Before You Replace That Old Metal Roof, See If It Can Be Restored
An older metal roof doesn’t necessarily need to be torn off and replaced.
In many cases, the metal itself still has years of usable life remaining.
The problem is usually somewhere else.
Loose or deteriorating fasteners.
Aging washers.
Small seams beginning to separate.
Surface rust.
Leaks around penetrations.
Old flashing.
Or years of expansion and contraction that have created small openings where water can get through.
For commercial buildings, shops, barns, warehouses, and other metal-roofed properties around Oklahoma City, Newcastle, Moore, Norman, and surrounding communities, a properly designed roof restoration system may provide a far more economical alternative to complete replacement.
One option we use is a silicone roof coating system.
What Is a Silicone Metal Roof Restoration?
A silicone restoration does more than simply roll paint over an old metal roof.
We first evaluate the roof to determine whether it is structurally suitable for restoration.
Major damage, badly deteriorated panels, structural problems, or severely rusted sections may still require repair or replacement.
But when the existing metal roof is fundamentally sound, we can address weak points and create a new waterproof surface over the existing system.
Typically, the restoration process includes preparing and cleaning the metal roof, repairing damaged areas, treating seams and fasteners, reinforcing problem areas with fabric or specialized materials, and applying a silicone coating over the roof.
The result is a seamless protective membrane over much of the existing metal roofing system.
The Screws Are Often Where Problems Begin
Anyone who owns an older exposed-fastener metal roof has probably seen this.
Thousands of screws hold the roof panels in place.
Each screw normally has a washer beneath it.
Those fasteners face Oklahoma heat, cold, wind, and rain every day of the year.
Metal also expands and contracts as temperatures change.
Over time, some screws may begin to loosen or back out.
Washers can deteriorate.
Water then starts finding its way around those fasteners.
Chasing leaks by replacing one screw at a time may work temporarily, but on a large aging roof, there may be hundreds or thousands of potential failure points.
A restoration system lets us address fasteners across the roof instead of waiting for them to leak individually.
Seams and Penetrations Need Special Attention
Fasteners aren’t the only vulnerable areas.
Metal roofs often leak around:
- Panel overlaps
- Roof seams
- Skylights
- Plumbing penetrations
- Exhaust vents
- HVAC curbs
- Flashing
- Ridge areas
- Wall transitions
- Previous repair locations
Reinforce these areas before applying the main coating.
You can embed fabric or reinforcing material into the coating over seams and other vulnerable areas to add protection.
The objective is to turn an aging collection of metal panels, seams, screws, and penetrations into a more unified waterproof surface.
You May Be Able to Buy Another Decade of Roof Life
One of the primary reasons property owners consider silicone restoration is cost.
Completely removing and replacing a large commercial or agricultural metal roof can be expensive.
You aren’t only paying for the new metal.
You may also be paying for tear-off, labor, equipment, disposal, insulation work, downtime, and disruption.
If the existing metal is still structurally usable, restoration can sometimes extend the roof’s service life without requiring complete replacement.
Depending on the product, roof condition, thickness, and installation specifications, coating systems may come with warranties of about 10 years or longer.
At Top View Roofing, we can design our silicone restoration systems around a 10-year warranty when the roof qualifies and the manufacturer’s requirements are followed.
That can be an attractive alternative for an owner who doesn’t want to spend the money for a completely new roof today.
Reflective Coatings Can Reduce Roof Surface Heat
Another advantage of many silicone roof systems is their highly reflective surface.
Older metal roofs, particularly darker roofs, can absorb a tremendous amount of solar heat.
In the middle of an Oklahoma summer, that roof becomes a large heat collector sitting directly above your building.
A reflective white silicone coating reflects much of that sunlight instead of absorbing it.
That can substantially reduce roof surface temperatures.
In certain buildings, particularly warehouses, shops, and poorly insulated metal buildings, reducing heat coming through the roof can help improve interior comfort and reduce the load placed on air-conditioning equipment.
The exact energy savings will vary from building to building.
Insulation levels, roof design, HVAC equipment, building usage, and other factors all make a difference.
But there is no question that a highly reflective roof surface absorbs less solar heat than a dark, weathered metal roof.
Restoration Also Avoids Unnecessary Tear-Off
Another benefit is one people don’t always consider.
If the existing roof doesn’t need to be removed, you don’t have to haul thousands of pounds of usable roofing material to a landfill.
The existing metal remains in place and becomes the base for the restored roofing system.
That can mean less demolition, less disruption around the building, and often a faster project.
For an operating business, that’s important.
Most owners don’t want to open up their building unnecessarily.
Not Every Metal Roof Should Be Coated
Silicone is not a magic solution for every metal roof.
If panels are severely rusted through, the substrate is failing, the structure has major problems, or the roof has extensive damage, replacing sections—or the entire roof—may be the better decision.
That’s why inspection comes first.
We need to know what we’re working with.
A responsible roofing contractor should be willing to tell you when restoration makes sense and when it doesn’t.
Sometimes replacement is necessary.
But sometimes tearing off a functioning metal roof simply because it is old wastes a substantial amount of money.
Commercial Roof Restoration in the Oklahoma City Area
Top View Roofing provides metal roof inspections, repairs, restoration, and replacement throughout the Oklahoma City metro and surrounding communities.
If you have an older metal roof over a warehouse, shop, barn, commercial building, church, industrial property, or other facility, we can evaluate the existing system before assuming it needs replacement.
If the panels and structure are still serviceable, we can determine whether a silicone restoration system is a realistic option.
The goal is simple:
Stop the leaks.
Protect the existing roof.
Reflect more summer heat.
And, when conditions allow, give the building owner additional years of roof life without paying for an unnecessary tear-off.
Before you spend the money to replace an aging metal roof, have it evaluated.
You may have more roof left than you think.
Top View Roofing LLC
Metal roof repair, restoration, and replacement throughout the Oklahoma City area.
