Avoid the Leaks: 4 Repairs That Will Protect Your Metal Roof

If you're like most homeowners, you're just now embarking on steps to restore your home after a long winter. Depending on the severity of winter conditions this past season, you might be looking at roof repairs. If you have a metal roof, you might think that your roof is safe from winter damage, but that's not the case. Over the winter, damage could have occurred that will increase the risk for leaks.

Now that spring is here and summer is just around the corner, it's time to schedule metal roof repairs. Here are four steps that should be taken to identify potential problems with your roof. 

Replace the Screws

If it's been a while since you inspected the screws that hold your roof in place, now's the time to take care of that. There are a couple of issues involving the roofing screws that can increase the risk for leaks. First, high winds, and age, can cause the screws to come loose. Second, exposure to extreme heat and cold can cause the rubber gaskets to rot. Both issues can spell disaster for your roof. To make sure your roof isn't at risk for leaks, have screw-related issues repaired as soon as possible. 

Repair the Flashing

If you have a metal roof on your home, and you want to avoid leaks, make sure the stack flashing is in good condition. Not sure what the stack flashing is? Stack flashing is the protective flashing that's installed around areas such as the roof vents, and chimneys. Stack flashing can come loose, rust, or corrode over the years. Any type of damage to the stack flashing can increase the risk for leaks. Luckily, you can reduce the risk for leaks by repairing the stack flashing before the problem gets too big. 

Adjust the Seams

If you want to keep leaks away this year, you'll need to pay close attention to the seams in your metal roof. Metal roofs are installed using individual overlapping sheets. Over time, the sheets can shift, leading to gaps in the seams. Unfortunately, rain can seep through the gaps, causing damage to the underlayment, and increasing the occurrence of interior leaks. If you can see gaps between the seams of your metal roof, you need to have those gaps repaired right away. 

Replace the Sealant

If you have a roof sealant applied when you installed your metal roof, you might think that you're protected against leaks. Unfortunately, that might not be the case, especially if the sealant is more than a few years old. Roof sealant should actually be part of the annual roof maintenance list. If you haven't had fresh sealant applied to your roof in a while, take care of that while you're having other repairs done.