While the commercial metal roofing system has a plethora of advantages over other roofing options such as low cost, longer lifespan, and many others, it has many flaws too. This prevents it from being an ideal roofing system for commercial properties as roofing experts from the best metal roofing service believed at the time of its inception. That said, most of these issues are manageable or avoidable only if you are aware of them, and you can also take the help of a professional for sealing a metal roof.
Considering the need to educate commercial metal building owners about roof issues, we thought of compiling a list of potential problems that could affect your metal roof. Let’s look at them:
Oil canning
You probably may not have heard the term, but it’s one of the hottest concerns in the metal roofing system. According to the Metal Construction Association (MCA), it’s best described as:
“Visible waviness in the flat surface areas of metal roof and wall panels. Technically, it is referred to as elastic buckling (better known as “stress wrinkling”). It can develop in any type of metal panel, be those steel, aluminum, zinc, or copper.”
Many reasons lead to oil canning, and the most common are:
- Over-production - such as extremely high pressure during metal coiling
- Continuous stress from roll forming panels and coil slitting
- Inadequate space provided for thermal expansion and contraction of metal panels
- Change in the structure’s original form that moves the panels.
This is how you can prevent oil canning:
- By installing thicker metal panels
- By installing the metal roof over a flat roof deck
- By working with the best metal roofing company for sealing a metal roof
Chalking and fading
Chalking happens because of the breakdown of paint resin caused by UV exposure. This leaves a white residue on a painted or coated metal roof that is visible and degrades the surface area of the roof.
Fading happens when the paint’s pigment breaks down because of UV exposure, water, pollution, and many other reasons. Both of them - chalking and fading can affect your metal roof and damage its surface. Make sure you combat these two problems as soon as possible by hiring a metal roofing service.
Use of different metal and material
Your metal roofing system can fail or degrade before the expected time if a different material is used during the installation. Although it is primarily a fault of metal roofing contractors, it can wreak havoc on your roof. Before installation, make sure that your contractor uses the right product.
Bottom line
If you want to ensure that your commercial metal roof lasts longer than ever, keep a close eye on the aforementioned problems and get in touch with the best metal roofing company who can help you with sealing a metal roof.