A metal roof is highly durable when it contains quality materials and workmanship. One important part of its makeup is the fasteners or screws that need to hold it securely. Without the right screws, the roofing components will not stay in place during harsh weather. For this reason, roofers need to ensure that the fasteners are completely compatible with the metal roofing that they are installing on any type of structure. Manufacturers of metal roof materials typically recommend specific screws to use with their products, but when these are not available professionals need to understand how to substitute appropriately to avoid issues.
Problems Caused With Metal Roofing by Incompatible Fasteners
1. When the screws are not compatible with the profile of the metal roof, they will not sit flush to the surface of the roof. This will prevent the washers from attaching in the proper way to keep water from seeping in the fastener holes. The result is roof leakage.
2. If the fasteners are not compatible length-wise, they will not screw far enough into the sheathing to hold the metal sheets in heavy winds. The roofing materials will blow off the roof in severe cases.
3. The wrong fasteners also may not be rated for outdoor use. When roofing contractors make this major mistake, the screws can rust and weaken. It will require major funds to call a different crew out to remedy the situation.
4. Another issue that can happen due to incompatibility of the screws is the fact that they will show and spoil the appearance of the entire metal roof. To prevent this issue, the right head should be on the fasteners to ensure that it does not negatively affect the look of the roof. Screws can contain flat heads, hex heads, wafer heads, pancake heads or other types of heads.
5. The threads should be strong enough to hold the specific metal roofing on the roof during all types of weather. When the screws have the right thread configuration, they have high-pullout strength, which is extremely durable.
Tightening the Compatible Fasteners Correctly Also Is Important
Over driving screws into metal roofing will dent the material. Under driving them or driving them in crooked can leave gaps for water to seep through and into the rest of the structure. Other issues also can occur with poorly installed fasteners.
For further facts about the importance of compatibility for metal roofing and fasteners, contact Johnson Roofing. We are experts at installing metal roofs. Our company uses only the highest-quality materials and techniques with all of our roofing projects. For your protection, we guarantee our workmanship and materials.
While metal roofing is highly durable, lightweight, attractive and long-lasting, many homeowners will not choose it for their homes since they fear it is more at risk of lightning strikes in comparison to other roofing materials. If you are in this group of homeowners, you may wonder if this roofing turns your home into a lightning rod. The quick answer to this is a simple ‘no.’ To further your knowledge on this topic, we offer the following FAQ about metal roofs and lightning.
Question: Does Metal Conduct Electricity?
Answer: Metals, such as zinc, steel, and copper, do conduct electricity effectively and efficiently. In fact, copper has been part of electrical wiring for years due to this fact.
Question: Is Metal Roofing More at Risk of Lightning Hits Than Other Roofing Materials Are on Houses?
Answer: Even though the materials in metal roofing are conductive with electricity, they are not at higher risk of lightning strikes than any other roofing material is on homes. Experts agree that this is no reason to fear installing a metal roof on your home when it comes to a lightning risk.
Question: Does Location or Size Have Anything to Do With a Risk of Lightning Strikes?
Answer: Lightning does tend to hit the highest point of a location. For this reason, the location of your house can have more of a bearing on whether you are at risk of lightning hits than which roofing material you install on it. In addition to this, a large home provides lightning with more of a target than a small house does, so this may have an influence on how at risk your house is for lightning strikes. There are protective measures you can take at present, though, to lower this risk, but you do not need to avoid metal roofing.
Question: Are Metal Roofs Safer When Hit by Lightning Than Certain Other Roofs Are?
Answer: Yes, metal roofing is safer in a lightning strike than some other types of roofing materials are. Metal roofing disperses the electricity of the strike quickly; and it is also flameproof. A metal roof does not catch fire even when hit with the intense heat from lightning.
For additional details about whether metal roofing will turn your home into a lightning rod, rely on Johnson Roofing. Our company performs roof repairs, installation, and maintenance to both residential and commercial clients here in the Auckland area. We supply durable, quality roofing materials and workmanship, and we also issue a guarantee with each job that we perform.
