The legendary tin roof is a classic element of Australian architecture. It conjures up visions of dusty farmsteads strewn with cockatoos and kookaburras. It adds to the poetic imagery of Australia that came around in the days of Banjo Paterson.
Unfortunately, most tin roofs were actually built during Paterson’s lifetime, meaning thousands are in urgent need of a 21st Century touch-up. The iconic Aussie tin roof (although really made from galvanised iron or steel) deserves to remain part of our architectural history, although yours might need a little work to make it so.
With this in mind, here are five tips to repair a damaged tin roof:
1. First, ensure your own safety
For home DIYers, few repair jobs are more dangerous than getting up on the roof, especially if that roof is situated a little higher off the ground than others. Therefore, the first thing you must do is ensure your own safety through the following measures:
- Always use essential safety equipment including gloves and safety glasses. We also recommend investing in a harness as this can be the absolute difference between a catastrophe and safe repair job;
- Clear the damaged areas of any dust, debris, leaves and other materials that could be impeding the area;
- Inspect the damage to not only decide how to best fix it but also to ensure you can safely fix it.
2. If you are a repairing a hole
Holes are common in old tin roofs. Therefore, upon inspecting the damage you might find that it is a hole or puncture that is causing all this tin roof mayhem.
As such, you should follow this procedure to fix it:
- Ensure the area surrounding the hole or puncture is completely cleaned with a brush as it can accumulate some serious matter over time;
- Cut a galvanised iron or steel patch to cover the hole before adding roof cement or sealant and screwing the patch into its desired location.
3. If you are repairing corrugated iron sheets
Corrugated iron sheets experience their fair share of wear over time. This is largely due to oxygen and water corroding the material and reducing it to the reddish rusty colour that, yes, makes these roofs iconic in Australian architecture.
But they are also dangerous and should be repaired with the following method:
- Remove the damaged corrugated iron sheets to view the underlying structure before inspecting the structure for any underlying damage.
- Repair the structural damage before installing new corrugated iron sheets with fastening technology to ensure your corrugated iron sheets are sealed and secure.
4. If you are repairing screws or fasteners
Screws and fasteners can also fall victim to time’s corrosion. If this is the case, you will have to repair them to ensure that they don’t break loose and allow for further roofing damage.
Follow these simple steps to repair your screws or fasteners:
- Check the screws or fasteners for which ones are showing obvious signs of corrosion, loosening or another kind of damage;
- Replace the corroded or damaged screws with brand new ones;
- You will also have to tighten any loose screws to ensure your roofing is firm, secure and good to go for many years to come!
But, of course, if repairing a damaged roof isn’t your thing, you can always call the pros. They have the skills and experience to ensure that your roof is safely repaired and to the fullest efficiency. So, if getting up on that tin roof on a 30 degree day doesn’t seem like your thing, the experts are always there to ensure it is done properly for you!
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