How to Maintain your Standing Seam Metal Roof

A standing seam metal roof is becoming increasingly popular across modern commercial and residential builds. It’s a type of concealed fastener metal panel system that offers all the traditional benefits of metal roofing in addition to a little more durability when it comes to safeguarding your home against leaks.

Metal roofs come with a long list of benefits ranging from long-lasting durability to energy-efficient performance. One of the most notable benefits is the low maintenance feature of metal roofing. However, low maintenance doesn’t mean ‘no maintenance.’ Keep your standing seam metal roof in tip-top shape with a little routine cleaning and upkeep. Here are a few maintenance items to get the full 50+ years out of your metal roof.

Routine Maintenance Can Prevent Costly Repairs

If you’re in the habit of thoroughly checking your roof, you’ll notice when things start to change. In most cases, early detection is the first step in preventing or stopping bigger issues that can lead to significant repairs and big associated costs.

Stay on Top of Aesthetics to Keep Curb Appeal Intact

If looks are important, maintenance should be important. Keeping a build-up of debris off your roof only helps to keep your home looking nice. And when your home looks good, you look good.

Get the Most Life Out of your Standing Seam Roof

A typical standing seam roof is projected to last for 50+ years. You’ll be sure to get the full life out of your roof, and maybe even many more years, by investing in a little upkeep. However, stick with your manufacturer’s instructions. You may not be able to use corrosive cleaning agents like bleach or ammonia on your metal roofing panels. Still, a little dish soap and water can go a long way.

Trim Trees and Remove Plant Growth

Most of the debris on your roof comes from surrounding trees and plants. You can protect your roof for years to come by trimming back tree branches and preventing the growth of invasive plants. Branches can damage the surface, and while most metal panels are designed to be self-healing, excessive wear and tear from rubbing branches can prematurely damage your standing seam roof.

Trimming trees and removing plant growth protect your standing seam roof in two ways. First, you can rest easy knowing that a big storm isn’t going to bring a tree branch down on your home or commercial building. And, second, you can prevent the build-up of mold and bacteria caused by decaying biological materials.

Clean Your Gutters Regularly

Gutter systems are designed to collect and remove rainwater and ice melt so that it does not remain on the roof, where it can lead to damage. Gutters that are damaged, missing pieces, or full of debris cannot function properly. This allows a backup of water to erode the finish on your standing seam roof, which eventually may lead to corrosion and deterioration of an otherwise durable material.

Traditional gutters should be professionally cleaned at least annually–more frequently if there is a lot of overhang from bushes and trees. However, modern gutter systems are designed to allow water in a while, keeping debris out. These gutter systems may need less frequent cleaning, but should still be checked annually to ensure proper function.

Clean the Roof

A durable standing seam metal roof may be designed to last for 50 or more years. But that requires routine cleaning of the roof where leaves, seeds, and other natural debris tend to collect. As this material sits in the valleys of your standing seam roof, it is decaying and growing bacteria that looks dirty and compromises the integrity of your standing seam roofing panels.

The trick is that cleaning your metal roof isn’t as easy as it seems. For one, not all metal roofing systems can be walked on without damaging the integrity of the panels. Fortunately, standing seam panels tend to be durable enough to allow modest foot traffic. Still, there is a significant safety risk.

Metal panels are steep and slippery, and when combining those conditions with a garden hose for cleaning–that’s a recipe for disaster. Did you know that an accidental fall from a roof is one of the leading causes of accidental home deaths? Falls, often from heights like the top of a roof, account for about 6,000 deaths in the US every single year.

Given the risks, it’s best to leave the roof cleaning to the professionals. When you hire a professional roof cleaner, you have peace of mind knowing that they have the right equipment and plenty of experience to get the job done.

See Something, Say Something, Do Something

While standing seam metal roofs are notably less prone to failure compared to other types of metal roofing, things happen. A structural failure in the design of a panel can cause premature failure, leaving your home or business exposed to the elements. So, while your standing seam metal roof should last for years without repair, it’s a good idea to perform an annual inspection and ensure that there are no problems to address.

If you notice a problem, don’t wait–get a reputable roofing company out to take a look right away. Most often, early detection and swift action can prevent the most significant roofing failure problems. We don’t want to see you pay more for repairs down the road, so we recommend an annual visual inspection of your roof.

The Bottom Line on Maintaining your Standing Seam Metal Roof

Taking care of your standing seam metal roof isn’t rocket science. In fact, it’s little more than routine cleaning. You should give your roof a once over at least once per year, taking care to remove debris and trim back trees to prevent excessive deterioration.

About Metal Sales

Metal Sales Manufacturing Corporation is the premier nationwide provider of metal panels for the construction industry. Metal Sales works with architectural specifiers and commercial construction professionals to create inspirational design solutions. With the industry’s largest and most knowledgeable sales and technical support team, Metal Sales has the expertise to address today’s challenges in high-performance, sustainable and Net-Zero building. Metal Sales has outreach around the world. Delivering outstanding roof, wall and fascia metal panels from its 21 facilities throughout the U.S.

For more information, visit www.metalsales.us.com
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