Roofing materials gradually develop defects as they are exposed to the elements, such as snow. Roofs that show defects, such as flaking paint, can be restored so that the roof does not fail prematurely. However, some factors can lower the quality of any restoration work done on a roof. This article discusses some of those factors that you should be aware of as you restore the metal roof of your home (by repainting it, for example).

Improper Surface Preparation

Any restoration work that you would like to do on a metal roof, such as repainting it, requires you to prepare the surface of that roof properly. That surface preparation may include cleaning that roof thoroughly using a pressure washer. Any lapse during the preparation phase may cause the paint to fail to adhere to the roof. For instance, any mould that is not cleaned off will prevent the paint from adhering to the substrate. The newly applied paint may end up peeling off from the sections that were not cleaned properly.

Improper Application

Each manufacturer of a metal roof restoration product usually provides instructions regarding how that product should be applied on the roof. Some homeowners may deviate consciously or unconsciously from those application instructions, such as the temperature at which the paint should be applied on the roof. Such deviations from the given guidelines may cause the restoration job to have unsatisfactory results, such as seeing sections where the paint has flaked prematurely.

Poor Material Specification 

Some homeowners may try to save money on materials by buying different metal roof restoration products, such as primers and paint, from different suppliers. This may sometimes have negative consequences on the restoration project. For instance, the primer may be chemically incompatible with the paint that is applied on the roof surface. This incompatibility may cause the paint to deteriorate rapidly.

Equipment Malfunctions

Another cause of poor roof restoration is equipment malfunction as the work is done. For instance, paint-application equipment may develop clogs that prevent the equipment from applying a uniform layer of paint on all parts of the roof. This can cause the parts that received a thinner layer of paint to age faster than the parts that received the recommended paint thickness.

Many variables can compromise the outcome of metal roof restoration projects. It is therefore better to hire a metal roof contractor for the job so that he or she uses his or her expertise to design ways to minimise the chance that the factors above will lower the quality of the restoration work done.

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