3 Factors That Can Cause Your Metal Roof to Fail Prematurely

Manufacturers of roofing materials usually stipulate the expected service life of the different products that they make. However, several factors can cause those materials to deteriorate at a faster rate than expected. This article discusses some of the issues that may cause your metal roof to fail prematurely.

Mismatched Materials

Professional roof installers usually ensure that they use roofing materials, such as flashing and fasteners, which are compatible with each other. However, some homeowners may unknowingly use materials that are mismatched on their roofs during roof maintenance activities. For instance, a homeowner may notice that a fastener on the roof has gone missing. Such a homeowner may end up selecting a replacement fastener that isn't compatible with his or her roof. For instance, he may use an iron fastener on a copper roof.

Such mismatched materials are likely to react with each other to the extent that the metal roof may corrode rapidly. Avoid this problem by making sure that any materials that you use during the repair or maintenance of the roof are compatible with your roof. The added benefit if avoiding mismatched materials is that the aesthetics of your roof will be maintained once all the materials used are uniform.

Third Party Damage

Third party vendors, such as installers of cable TV systems, may cause your roof to deteriorate quickly if care isn't taken to prevent such a problem from developing. For instance, a contractor may cut a hole through the roof in order to install skylights. Such a person may not seal the edges of the opening made. Consequently, moisture may slowly damage the roof substrate until the only choice left to you is to replace the entire roof system.

How can you avoid third party damage to your roof? Decide what services or roof options you would like to install before the roof installer starts doing his or her work. Add those options prior to or during roof installation so that the damage that can result during retrofit activities can be averted.

Irregular PM

Preventive maintenance (PM), such as keeping gutters free from debris, can ensure that your metal roof reaches or even exceeds its expected service life. This is because such maintenance activities ensure that the roof systems function in the way they were designed to. For instance, clogged gutters may cause ice dams on your metal roof because water isn't flowing off the roof quickly during cold weather. That ice can cause the roof to sag or start leaking when the chemicals in the water attack the roof's materials. Always ensure that you perform preventive maintenance on your metal roof at the recommended intervals.

Some of the reasons that cause a metal roof to fail prematurely can be linked to the mistakes or oversights of homeowners. It is therefore advisable for you to work closely with a metal roofing contractor so that he or she helps you to protect the roof from premature aging.