Thursday, August 27, 2009

Metal Roof Repair

Metal roofing has become so popular it has lead to a quickly growing "repair" market. We are starting to get calls weekly from homeowners who need some work done on their existing metal roofs. We always recommend they contact their original roofer, but a majority of the time, they are not to be found. Repairs can be anything from leaking, flashings that have come off, destruction to the roofing by fallen trees, etc. We start by asking you a few questions about the problem and if you know the product you have, or can describe it based on the panel width, number of ribs or striations (bumps in the panels) and/or how high the major ribs are (pictures of the roofing and visible damage can be emailed to us to help us understand your repair). Then our operations manager will set up a time to take a look at your issue. There is a service call fee involved, to cover our time, and sometimes we can fix the problem while we are at your location. Other times, we will have to order parts, or panels and schedule a crew to come out and make the repair. We will provide you with a written proposal if we need to return for more work. We have access to almost every metal roofing panel available, and over 30 years experience in the metal market. Some panels are no longer produced, but many times a very similar product and color can be substituted. Metal roofing maintained properly and repaired quickly if their is damage, will last your lifetime, so choosing a dependable company to install and/or repair your roof is a wise investment of your time and money.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Parts of a Roof

Not sure what to call a part of your roof? This drawing gives some common terms to help you discuss your roofing project.

Common Metal Roof Flashing Terms

These are some of the common metal roofing flashings and where they will go on your project. Most manufacturers offer standard parts and pieces to complete common roofing and siding jobs, but when a standard part just won't work, we can get a custom piece made. Pricing for custom pieces is based on amount of material used and the number of bends/cuts, so they are very similar in cost to standard parts. Each type of metal roofing has slightly different flashings to fit the profile of the roof (meaning how high and far apart the ribs might be).

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

IronOx - Cold-Rolled Steel


Let your creative juices flow! This panel naturally rusts and will provide an artistic oxide finish. It's meant to look like the old-fashioned steel roofing that has graced the countrysides for years - without the wait! IronOx is made by ASC Building Products in 22 gauge with a 36" out-to-out width. It is unpainted and untreated steel and has no warranty from the manufacturer. The above picture is: Left - Nu-Wave in Bare Zincalume Finish; Middle - IronOx right off the cutting machine; Right - IronOx after sitting outside for 30 days (very little rain). We have another panel outside and will post it after 6 months. You can see it doesn't take much to get this to a "rusty" stage.