessive moisture tends to corrode metal roofing panels and encourage the breeding of pests on your property.

Remove Debris from Valleys: Examine the metal roof routinely for branches or leaves that accumulate in hard-to-reach places. Professional roofers can help to eliminate any debris on the roof to prevent scratching of the paint or affecting the aesthetics of your metal roof.

Trim Branches Near the Top of Your House: When trees are very close to your roof, they may deposit leaves, scratch the metal surface, scuff the pain, and leave your metal roof susceptible to damage. Ensure that you trim branches close to your property to prevent roof damage.

Inspect For Damage: You should routinely inspect your roof for damages such as flaking, fading, scuffs, and scratches. You can consult a professional for roof repairs if you detect any major issues.

Repair Minor Scratches: repairing minor scratches is important as it prevents expensive repairs in the long run. Apply mineral spirits on the minor scratches using a clean cloth. Wipe the mineral spirits from the scratched area, rinse using water, and allow the metal panel to dry. You can also use a little paint on the scratched area to boost curb appeal.

Adjust Damaged Flashing Materials: The flashings regulate water flow from susceptible parts of the metal roof. If the roofing leaks, it may be caused by missing or broken flashing. A seasoned roofer will confirm the condition and seal of the flashing to ensure excellent water damage prevention on your property.

Inspect Penetration Point Areas: Extensive sunlight exposure can cause degradation of solar panels, skylights, air vents, and materials around the chimneys. Apart from looking at flashings, roof contractors will also check metal panels and paint for chemical exposure or other things that may degrade them. They will also ensure any fallen debris has not created holes in the metal panels.

Check For Corrosion: When carrying out a roof inspection, you expect the roofer to scrutinize areas of the roofing around ventilation areas and HVAC systems. Vented appliances like range hoods release chemicals, heat, and steam that can damage the paint on the metal roof and even corrode the panels. You can prevent corrosion by ensuring that the various metals are not in contact with each other.

Repair Rust Spots: If your metal roofing panels have rust spots, you can apply a scrubber cleanser using a clean cloth. Eliminate as much of the rust as possible and rinse the debris using a garden hose. You should never use a wire brush as it will corrode your metal panels. You can prevent further rusting by lightly sanding rusted areas, applying a metal primer, and repainting the area.

Don’t Ignore Leaks: As a commercial property owner, you should never ignore a leaking roof. With time, the leak may worsen, resulting in more costly repairs. In addition, leaks may cause all kinds of damage to the building, including electrical, equipment, and structural damage. In worse scenarios, leaking can cause the collapse of your roofing. Ensure that you contact a roofing contractor immediately if you notice leaking areas on your roof.

Don’t Walk on The Roof: Your commercial metal roofing should experience the least foot traffic possible to prevent damage to the metal panels and accessories. You can also install walk pads to stabilize the roof, prevent extensive damage, and prolong the life of your roof. Only trusted roofing experts should access the roof when inspecting or repairing it.

Make Sure Your Roof Equipment Is Functioning: Having faulty equipment on the metal roof can cause damage and integrity issues on your commercial metal roof panels. Protecting your roofing will help prevent unsealed vents, faulty wiring, and leaking air conditioners.

Only Hire Professional Metal Roofing Companies: Ensure that you only hire expert commercial roofing contractors who are accredited and have the necessary training and experience to handle your metal roofing needs. Ensure that you vet the roofer and request references that you can contact to ensure the contractors offer the best services ever.

Can You Pressure Wash Your Metal Roof?

Whether or not you can pressure wash your metal roofing or the techniques to use will depend on the kind of coating you have. Protecting the roof’s coating during pressure washing will also help protect the metal panels, regardless of the roof type used for roofing. If you have exposed metal areas on the roof, you should consider metal roof repair services before pressure washing. For commercial roofs with moderate to high pitches, you should pressure wash them using a ladder since waking on top of such roofs is extremely dangerous.

Be Safe

While cleaning a metal roof, you should consider getting safety equipment to guarantee safety. You must have a fall protection system, a harness, and a ladder for pressure washing the roof. Precautions must be adhered to even after cleaning the roof since it can be extremely slippery. Since metal roofs have special coatings that protect them, you should ensure your ladder’s stabilizer arms have a soft resting surface to prevent ruining or scratching the roof’s coating. Ensure you have everything required for the job before you start cleaning, from a power wash to extra fine-tuned gear.

Use the Appropriate Pressure Washer

If you want to clean your metal roof manually, you should invest in a power washer. You can opt to choose either an electric-powered or gas-powered washer. Commercial property owners can choose to purchase their pressure washers or hire them. With the right pressure washer, you can rest assured that your roof will remain clean and serve you and your business for many years.

Avoid Using Too Much Pressure

To determine the pressure needed to clean your roof, you must figure out the project. Some metal roof cleaning projects just need water and a power washer to provide the level of cleaning needed. However, other tasks will require rubbing alcohol and detergent to eliminate years of debris buildup from the metal panels. A good pressure washer is enough to help remove the most common debris deposits. However, you can use hot water to remove suborn stains and grime from the metal roof.

Contact Us for Expert Commercial Metal Roofing Maintenance

If you are looking for a durable, long-lasting roof, you should contact Ironclad Roofing. Our metal roof panels have a baked-on paint that will look great for many years. When properly maintained and cared for, our metal roofs can outlast all other types of roofing materials.

Our roofing experts take the time to understand the needs of every client, and we will strive to exceed their expectations. When you choose Ironclad Roofing, you get roofing products that will last. If you are looking for metal roofing installation, repairs, or maintenance services, contact Ironclad Roofing to get an estimate and answers to your questions.