Roof Maintenance Guide
Here’s some information to guide you through what to and what to look out for when it comes to your hard metal roof.
If you’d like to speak to us about renewing your metal roof or installing a new one, you can contact us to talk about the possibilities.
Although Zinc, Copper and Stainless Steel are metals that require very little maintenance and the rinsing effect of rain water is often sufficient to keep the metal in ideal condition, the following precautions should be followed to keep your roof looking great and functioning as it should.
Roof inspections
The roof should be regularly inspected and any foreign matter such as leaves, grass and other deposits should be removed. Special attention should be given to gutters, ensuring that they are clean and not blocked thus allowing the free flow of water (flat gutters which result in standing water are not recommended). This maintenance shall be at the owner’s expense after the installation work has been completed.
It’s worth noting that normal foot traffic use implies traffic reduced to a strict minimum for normal maintenance defined above and for other work, such as installation and servicing of aerials, etc.
It is advisable to take all the precautions and useful provisions necessary so as not to cause any puncturing of the flat parts or deformation of the joints, roll capping, roof vents, etc. Care must also be taken to clean footwear prior to walking on the roof.
What if I need to access the roof more regularly?
Sometimes, and usually on commercial properties rather than residential ones, there may be technical equipment that requires more frequent inspection (such as air conditioning units). In these cases, other adaptive arrangements such as walkways should be considered.
General cleaning and maintenance for Zinc roofs
As indicated above, the rinsing effect of rain will often mean that no cleaning is necessary to keep your hard metal roof in the best possible condition. However, it is possible to wash a Zinc roof with warm water and a mild detergent.
The Zinc must always be cleaned in the direction of the grain of the metal. Pressure washers are not recommended. Cleaning with detergent can be supplemented with application of a very small amount of mineral oil. It is always advisable that a small test area is cleaned first and left for 24 hours prior to proceeding to clean a larger area.
Due to the self healing nature of metal roofing we would recommend that small scratches be left to heal on their own. We do not recommend the use of touch-up paint.