Sealing a tin roof or replace? Opinions please

[keep's keeper]

We have two barns that have minor roof damage. These are 3 sided enclosures with no insulation. Because of the high winds earlier this year there are a few leaks but no major structural damage. We are looking at options on fixing and I wondered about some sort of liner or coating on top rather than replacing the whole roof. I called a local business that does a foam roof/liner and it is just a much as the tin replacement.

Just wondering if anyone here knows of any DIY liner or alternative's to replacing the roof?

Thanks

[Atfulldraw]

you can seal it yourself and buy a few years. Or just replace the tin where it is damaged.

Foam (as you found out) is high, but it is two parts -- the foam and the elastomeric coating they put on top of the foam.

You can just use the elastomeric coating without the foam, and do it yourself.

[bentlimbs]

Keep, where are your leaks, just the screw/nail area? I use to patch tin roofs with a scholastic material (rubbery) and a mesh material. We would apply a thin coat of scholastic and a piece of mesh (3x3 inches) over the screws and a recoat of scholastic. If it is seams also just run the mesh and scholastic down the seams as well. The scholastic contracts and expands very well with the heat/cold. If I remember right the name of the company providing both materials was Trimco out of Houston. Lowes or Home Depot may have a similar coating.

[keep's keeper]

Foam (as you found out) is high, but it is two parts -- the foam and the elastomeric coating they put on top of the foam.

You can just use the elastomeric coating without the foam, and do it yourself.

I have a quote from a company that does that and they are telling me I have to have both foam and liner. Obviously I need to call other companies to see what they say. So is the liner something you can buy at Home Depot?

Keep, where are your leaks, just the screw/nail area? I use to patch tin roofs with a scholastic material (rubbery) and a mesh material. We would apply a thin coat of scholastic and a piece of mesh (3x3 inches) over the screws and a recoat of scholastic. If it is seams also just run the mesh and scholastic down the seams as well. The scholastic contracts and expands very well with the heat/cold. If I remember right the name of the company providing both materials was Trimco out of Houston. Lowes or Home Depot may have a similar coating.

Insurance co is saying we need to replace. But thx for the patch info. We just usually use silicone.

[BIG IRON]

Most of the roof isn't leaking, just a small portion. I would think that it is probably coming from the seal around the fasteners. A little cold process on the screw heads and a water test later might fix the problem.

[Snakelover]

I'm picturing the galvanized corrugated stuff with the roof nails with gaskets. Don't know it that's what you actually have. The first thing I would do is figure out where it's leaking. Two people and a water hose can do that. If it's at the nails, it's possible that either the nails have backed out slightly or that the gasket has deteriorated. The nails have to be snug enough to compress the gasket and they're notorious for backing out of the wood just enough to let the tin get loose. (Especially in high winds.) In either case, you might yank the nails and replace them with roofing screws with fresh gaskets. (The screws won't back out like nails often do.) Or it might be just as easy to dob some elastomeric coating where it's needed, over and around the nails, etc. I wouldn't elastomeric the whole roof unless it's really needed over a large portion of the roof because once you start painting something, you have to always maintain the paint.

Edit: Ok, I just read this...

Insurance co is saying we need to replace.

Nevermind.

[Atfulldraw]

Insurance co is saying we need to replace.

what do those guys know?

[Johnny Dangerr]

There is a new product out there that you clean the roof - use their special primer - and then apply a white kinda rubberized coat over it. It claims to lower the temp 20% inside the structure and is a lifetime repair. We are fixing to do the camp house.

Pm me if you want more info.

[keep's keeper]

There is a new product out there that you clean the roof - use their special primer - and then apply a white kinda rubberized coat over it. It claims to lower the temp 20% inside the structure and is a lifetime repair. We are fixing to do the camp house.

Pm me if you want more info.

Sending pm. I just googled something like that and am curious as to what you have found out.

Thx!!!

[Draco]

Is the building itself metal or wood? If it's metal you can go up in screw size and if it's wood you can use longer screws. The tin is probably good, it's the holes that are the problem so you may just want to caulk it. If you do don't get any thing but GE brand silicone caulk. I've used every brand out there over the last thirty years and the GE is far and away the best.