Galvanized Metal Roof Repair
Rust will quickly eat through a thin galvanized metal roof.
 The durability of galvanized metal roofing has made it a popular roofing material for homes for many years. Although durable, galvanized metal roofing can be damaged when the protective galvanized coating covering the metal is damaged. When the galvanized coating is damaged, the base metal becomes exposed to moisture and rust quickly forms. In a short time, the rust will eat through the thin base metal of your galvanized roofing material. A rust hole allows water to leak passed your galvanized metal roofing and damage the structural members of your home.
Difficulty:ModerateInstructions
Things You'll Need
Extension ladder
Tape measure
Galvanized sheet metal
Aviation snips
Clean rags
Butyl gasket
5/16-inch hex head adapter
Cordless drill
#10 self-tapping sheet metal screws with rubber washers
1
Set the extension ladder against the side of your house, with the top extending three feet beyond the eave of your home's roof. To ensure that the extension ladder is set at the proper angle, set your feet at the bottom of the ladder and put both of your arms straight out in front of you. Your fingertips should barely touch the front edge of the ladder rung closest to your eye level. Adjust the ladder if necessary.
2
Measure the size of the hole in the galvanized roof with the tape measure.
3
Cut a piece of galvanized sheet metal four inches larger than the width and length of the hole you need to patch in your galvanized metal roof with aviation snips.
4
Wipe the surface of the cut galvanized sheet metal with a clean rag to clean the surface of the metal.
5
Press butyl tape against the cleaned surface of the cut piece of galvanized sheet metal and run the butyl gasket around the perimeter of the metal patch, keeping the outside edge of the butyl tape even with the edges of the cut galvanized sheet metal. Make sure that there are no gaps in the butyl gasket, as a gap will allow water to penetrate the metal patch.
6
Secure a 5/26-inch hex head adapter into the chuck of the cordless drill motor.
7
Clean the repair area of the galvanized roof with a clean rag and place the cut galvanized metal patch on the cleaned surface of the galvanized roof. The hole in the galvanized roof needs to be set in the middle of the metal patch.
8
Run a #10 self-tapping sheet metal screw one inch in from each corner of the cut piece of galvanized metal and then place an additional #10 self-tapping screw every two inches to seal the cut piece of galvanized metal to the galvanized metal roofing.
9
Inspect the patch to ensure that no section of the patch buckled away from the surface of your galvanized metal roof. If you see a buckle in the patch, run a #10 self-tapping screw into the buckled area to complete the repair on the galvanized metal roof.