Repairing a metal roof isn’t necessarily hard, but it can be time-consuming even for a professional
roofing company. It’s important to take your time and follow a few simple steps to make sure you do the best job possible:

Roof Repair Tips for Metal Roofing

  1. Always use the same type of metal as the roof. Remember that you’ll need 3 patches, each one about 2 inches bigger than the one before it.
  2. Once you have your metal patch in place, with the corners mitered and folded, sand the patch. This is an important step. If you don’t sand the patch at this point, the flux won’t stick to the patch.
  3. Always solder in a continuous seam all around each patch.
  4. Weigh down the first patch while you’re working on the second to make sure the metal stays in contact with the roof and adheres better. Do the same when applying the third patch. Roofer tip – a cinder block works great for this purpose.
  5. Use plenty of roofing cement between patches.
  6. Finally, use a sealer over your roof repair.

As always, you need to use extreme caution when working on a rooftop. Never attempt to repair the roof in bad weather, and always wear shoes with soles that can firmly grip the roof surface. This is particularly important on metal roofs, which can be slick.

Read more about metal roof repair mistakes

Image: Hundred House roof lines / Groton School / CC BY 2.0