What to Do With That Old Metal Roof?

The modern metal roof is among some of the most practical and long-lasting available but time catches up with everything eventually.

By Duro-Last.

Metal roofing dates back to about 1000 B.C. when a temple in Jerusalem was built with a copper roof. Later on, in human history, metal roofs caught on in certain parts of the world, like the Virgin Islands, and were effective for several reasons. They were strong enough to resist earthquakes, dramatic heat, and tropical hurricane winds. They also had an appealing look to them, which as we know, is very important in the design of structures.

Most people don’t know that there are really two types of standing seam metal roofs: architectural and structural. Architectural are those you can see from the ground. They are aesthetic in design and intended to look good on the building.

Structural standing seam roofs are flat/low-sloped roof decks that are intended to be more functional than aesthetic.

Modern metal roofs are among some of the most practical and long lasting available. They offer great security and protection to the building, and they are usually a reliable and worry free long-term choice. However, time catches up with everything and rusted roof decks and leaks may start to compromise the building’s integrity.

With over 60 billion square feet of metal roofing in place in the United States and two billion more installed each year, that adds up to a lot of leaks – and a lot of money spent fighting them. When the integrity of the structural metal roof deteriorates, membrane retrofit solutions can provide a better option than replacing the metal roof or continuing to repair it. Membrane retrofits are a cost-effective, single-ply roofing solution that can usually be installed directly over existing metal roofs.

Duro-Last offers the Duro-Shield Metal Retrofit Roofing System to protect the building against rain, temperature changes, interior drips, ice build-up, as well as rust and corrosion. Our prefabricated membrane is custom designed to fit the metal roof exactly, and is assembled in our factory, eliminating 80-85% of rooftop installation labor. This solution keeps Mother Nature outside, while your inventory, equipment, and workers stay safe and dry inside.

Editor’s note: This article first appeared on Duro-Last’s blog and can be viewed here.