Rusting is the reddish brittle coating formed on iron especially when chemically attacked by moist air and composed essentially of hydrated ferric oxide. In Nigeria, most metal roofs are made from galvanized metal or coated to prevent rust from occurring, but rain water and sunlight can wear the protection away.

Rust can become an issue over time on even the most well maintained metal roofs, so in this article we will talk about the necessary steps that should be taken to fix rusting roofs.

How To Fix a Rusting Roof

Here are tools and materials you will need;

Ladder
Detergent
Scrub brush
Pressure washer
Roofing screws
Wire brush
dry sandpaper
Rust inhibitor
Paintbrush
Putty knife
Steel roofing mesh
Tin snips
Metal primer
Direct-to-metal roofing

Here are the steps to take to fix a rusting roof;

1. Roof should be washed with water and detergent to remove dirt and grease from the surface this helps in letting you know where is rusted and were isn’t. it is also important to sweep the roof first before you wash.
2. Remove any rusted screws or screws with deteriorated washers and replace them with new ones. If the metal around any fastener has rusted, and a hole has developed, repair the rusted hole before driving the new screw.
3. Scrub and remove surface rust, this can be done with sandpaper or brushwire the coat with rust inhibitor.
4. Repair holes and cracks, including those around rusted fasteners, with urethane roof cement and steel roofing mesh. Start by spreading a layer of roof cement with a putty knife that covers the damaged area with a surplus of 1 1/2 inches on all sides. Cut a piece of steel roofing mesh with tin snips to cover the area.
5. Smooth and flatten the final layer of cement to make the repair as innocuous as possible. Allow the roof cement to dry following the manufacturer's instructions and the weather conditions.
6. Paint the roof with metal roofing paint. The products that are easiest to apply and most effective for galvanized steel, aluminum and tin alloy roofs alike are acrylic direct-to-metal coatings, available at most building supply outlets. You can apply these by brushing or by spraying.

Tips and Warnings

If your roof is aluminum, you probably will just treat the rust with an inhibitor and repaint. Rust usually won't eat holes in aluminum because it does not contain iron but it can discolour it. Scrape any cracked or peeling paint from the roof before you repaint it, or the new paint coating won't adhere properly. If the panel is extensively damaged, replace it with a new one.

Remember to apply the necessary safety precaution when doing this and always have someone nearby to help you if need be. It is also important to make sure the roof can support your weight before you go ahead for the repair.

Make sure the weather is right, you don’t want rain to mess your work up or interrupt you. So dry season is the best time for this. The best time to work is early morning or late evening because the sun can heat up the metal and it becomes too hot to work on.

Are there other ways you to fix a rusted roof? Please leave a helpful tip in the comment section below.

Specially 4 d ibadan people