Metal Roof Restoration: A Legacy Barn in Canby, OR

Waterproofing Corrugated Metal Roof

This project was in Canby, OR on a farm. The rancher stored hay, alfalfa and other grains in his barn and had a corrugated steel roof. I got word that the grandfather built the barn by hand in the early 1950s with the help of a few neighbors. He used thick timber from a local Oregon City lumber mill. When I saw the thick planks, heavy rafters and massive beams it made me think of long-lasting quality and craftmanship. Grandfather knew what he was doing. Every square washer was squared straight and parallel. His roof choice was heavy corrugated steel. I suppose that was the only way to make corrugated steel back then…heavy. When I first saw the roof, layers of paint were peeling off and rusty. The grandson said every year a portion of his grain would get wet and mold due to nagging leaks in his roof. Thus, losing thousands of dollars’ worth of feed every year. That’s what prompted him to give us a call.

When we were asked to fix his metal roof, we saw hundreds of screw heads that were loose or missing, open gaps in the sheet metal and a lot of rust. We knew we could help him.

We tightened each loose screw and replaced those that were missing. We secured open gaps with new screws and replaced the broken corrugated skylights with corrugated polycarbonate panels. We pressure washed the old paint off, debris and crusted rust in preparation for primer and a silicone coating.

First, we used applied APOC™ brand primer with a paint sprayer. We sprayed over the cleaned roof rust, corrosion and in some areas, we sprayed more than once to ensure complete coverage. This cast a beautiful blue color that was much like the sky in mid-August. The whole roof was like a blue sea when standing on the vastness of a sheet metal roof.

Next, we used APOC™ brand patch and sealant with paint brushes. This has the consistency of mom’s pancake batter, maybe a little bit on the watery side, but enough to be able to spread a thick coat on every screw head, gap and seam. This step allowed us the opportunity to seal out decades of battle worn steel, corroded screws and other small penetrations.

Following the pressure washing, primer, patch & seal steps we were finally able to apply the APOC™ silicone coating. We used heavy-napped paint rollers and long handles. This wet coat would smoothly slide on the primer coating revealing blue streaks peeking through the white slurry. Back and forth you’d roll on more product until the area was completely white. Over time, the sea of blue turned into a blinding white canvas. Once this coating dried, it was like walking on a grippy, almost rubbery feel under your feet. The sense of a job well done with knowledge that water cannot penetrate in any capillary layer, hole or seam made this project worth the experience.

Service provided: Roof Repair

Budget: 55,000